USAID assistance will help FSM and Palau to develop a strategy to improve climate resilience and increase food security

The United States government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), supported capacity-building efforts in the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau, which in turn helped to secure US$10.4 million in climate change-related grants from the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

 This funding will help the people of Micronesia and Palau to be safer and more resilient. These two countries are among the world’s most vulnerable nations to the impacts of climate change.

In Micronesia, assistance from USAID helped the country to develop a strategy to improve climate resilience and increase food security for farming communities. The new strategy will introduce and enhance sustainable agricultural practices and develop climate-resilient agriculture value chains.

With USAID’s assistance, Palau was able to secure a US$1 million award from the GCF that will position the country to unlock even greater access to climate change mitigation funding. This grant will enable the government to recruit and train staff and establish policies needed to secure financing and implement their own efforts to combat the effects of climate change. The grant will support Palau to apply for GCF accreditation — a crucial step in allowing the country to apply for even more climate-related international funding.

Modest USAID support enables our partners in the Pacific Island countries to access funding from an array of international donors for climate change mitigation and preparedness. These limited USAID investments provide an enormous return on investment by reducing the cost of future disaster response and recovery. Since 2017, USAID has helped the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and Papua New Guinea mobilise over $36 million in funding from the GCF.

This feature was published on USAID, reposted via PACNEWS.