Valuing resilience

This regional climate adaptation project will strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers, agro-pastoralists and rural communities across Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania. 

In eastern Africa, escalating drought, erratic rainfall, land degradation, and food insecurity are compounded by limited access to finance, markets and adaptive technologies. This project will build climate resilience through integrated, community-led solutions that combine nature-based livelihoods, inclusive finance and evidence-based adaptation. It is structured around two interconnected components:

• Component 1 (Climate-smart livelihoods and financial access for adaptation) supports the adoption of regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, sustainable land and water management and last-mile extension delivered through community advisors, lead farmers and rangeland committees. It also strengthens fiscal resilience at grassroots level through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), pilots bundled climate insurance and input packages in Kenya and Ethiopia and pilots community adaptation micro-grant funds in three locations.
• Component 2 (Learning and measurement for scaling resilience) generates practical evidence to inform replication and adaptation finance, using participatory monitoring, digital verification tools and policy briefs to share learning at national and regional levels.

It will train 3,000+ individuals, bring 1,500 hectares under improved practices and support 60 women- and youth-led agri-enterprises.

Farm Africa is implementing the project with funding from the Development Bank of Southern Africa through the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The UBS Optimus Foundation is providing technical expertise on innovative finance and outcomes-based funding.