Locations
Disaster and Climate Risk Informed Development in Small Island Development States
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALs
Donor
ABOUT THE PROJECT
This project aims to enhance the resilience of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), specifically the Maldives, Seychelles, and Timor-Leste, to the increasing frequency and impact of disasters exacerbated by climate change. Current disaster risk reduction (DRR) approaches and climate change adaptation (CCA) often lack integration within broader development strategies. This project will address this gap by promoting risk-informed development planning and adaptive governance. It will upskill decision-makers and practitioners in integrated DRR/CCA approaches, improve damage and loss accounting, and enhance gender equality through community resilience building. The project intends to employ a multi-sectoral, whole-of-government approach, considering the interconnectedness of various risks to avoid unintended consequences. Innovation and digital transformation will be encouraged, with area-based interventions at the community level to address multi-dimensional risks holistically. The project's three main outputs, complemented by a focus on project effectiveness and a strong gender equality dimension, contribute to achieving DRR, climate change, and sustainable development goals.
Key Planned Objectives & Outputs
The project has 3 outputs that will strengthen the capacity of national and local governments, as well as communities in Timor-Leste, to build their resilience to disaster and climate risks, reduce their risk exposure and vulnerability, and save lives and livelihoods from disaster impacts. The outputs include:
Output 1: Integrated risk governance: strengthened disaster and climate-risk-informed development capacities at national and subnational levels to set incentives for risk reduction and resilience building
Output 2: Strengthened gender equality, women’s empowerment, and leadership through community-based resilience building (CBRB).
Output 3: Disaster and Climate Risk Information: Increased access to and application of climate and disaster risk information in decisions on development and recovery
EXPECTED RESULTS
Progress in the disaster and climate risk-informed policy-making process
A cadre of 100 men and women, including practitioners and decision-makers from national and local institutions, trained to take action on integrating DRR and CCA into development policy and planning processes.
Upgraded loss and damage tracking systems providing accurate data to inform decision-making.
Local government has scaled up the implementation of community-based resilience-building measures to foster gender equality as part of the local development planning process, reaching at least 16,000 individuals.
Gender Equality
The project recognizes that women and girls are often underestimated partners when it comes to recognizing their leadership roles in community resilience. Thus, the participation, active engagement, and leadership of women and girls and their organizations need to be actively sought for effective community-based resilience-building. The project has a gender marker (GEN2) linked to each output, with a dedicated GEN3 output that focuses on strengthening the capacities of government and civil society to implement community-based disaster and climate risk management programs at scale, with an emphasis on women’s empowerment and leadership, gender equity, and inclusiveness.
