International climate and development funding often fails to reach the local level. This is especially harmful for people living in poverty.
Climate change is expected to push more than 130 million people into extreme poverty by 2030, making the situation increasingly challenging over time.
Resilient prosperity comes from social, economic, physical and environmental resilience, coined with inclusive, regenerative approaches to community revitalization. As described in the 2020 book, RECONOMICS: The Path To Resilience Prosperity, communities need to create a tide of local renewal that lifts all lives.
Now, on June 30, 2022 the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) launched the first international Local Adaptation Champions Awards to spotlight and reward locally-led adaptation initiatives.
These awards aim to reach local communities who are aware of solutions to adapt to the impacts of climate change, but lack the resources and power to scale such solutions up or implement them effectively.
“As the only international organization dedicated to adaptation solutions for a climate resilient future, we witness how people and communities on the frontlines of climate change are often the most active and innovative in developing adaptation solutions,” explained Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation.
“Our hope is that these Awards will help put communities and local actors at the center of decision-making and funding for climate adaptation,” he added.
Four winners in four separate categories –leadership; knowledge and capacity; local innovation and financial governance and will be selected by a prestigious jury.
The winners will be awarded €15,000 each at an award ceremony to be held during COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in November of 2022. Applications are open until 10th July 2022.
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization which works as a solutions broker to accelerate action and support for adaptation solutions, from the international to the local, in partnership with the public and private sector.
Founded in 2018, GCA operates from its headquarters in the largest floating office in the world, located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
GCA has a network of regional offices in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire; Dhaka, Bangladesh and Beijing, China.