The International Rescue Committee (IRC) commits to supporting the climate resilience of urban and rural communities especially in fragile and conflict settings, for them to adapt, anticipate, and respond to a changing climate. We will do this through:

• Implementing programs focused on climate-smart food systems, disaster risk reduction, anticipatory action and on- and off- farm green jobs, that aim to enhance communities’ information on recurrent climate risks, equip them with skills and assets to strengthen and diversify their livelihoods, and support them to meet their needs before, during, and after a climate shock or stress, while ensuring the natural resource base from which they depend is preserved, restored and sustainably managed for future generations all while putting women and girls’ needs at the center. These programs incorporate conflict-sensitive approaches across the project cycle to help ensure climate action is delivered to conflict-affected communities and avoids aggravating new or existing grievances.
• Testing and scaling innovative adaptation and resilience solutions that work in conflict settings to contribute to the evidence base on the effective delivery of climate action. The IRC will conduct independent evaluations of anticipatory action in order to build a stronger evidence base and improve learning into where and how it can be most effective as well as cost-effective, building on our first impact evaluation of anticipatory cash in Nigeria. Secondly the IRC is designing innovative seed security programs in Syria, South Sudan, Pakistan and Niger, in coordination with farmers and local stakeholders, and will work to scale these interventions to alleviate the high risk and significant uncertainties in seed systems posed by climate impacts and protracted conflict.
• Collaborating with local communities in the identification of climate and conflict risks and mapping of climate impacts, at national, subnational and community level, to inform both humanitarian and community resource allocation and program decision making.
• Minimizing our carbon footprint and evaluating its impact on local ecosystems and resources.