How the EU is helping partner countries fight climate change

Climate change cannot be stopped immediately and some of its consequences are inevitable, even if we could cut all our emissions now. This is why the EU has been helping communities around the world adapt to the changes already happening. For instance, the EU has created five ‘ecovillages’ in Tanzania to fight the desertification caused by climate change. In the face of increasing aridity in the area, the inhabitants have received training on water conservation, soil erosion prevention, crop rotation and bio-fertilisation.

Similarly, in Côte d’Ivoire, the EU is helping cocoa growers to adapt to the rising deforestation rate. A ‘payment for environmental services’ (PES) scheme has been launched to reward growers engaging in climate-smart practices, such as agroforestry, reforestation, and conservation.

The fight against climate change-induced land degradation is ongoing in many other regions. The EU-funded Regreening Africa project is restoring ecosystems over 1 million hectares in 8 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. As part of the project, small farmers received training and tools to embrace agroforestry and move away from conventional agricultural techniques. One tool they use is a mobile app, which allows them to share information and find data-based solutions for land restoration.

Finally, in Mauritius, the EU has been combining climate adaptation efforts with fighting gender inequality. Given the propagation of pests and crop diseases and a drop in soil humidity – both issues climate-change related – the EU has been helping local fruit and vegetable farmers redesign the way they grow their crops to increase the resilience of agriculture to climate change and reduce the use of pesticides. As most beneficiaries are women, the project also supports their economic empowerment in the community. This is crucial because, just as climate change has a greater impact on vulnerable communities, it also affects women and girls more significantly by exacerbating existing inequalities and disrupting their access to essential services.