The Philippines has secured its first Adaptation Fund (AF)-financed project worth $10 million to boost the climate resilience of communities in Tawi-Tawi, officials announced after the AF Board’s 44th meeting in Bonn, Germany last April.
The project, Harnessing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus to Address and Adapt to Climate Change Impacts in Tawi-Tawi, will increase the adaptive capacity of the municipalities of Sibutu and Sitangkai by deploying resilient water supply systems integrated with renewable energy infrastructure.
According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), it will also build local capacity for sustainable water management, strengthen livelihoods, and scale up knowledge management across the Philippines.
Spearheaded by the DENR with support from the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the project addresses key climate risks to Tawi-Tawi’s water management sector.
“This project is fully aligned with our National Adaptation Plan, which emphasizes securing food supply while nurturing our natural resources and sustaining livelihoods as core strategies in our fight against climate change,” Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga said.
Loyzaga highlighted the project’s focus on the water-energy-food nexus. “By enhancing water security, we are not only safeguarding the livelihoods of our seaweed farmers but also reinforcing the economic foundations of communities affected by climate change,” she said.
Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto, whose department represents developing nations on the AF Board, called the project a milestone. “This is not only the country’s first access to the Adaptation Fund. It is an assertion of our promise that no Filipino will be left behind in our pursuit of climate resilience and sustainable development,” he said.
“By placing communities like Tawi-Tawi at the forefront of global climate financing, we are doubling down on our commitment to uplift the lives of every Filipino, especially those most at risk,” he added.
