15 September 2009: The 97th meeting of the Executive Board of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), held from 14-15 September 2009, in Rome, Italy, approved grants and loans totalling US$217.82 million for projects in 15 countries.

Many of these projects are directed at helping smallholder farmers adapt to climate change through water management and soil conservation.
These include projects to: enable Chad’s water network to support the seasonal movement of shepherds and livestock; encourage small-scale water resources management to increase yields in Bangladesh; and strengthen water harvesting and soil conservation measures in Lebanon. Grants have been awarded to international research centers and intergovernmental organizations, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s Development Marketplace 2009 on Climate Adaptation, and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s (UNCCD) Global Mechanism. [IFAD Press Release][Executive Board meeting documents]