Climate Change

At a glance

Photo: Miguel Samper for Mercy Corps

The increasing severity and frequency of climate change impacts calls for an immediate need to alter the way we conceptualize and respond to development issues. Challenges such as war, famine and financial recessions tend to be relatively short, over in less than ten years. Election cycles and national plans are usually over in less than five. By contrast, climate change and its impacts are set to progressively and noticeably worsen over the next twenty years and accelerate catastrophically into the final half of this century and beyond unless mitigation measures are put in place over the near term. We must pro-actively consider climate change problems in the long-term and find sustainable solutions that will help vulnerable populations adapt to unavoidable impact while advocating for global changes needed to slow climate change’s pace.

In recognition that climate change poses an imminent threat on our development gains to date and that natural resources management (NRM) is integral to the success of relief and development programming, Mercy Corps currently has incorporated climate change, environment and natural resources management into programs and proposals among more than 15 countries worth around US$ 8,000,000. It leverages its impact with a global Cool Carbon campaign (http://www.mercycorps.org/coolcarbon), an Asian wide climate change and cities network and a multi-agency emergency capacity building network.

Our climate, environmental and natural resources management (NRM) programming is adapted for the transitional situations in which we work. Programming has successful crosscutting relationships with other sectors such as Disaster Risk Reduction, Food Security and Agriculture. There is also a clear synergy with our market development and conflict management programming. All of these sectors interact with and are affected by local and international environmental conditions as well as access to natural resources. In these contexts, addressing the competition for natural and environmental resources while building a sustainable livelihood base are key program areas, in both urban and rural settings.

To learn how we help people leverage the benefits of climate change, environment and natural resource management programming, take a look at the following information:

Timor-Leste December 15, 2011 4:09AM

Energy for All - Timor Leste

Paolo da Silva for Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is at the forefront of efforts to address the chronic issue of energy poverty in Timor-Leste, the second poorest country in Asia. Mercy Corps’ innovative Energy for All (E4A) programme is taking a market development approach to improve access to solar, clean cookstoves and sustainable fuelwood. In October the E4A Baseline Assessment was completed, a comprehensive analysis of current energy practices and attitudes in the three target districts, consisting of a survey of 570 households and over 20 focus group discussions.

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April 19, 2011 2:05AM

Myanmar Energy Poverty Survey

Mercy Corps and partners, with the support of the local firm Myanmar Survey Research (MSR), conducted an Energy Poverty Survey in Laputta Township with four foci: i) a Household Energy Poverty Analysis; ii) a review of the experiences of previous community energy and reforestation projects; iii) a market analysis for fuel efficient stoves and saplings in Laputta Township, and iv) a fuel efficiency analysis for the different stoves marketed in Laputta Township. The findings are intended to help guide development of appropriate strategies for Mercy Corps, MSN and EcoDev, as well as any other organisations working on energy poverty reduction in the Ayeyarwady Delta.

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September 9, 2010 1:28AM

GUIDE TO FUEL EFFICIENT STOVES AND EMISSION TESTING

This simple guide lists some of the considerations that projects need to think about when choosing a stove in addition to providing information on some of the tools than can be used to help judge performance.

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July 21, 2010 5:50AM

10 Steps for Carbon Credit Supported Projects

Mercy Corps supports initiatives that fulfil our development mandate; where these also reduce greenhouse gas emissions we can look for financial support through the development of carbon credits.

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December 17, 2009 1:03AM

Environmental Screening Guide

This environmental impact assessment tool introduces environmental screening in the context of program design and monitoring to ensure minimal likelihood of causing environmental harm. It in intended to help programmers assess likely risks surrounding small scale activities, including small-scale grant projects allocated to local partners in emergencies.

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December 12, 2009 11:44PM

Climate in Context - Mercy Corps' approach to climate change programing

The aim of this paper is to provide an informative context to climate change as it relates to the relief and development field, and Mercy Corps’ work in this regard. Ultimately, it intends to show through demonstrated action and advocacy, an existing opportunity to create climate change programming that will help mitigate and adapt to the inevitable challenges caused by a warming planet.

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December 12, 2009 11:31PM

Biomass emission sheets for carbon calculations

This worksheet shows carbon emissions and other variables related to different kinds of cooking stoves, using a variety of fuels.

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Timor-Leste December 12, 2009 11:26PM

Timor Leste energy poverty study

This report documents energy poverty and its implications through study with two foci. The first was a field assessment of energy poverty, including its primary and secondary impacts, in three districts of Timor Leste. The second was reviewed the experiences of previous community energy projects and related government energy policy.

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