AZERBAIJAN: VICE-PRESIDENT Dr Philip Mpango has stressed the need of ensuring that funds for climate change mitigation programmes reach local communities to enable them to design and implement initiatives tailored to their specific challenges.
The VP said local communities possess a deeper understanding of the issues affecting their areas.
Dr Mpango made the call this week when he represented President Samia Suluhu Hassan at an event to honour Global Champions for Locally Led Adaptation organised by the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) on the sideline of the 29th Conference of the parties (COP 29) on Climate Change currently underway in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The VP emphasised the importance of leaders to recognize and empower innovators behind community-led projects aimed at addressing climate change.
“By standing up for the local people, by helping them stand up on their own terms, that is how we can help them become champions for adaptation. We must stand firm on climate finance reaching the most vulnerable local communities,” Dr Mpango said.
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He called on communities to continue initiating innovative projects that will help in combating the effects of climate change.
Dr Mpango urged the GCA to expand the scope of the competition to include more innovators, particularly those involved in blue economy activities.
He said that Tanzania has several climate change adaptation projects led by local communities, such as women in the coast of Zanzibar who are engaged in seaweed farming,a response to rising sea levels caused by climate change.
The VP noted that previously before the increase in water volume the women engaged in rice farming and cage fish farming.
He appealed for funding to the local communities to enable them to actively participate in blue economy activities and tackle climate change.
The awards were presented to four exceptional community initiatives from around the world in categories of food security, local entrepreneurship, water security and climate change adaptation strategies. The award winners are from Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Argentina and Kiribati.
President Samia was one of the judges involved in evaluating the projects to determine the global winners.
At the high-level gathering, GCA underscored the urgent need for global leaders to sustain momentum towards the doubling of climate adaptation finance and to channel it to at risk communities, emphasising that sustained support is vital for locally led solutions.
The event amplified the voices of frontline champions who are driving pioneering adaptation initiatives, demonstrating transformative approaches that directly support the communities most vulnerable to climate change.
The Global Centre on Adaptation Chief Executive Officer Prof Patrick Verkooijen, highlighted the importance of locally driven adaptation.
“As the world confronts the accelerating impacts of climate change, locally led adaptation is essential for building global resilience. Today, we honored leaders and communities whose innovative, scalable solutions are protecting lives and transforming futures. These champions remind us that adaptation, when guided by local needs and supported by global solidarity, is one of the most powerful tools we have,” he said.
He said the Global Centre on Adaptation is committed to bridging the gap between international finance and local action and with COP29, we must see a doubling in adaptation finance, ensuring no vulnerable community is left behind.
