The GEF-SGP and UNDP has another programme that Community Based Organizations (CBOs) may tap into for funding. The name of the programme is Community Based Adaptation (CBA). The word “adaptation” in CBA refers to Climate Change Adaptation. This fund is a Global Environmental Facility (GEF) fund that is administered locally by the UNDP and delivered through the Small Grants Programme Modality. In addition, the CBA in partnership with AusAID has received co-financing for the CBA through AusAID’s Vulnerability and Adaptation programme for Samoa.

The CBA is designed to achieve the goal of: ‘reducing vulnerability and increasing adaptive capacity to the adverse effects of climate change while generating global environmental benefits, building resilience of communities and eco-systems and resource-dependent livelihoods in the face of climate change’.

This translates into three main criteria for the eligible CBA project: 1) It must have a global environmental benefit (comparable to those addressed under the SGP program),and 2) Each project must clearly demonstrate that the activities proposed are addressing climate change induced stresses to the ecosystem/natural resources and NOT other human induced stresses unrelated to climate change (e.g. pollution, deforestation, unsustainable management of natural resources, etc…) 3) be community-driven.

This pilot programme is one of the first, if not the first, community based climate change adaptation programme in the world and is a great way to get involved in a grass-roots approach to climate change.

This is a picture of a village facing dramatic coastal erosion.