Identifying that the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is a sound and robust fiduciary organization with a long-standing record of a role in project implementations, on February 17 an Independent Accreditation Panel of the Adaptation Fund Board (AFB) decided to accredit the ICIMOD as a Regional Implementing Entity (RIE) of the Adaptation Fund (AF).
With this decision, the number of regional organizations that can access climate finance from the AF has reached seven. This new accreditation puts the total number of implementing entities of the AF that are eligible for funding to develop and implement concrete adaptation and resilience projects in vulnerable developing countries at 53.
“Maintaining a good track record of effective collaboration with a network of implementing and executing partners in Asia and with global strategic and research partners, ICIMOD is the first RIE in continental Asia to achieve accreditation with the Fund and is particularly strategic in dealing with potentially dire impacts of climate change on the region, including glacial melt, loss of biodiversity and decreased water availability,” the AF statement reads.
Stating that the AFB is very pleased with the accreditation of ICIMOD, Ibila Djibril, Chair of AFB said, “It will further help the work of the AF, particularly in mountain regions that are vulnerable to glacial melt, floods, and water insecurity.”
Emphasizing that the accreditation of ICIMOD will help to build upon the various projects of the AF in this region, Mikko Ollikainen, Manager of the AF, said, “Climate impacts on floods and water security are often trans-boundary, and one of the advantages of ICIMOD is its ability to implement regional projects, in addition to ones focused on individual countries. It will help in expanding these projects into additional vulnerable areas that are in urgent need of adaptation solutions.”
- Established under the Kyoto Protocol of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the AF has so far committed US$783 million to climate adaptation and resilience activities
- It is financed mainly by government and private donors and from a 2% share of the proceeds of Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) issued under the Protocol’s clean development mechanism projects
- Based in Nepal, ICIMOD is an intergovernmental knowledge and learning institution that specializes in hands-on research, piloting solutions, and working with governments to implement policies and mountain advocacy at the global level
- ICIMOD is the seventh RIE of Adaptation Fund and focuses on improving resiliency in the Himalayan Region
- ICIMOD serves the eight countries of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region that include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan
- The HKH region is the source of 10 large Asian river systems that provide ecosystem services, livelihoods, and water to approximately 1.9 billion of the world’s population
Underscoring that the AF accreditation to ICIMOD is truly a great milestone, Dr. Pema Gyamtsho, ICIMOD Director General, expressed the institution’s delight, “We are deeply encouraged by the news of our AF accreditation. This will allow us to support our eight-member countries across the HKH in their concrete adaptation projects and to strengthen regional cooperation on the climate action that is required to address our shared climate crisis. Since the HKH is particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts, this is an achievement for our region, not just for ICIMOD as an institution.” He was of the view that the accreditation will go a long way in furthering ICIMOD’s work on adaptation and building resilience to the ever-increasing impacts of climate change in the region.
Highlighting that many of the impacts of climate change are not bound by country borders but are trans-boundary in nature and therefore require a regional approach, Basanta Shrestha, ICIMOD Director of Strategic Cooperation, said, “ICIMOD’s AF accreditation will help the entire region, particularly vulnerable mountain communities that are at the front line of climate impacts. We are eager to further our work on adaptation and building resilience to ensure that these communities are not left behind.”
The AF’s accreditation to the ICIMOD is viewed as a timely initiative as there are growing concerns regarding the issue of glacial melt among mountainous countries impacted by climate change. A deadly flash flood in Uttarakhand in India earlier this month, linked to an avalanche and melting glaciers, was an example of how sudden glacial lake outburst floods can become more dangerous as the ice melts in the Himalayas. It is also expected to pave the way for strengthened regional cooperation on climate change adaptation in the HKH.
