Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology has launched the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Climate Change Adaptation Project in the Maldives.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology Aminath Shauna emphasised the Maldives has a severe chance of being impacted by the climate crisis, and that despite contributing the least to global warming, the small island states such as the Maldives are being impacted first and most severely by the climate crisis.
Also at the ceremony, Mission Director of USAID Reed Aeschliman said the Climate Change Adaptation Project is a response to the call to action from the US and the Maldives to address the climate crisis, adding that the USD10.5 million project will use market-based solutions to enhance adaptation efforts for a period of five years.
USAID stated it will build the capacity of the private sector, civil society, and the government to respond and adapt to climate change in ways that contribute to sustained, inclusive, market-based growth. The project will also help identify and scale up innovative solutions to climate-related challenges, strengthen governance to address climate-related risks, and improve access to high-quality information for decision-making to reduce vulnerability to climate change.
The project is one component of the partnership between the US and the Maldives to support self-reliance, strengthen stability, and promote economic growth.