Page 73

two fronts: adapting agriculture to the effects of climate change and reducing emissions from unsustainable farming practices. For developing countries, the degree to which they will succeed in taking climate adaptation and mitigation measures (in line with their national climate plans) depends on the financial and technical assistance they receive from their bilateral and international partners. In this regard, IFAD has become a major player in providing finance and technical support to smallholder farmers as they adapt to climate change. Through the investment projects that it supports, IFAD is committed to aligning agricultural investments to environmental priorities identified within countries’ INDCs. Through its investment activities, IFAD has already begun supporting implementation of the INDCs on the ground. By innovatively integrating climate-smart solutions and technologies into the agricultural development programmes it finances, IFAD is investing in rural people to build their resilience to climate change. IFAD’s work in Djibouti is a case in point. The programme supports the government’s stated policy of training more local fishers in sustainable fishing methods to conserve fish resources.IFAD’S ADAPTATION FOR SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE PROGRAMMEA key global initiative for IFAD is its Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme, or ASAP. This programme, which was launched in 2012, has become the world’s largest adaptation fund for smallholder farmers in developing countries. The overall target for ASAP is to reach 8 million smallholder farmers by 2020 and increase their climate resilience. So far, ASAP has served as the main instrument for integrating climate resilience into IFAD’s development portfolio. For example, the Climate Adaptation and Livelihood Protection (CALIP) Project in Bangladesh targets poverty alleviation in the Haor Basin, a coastal region with low agricultural productivity that is vulnerable to flash floods and monsoons.