Enabling poor rural people
to overcome poverty
Throughout the region, IFAD is engaged in finding new solutions to enhance the adaptive capacity of rural populations, protect ecosystems and mitigate the effects of climate change. Immediate priorities are to strengthen the resilience of poor rural communities engaged in crop, livestock, fisheries and forestry activities, in order to meet basic food requirements and safeguard livelihoods. Historically, IFAD has been proactive in addressing the needs of vulnerable rural communities, with a special emphasis on women, young people and ethnic minorities, and has promoted sustainable land management and diversification of rural livelihoods as a means to reduce risk. The new generation of projects is building on this approach and further articulating adaptation to climate change responses that help reduce vulnerability and build resilience to climate shocks. The projects that IFAD supports also focus on sustainable natural resource management and introduce simple innovative techniques for land and water conservation that build resilience to shocks. IFAD grants are helping pilot new and innovative approaches and technologies for climate change adaptation and mitigation that could become the key strategies of tomorrow.