Climate adaptation and risk reduction

The current generation of children were born into a climate crisis. Climate change is one of the greatest threat to children’s survival, learning and protection both globally and in Mozambique. Although children have contributed the least  to climate change, they are the ones that will suffer the most with its impacts, especially those living in poverty, and most in need of social protection. Mozambique is already one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change, so we must act now.

Save the Children is committed to ensuring that climate change adaptation and risk reduction efforts are community driven and child-centered, and that children are empowered to assume leadership roles around climate actions and debates. In partnership with government and local partners, we support the establishment of environmental clubs in schools and communities, helping children to understand key issues around climate change so they can develop practical plans for local action. More broadly we support children to elevate their voices, be part of the solution, and influence decisions by leaders and policy-influencers at local, national and international levels to tackle climate change.

Also at the community level, we work with older adolescents and youths to help them plan for livelihood alternatives, particularly in areas that suffer from prolonged drought. We train on core skills for employment opportunities and small business development initiatives. For small holder households, we promote diversified production systems for improved food security, including climate-smart agriculture techniques using appropriate cultivars and technologies, and improved animal husbandry practices.

We assist the climate resilience of local communities by strengthening their capacity to develop and implement locally-led adaptation actions (through Local Adaptation Plans), with participation of key stakeholders. Additionally, we link climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and social protection, including the promotion of cash + programmes, to ensure protection of the most vulnerable populations. In primary schools we help the administration and children to develop risk exposure assessments and emergency preparedness plans (PEBE).

In close coordination with INGD, we contribute to development of district early action protocols and plans, which are preparedness instruments to inform local government planning and management and increase the resilience capacity of communities, as well as ensuring the plans have budget allocations. The action plans include seasonal INAM climate forecasts and build on local needs and capacities assessments.