ON December 1, 2012, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) released the recent initiatives of the Millennium Development Goal Achievement Fund (MDG-F) at the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar.  The report describes areas that are currently undergoing massive changes from climate change and steps these areas can take to stop and reverse that climate changes they’ve experienced so far while preparing the community for natural disasters in the future.  

The MDF-F was formed by the Spanish Government in 2006.  Spain gave about $89 million to support the MDG-F, and the funding will end in December 2012.  

The recent case studies examine areas like Afghanistan, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Columbia, China, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Jordan, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, and Turkey.  

Federico Ramos de Armas, Spain’s State Secretary for the Environment, stated: “In order to accomplish and accelerate progress on the MDGs at the country level, the Millennium Development Goal Achievement Fund (MDG-F) was established by Spain with substantial contributions that reflect the importance that our country attaches to sustainable development.  Progress on the Millennium Development Goals can only be sustained by a healthy planet.”  

Some of the case studies published in the recent report are described below.  

Rural indigenous communities in the southern Andean highlands of Peru and their crops have suffered from climate change in recent years.  These areas rely on annual harvests to feed their families.  Because these areas lie in such isolated mountainous regions, the areas rely on radio communication.  UNEP currently released a radio broadcast called “Pachamamanchista Munakusun” (Nurturing Our Land) that increases awareness about climate change and promotes sustainable ways of water harvesting, reforestation with native trees, and the prevention of forest fires.  

Another example includes the urban poor in the southern province of Luzon in the Philippines, Sorsogon.  Many of the urban poor live in areas near esteros, the river and coastal areas most affected by natural disasters in typhoons and flooding.  Some of these areas are entirely swept away during natural disasters.   UNEP worked with local governments and communities to develop hazard planning and develop social infrastructure.  

The MDG-F raises awareness but also works with local government to develop plans for action.  

Federico Ramos de Armas added: “Attaining environmental sustainability is a major challenge of the Millennium Development Goals and is also crucial to ensure sustainable development at a larger scale.”  

Including small communities and less-developed nations in climate change efforts by industrialized counties is a common theme in the current talks at Doha.  

The entire MDF-F is found on UNEP’s website.


Source: United Nations Environment Programme