Press Releases

Signing Ceremony

On October 20, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) executed a Funded Activity Agreement (FAA) on the “Building Climate Resilient Safer Islands in the Maldives” project with the Green Climate Fund (GCF)*. The signing took place online between JICA Senior Vice President Ueshima Takumi and GCF Executive Director Yannick Glemarec in the venue of the 34th meeting of the GCF Board.

This project aims at establishing a climate-resilient mechanism for coastal conservation and protection against future disasters in the Maldives, thereby enhancing the resilience and safety of the country. In doing so, it will contribute to the achievement of SDGs Goals 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) and 13 (Climate action). It is the second project to be signed under an FAA with the GCF after the Timor-Leste “Community-based Landscape Management for Enhanced Climate Resilience and Reduction of Deforestation in Critical Watersheds” project, for which an FAA was signed in May 2022.

At the signing ceremony, Dr. Glemarec expressed GCF’s expectation for the project to bring the Maldives one step closer to initiating the critical initiative of the project’s title and to become a major milestone in climate-crisis response. In addition, he went on to highly laud the project’s concept for appropriately mixing soft and hard measures in order to protect coral reefs, coastal beaches, and settlements.

Then, Mr. Ueshima explained that JICA places a high premium on its enhanced partnership with the GCF. He also explained that JICA has been cooperating to help reduce damage from climate hazards and vulnerability to climate change, which has included cooperation on reconstruction after the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, and that the agency will continue to encourage greater climate action through strategic planning for coastal conservation measures to mitigate the impact of climate change.

In closing, Dr. Glemarec proposed that attendees express their expectation of the success of the project by performing the Japanese practice of ipponjime, which involves clapping to pray for success, and all participants clapped together.

JICA will continue to promote climate change countermeasures in cooperation with partners in Japan and abroad. For instance, at COP27, the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, was held in November this year, JICA presented its initiatives, including its co-benefit approach, which supports social and economic development while addressing climate change issues through mitigation and adaptation measures, to the conference participants from all over the world.

(*) The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was established as the operating entity of the financial mechanism of the UNFCCC in 2010. The GCF supports developing countries in the reduction of their greenhouse gas emissions and enhances their ability to respond to climate change.