1 November 2013: The Adaptation Fund Board (AFB) approved a new project in Rwanda and accredited the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) as a Regional Implementing Entity (RIE) of the Adaptation Fund at its 22nd meeting.

The Rwanda project, a $9.97 million grant focusing on participative approaches to adaptation in Northwest Rwanda, will be implemented through the Rwandan Ministry of Natural Resources, a National Implementing Entity (NIE) of the Fund. SPREP is a regional institution based in Samoa that focuses on building climate resilience and promoting sustainable development.

Also during the meeting, the AFB approved an environmental and social policy to provide guidance on environmental and community safeguards for projects financed by the Fund. The Fund further approved a readiness programme to assist developing countries to comply with environmental and social safeguards.

The AFB anticipates renewed commitment to the Fund at the upcoming 19th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 19) in Warsaw, Poland, which is particularly necessary since eight Adaptation Fund projects that have been approved cannot be funded until new financial resources are received. At the meeting, the Fund also elected the new Chair of the AFB, Mamadou Honadia (Burkina Faso), who will take up the position in early 2014.

The 22nd meeting of AFB was held in Bonn, Germany, from 29-31 October 2013, together with meetings of the Project/Programme Review Committee and the Ethics and Finance Meeting. [AFB Press Release] [AFB Meeting Documents]