The impact of climate change has no geographical boundaries. It affects everyone, all over the world, and is particularly hard on those whose livelihoods depend directly on the natural environment. Climate change is one cause of poverty, hunger and natural disasters.
Climate change around the world is creating new challenges for those involved in international development, since poor countries and population groups are much harder hit than prosperous ones. Climate change hampers development and jeopardises the progress that has already been achieved. For this reason, climate change mitigation and management are increasingly important elements of development cooperation. The SDC's Global Programme Climate Change, in particular, takes account of this trend.
Switzerland incorporates climate change in its development policy and provides expertise, technical solutions and financial resources for climate protection.
Mountains are home to one-fifth of the world's population and a source of water for half of humanity. As a mountainous country, Switzerland supports sustainable development of mountain regions.
Solidar Suisse oriente son programme de développement sur les besoins et les droits des personnes vulnérables et défavorisées dans les pays les plus pauvres et dans les pays émergents et en transition où les inégalités sont profondes. Solidar Suisse développe des programmes qui renforcent les mouvements sociaux et promeuvent l’intégration active de la société civile dans les processus politiques. Le « travail décent » est devenu l’élément phare de Solidar Suisse qui a développé une véritable expertise dans cette thématique.
Pakistan faces significant disaster risk and lacks institutional capacity and finance to tackle it. The National Disaster Risk Management Fund will enhance resilience of vulnerable communities, especially in KP and FATA, to natural hazards and will strengthen institutional capacity of authorities to disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness. This will reduce socio-economic vulnerability of the people to natural hazards and ultimately poverty.
An earthquake of the magnitude of 7.8 (Richter scale) hit Northern Ecuador, on 16 April 2016. Damages were widespread, collapsing structures within hundreds of km’s from the epicenter. Following SDC/HA’s emergency and early recovery interventions, SHA will provide the Ecuadorian government with technical support in capacity building on earthquake resistant construction, capitalizing SDC’s experiences from Pakistan and Haiti.
10'000 families in 19 municipalities of the country improve their food security and their situation of poverty by practising sustainable and climate-smart agriculture. The Project will provide resources so that small-hold farmers in environmentally degraded dry areas affected by climate change and variability develop capacities, exchange knowledge and apply technologies for climate change adaptation.
Drought, fodder scarcity and conflicts over natural resources make life difficult for pastoralists in southern Ethiopia. The SDC has taken various measures to improve their food security and their resilience to crisis situations, ranging from the rehabilitation of pastureland and water points to the introduction of land use plans and the diversification of income sources for women.
In response to the explicit demand of the five Central Asian States, and building on over 20 years of cooperation in the field of water, SDC facilitates transboundary water resources cooperation consistent with the Blue Peace approach implemented in the Middle-East and at the global level through the establishment of a High Level Dialogue Platform, the promotion of sustainable water practices as well as capacity building of a new generation of water professionals and champions.
As a continuation of the support to the Macedonian water and nature sector, Switzerland developed a group of projects that will assist the country to have cleaner water and a healthier environment, as well as to move forward in meeting its obligations towards the EU. Through this project, Citizens and farmers in the Strumica river basin will benefit from improved economic wellbeing as a result of a better ecological status of the river basin and reduced flooding hazards.
Tajikistan is the poorest country of the former Soviet Union and is marked by a sluggish transition and fragility patterns. This project contributes to improving the Rasht Valley (the most neglected and fragile area of the country) population’s quality of life through better provision of and access to water and health services, as well as increased resilience against natural hazards. Moreover, it enhances professional skills and empowers the local population in planning and investing in its communities.
Enhancing sustainable and climate-friendly use and management of ecosystems for human well-being is at the core of a new research module in the context of SDC’s and the Swiss National Science Foundation’s (SNSF) joint r4d Program (Swiss Programme for Research on Global Issues for Development; www.r4d.ch). Researchers from Switzerland with their partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America will jointly generate new insights and develop innovative concepts and tools for a more sustainable and equitable provision of ecosystem services benefiting the poor.
Dans le Massif de la Selle – situé au sud-est d’Haïti – se trouve une des dernières forêts natives du pays. Malgré son statut d’Air protégée, la préservation de la Forêt des pins est menacée par l’instalation autour et dans celle-ci de population à la recherche de revenus. Ainsi, le projet vise à renforcer l’Agence Nationale des Aires protégée du Ministère de l’Environnment dans ses efforts de prise en charge de la gestion participative de l’Aire protégée en incluant les acteurs locaux et en soutenant la population locale dans la création de revenus alternatifs.
Providing sustainable access to modern and climate friendly energy services to households, health centres, schools, and small enterprises impacts the lives of the beneficiaries in many ways: improved cooking reduces the burden on women and girls of fire-wood collection and their exposure to indoor air pollution; access to improved lighting reduces health hazards and allows children to study; energy availability improves access to information and communication and extends the range of productive activities; and energy access improves the conditions and quality of services such as education and health; all while reducing CO2 emissions.