INITIAL SITUATION

Globally, agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) along with energy are among the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions and a driver of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. At the same time, climate change and a continuous loss of biodiversity have already negatively affected the AFOLU sector. Moreover, the role of water availability and accessibility is becoming increasingly crucial. Projected shifts in precipitation (pronounced in regions with the highest agricultural productivity), combined with warmer temperatures will have negative impacts on crop yields in all three countries. The challenge is to enhance sustainability in the agriculture and water sector in times of climate change while protecting livelihoods and, at the same time, contributing to emission reduction through selected businesses adopting climate conscious business approaches. Integrated and innovative solutions are urgently required. Private sector actors in the agriculture and water nexus are important drivers of innovations and can provide the required investments for such solutions. However, they currently need more awareness, knowledge, incentives, and funds to take multi-beneficial climate actions and contribute to the necessary transformational change.

ELIGIBLE ORGANISATIONS

The project targets private sector actors from small and medium-scale businesses and cooperatives involved in agricultural and water nexus value chains. They will benefit from increased climate resilience and capacity to provide low-carbon goods and services.