Livelihoods
Thematic area
UNDP supports the advancement of climate-resilient livelihoods for vulnerable communities, including resilient agricultural value chains. A failure to adopt climate-resilient measures to support sustainable livelihoods is likely to jeopardize food and income security, and lead to the loss of assets and increasing impoverishment. The main areas of UNDP’s work include support to entrepreneurs and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with a special emphasis on women entrepreneurs, development of public goods to build market resilience, and promoting income diversification and improved productivity. This work supports global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially goals for ending hunger and poverty, promoting decent work and economic growth, and supporting responsible consumption and production practices.
Stories
In the Ahuachapán region of El Salvador, families are reaping the benefits of sustainable agricultural practices with a conservation focus.
In Viet Nam, smallholder farmers are turning to beekeeping and other alternative livelihoods for climate-resilient income in an initiative backed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and UNDP.
With access to irrigated land, training in climate-resilient farming, and a platform to sell their produce, women farmers in Zimbabwe are forging new paths for economic independence and sustainable agriculture.
Partnerships
The AFCIA is a multi-partner programme launched in November 2020 with an initial US$10 million grant from the Adaptation Fund. The programme supports local entrepreneurs in developing countries to grow their innovative resilience-building solutions into viable business models that attract commercial financing. In December 2020, the European Union contributed an additional €10 million to the UNDP grant funding window.
Launched by UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner at the Climate Adaptation Summit in January 2021, AIM is a strategic platform that promotes scaled-up adaptation at the local level, focusing on civil society, non-government organizations, and women and youth innovators. The AIM partners include the International Centre for Climate Change and Development, the Least Developed Countries Universities Consortium on Climate Change, the Global Resilience Partnership, the Climate-Knowledge Innovation Community, and the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
The work of UNDP’s Climate and Forests Team contributes to both SDG13 (climate action) and SDG15 (forest ecosystems), addressing their close linkages. When promoting forest and climate policies and investments in countries, UNDP employs a social inclusion approach, wherein effective stakeholder engagement is ensured, the rights of indigenous peoples and forest communities are promoted, gender equality and women’s empowerment principles are mainstreamed, and policy reforms towards more equitable land use and tenure systems are encouraged.
