European funding to help poor countries adapt to a changing climate is dropping remarkably at a time when it needs to be scaled up in line with UN commitments and people are dealing with increasing impacts of extreme weather events.

As part of an assessment that shows significant cuts in development aid to poor nations, the OECD has just revealed that funding for programs mainly focused on helping developing countries adapt to the effects of climate change fell globally from $3.1 billion in 2010 to $1.8 billion in 2011. Although the OECD has not yet released climate finance figures for 2012, research by Oxfam suggests that levels of public climate finance did not improve last year.

Read more: http://oxfameu.blogactiv.eu/2013/04/08/staggering-55-cut-to-eu-funding-f...

Khadija Mtungakoa, a 38-year-old mother of three, wears a broad smile as she prepares food on her energy-saving stove.

She explains joyfully how it has helped reduce her reliance on the firewood she gathers from the nearby Amani Nature Reserve in Tanzania's Muheza District.

The government established the reserve in 1997 to protect the unique forest ecosystem of the East Usambara Mountains, a range in the Eastern Arc Mountains.

Mtungakoa's stove, made of clay soil and cow dung, stays hot for much longer than a conventional model, which makes it more efficient when simmering and allows her to reheat cooked food. And it uses much less wood.

Read more: http://allafrica.com/stories/201304010042.html

The Board of the Green Climate Fund selected by consensus Songdo, Incheon City, Republic of Korea as the host city of the Green Climate Fund.

Read more: http://gcfund.net/fileadmin/00_customer/documents/pdf/GCF_-_Press_20Oct_...

Although there is widespread agreement on the need for adaptation measures to limit the risks posed by climate change, there is no clear consensus on how much adaptation will cost or how it will be paid for. A recent World Bank report suggested that the price of adaptation in developing countries alone will be $70–100 billion a year between 2010 and 2050, while other studies suggest these figures are too low.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/feb/28/financing-climate-chan...

The Asian Development Bank is expected to invest about $100 million in a multinational fund that will be put up to boost investments in environment-related technologies and projects in developing countries like the Philippines.

The planned investment in the Climate Public-Private Partnership Fund has already been endorsed by Bindu Lohani, acting head of the ADB, to its board of directors.

Read more: http://business.inquirer.net/47543/adb-plans-to-invest-100m-in-environme...

To meet the threat of climate change, Bangladesh launched a national strategy and action plan 2009. A multi donor climate change fund will help the government to implement the ten-year plan and Sweden will be contributing SEK 90 million.

Read more: http://www.sida.se/English/Countries-and-regions/Asia/Bangladesh/Program...

An often-repeated statistic in the development community is that every dollar spent on prevention will save four dollars in emergency response. After the 2005 drought in the Horn of Africa, another study found that it had cost $80 a day to treat a malnourished child, but it would have only cost $1 a day to prevent the malnutrition in the first place with development programs.

We can't stop droughts from happening, but we can give communities the tools to survive so they are prepared.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Prevention+funding+saves+more+lives+tha...

Sally McNamara talks about world poverty, climate change and human rights.

As a tangible commendation of the mandate and achievements of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Government of Norway has committed NOK 200 million (US$35 million) for the 2012-2013 biennium to support activities across UNEP's Programme of Work.

This contribution is in addition to Norway's generous annual support to the core funding of UNEP and its support to key programmes such as the joint UNEP-UNDP-FAO, which is supporting capacity development and policy dialogue at country and international levels for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD).

Read more: http://allafrica.com/stories/201202230025.html

What is regarded to will be one of Namibia’s biggest funds, second to, if not bigger than Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF), was launched on Monday.

Possible types of environmental levies include carbon tax and waste management levies on plastic bags, non-recyclable cans and toxic substances, among others.

Once fully functional, the newly established Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) could generate N$300 million annually through ‘green levies’.

Read more: http://www.newera.com.na/articles/42846/MET-launches-green-fund