19 August 2014: The Adaptation Fund has approved a US$6 million marine conservation and climate change adaptation project in Belize, and accredited the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN) as a National Implementing Entity (NIE).

Implemented by the World Bank and executed by the Belize Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT), the marine conservation and climate adaptation project will aim to strengthen the climate resilience of the Belize Barrier Reef System by implementing priority ecosystem-based marine conservation and climate adaptation measures. Applying an approach that combines ecosystem-based adaptation with enabling policy and legal frameworks, the project will support: the reef’s protection regime, including by expanding and enforcing marine protected areas (MPAs) and replenishment zones; viable and sustainable livelihoods for affected users; and awareness raising and information sharing on the health of the reef ecosystem and climate resilience of coral reefs.

The Belize project document notes that “investing in measures that protect and improve the ecological health of the natural ecosystems (such as the Belize Barrier Reef) is the best way to anticipate climate change while enhancing resilience to climate change impacts.” The project is expected to run from December 2014 through December 2019.

The accreditation of the DRFN as the 17th NIE of the Adaptation Fund enables the Foundation to apply for and receive financing for climate change adaptation and resilience activities through the Fund’s direct access modality. The DRFN is a Namibian non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides capacity building for sustainable development in the areas of energy, land and water.

Commenting on the accreditation process, Viviane Kinyaga, DRFN Executive Director, noted: “The process did not just prepare us to access finance from the Adaptation Fund but put us in a better position to attract supplementary funding from other sources. As an NIE we’ll be able to access finance that would allow us to help build the resilience of communities and enhance livelihoods.” [Adaptation Fund Belize Project Website] [Project Document of the Belize Project] [Adaptation Fund Press Release on DRFN Accreditation] [DRFN Website]