Promoting Community-led Action to Adapt to Climate Change in the West Bank
World Vision, through its Green Palestine project, has successfully concluded a series of capacity-building workshops, training 447 participants from 40 communities across Areas B and C of the West Bank in climate adaptation, environmental risk mitigation, and local resilience strategies. The participants are members of local Green Committees supported by the project to lead the implementation of community-led actions to protect children, caregivers, and other vulnerable groups from environmental hazards.
“Communities threatened by climate change are best placed to identify and implement the solutions that will protect their children and their livelihood. These capacity-building sessions are providing them with the help they need to achieve the vision of this project: resilient, environmentally sustainable communities across the West Bank,” said Saher Khoury, Project Manager at World Vision. “Empowering local leaders, especially women and individuals with disabilities, strengthens our collective ability to address environmental challenges and fosters safer, sustainable environments for all."
The workshops provided the Green Committee members with a foundational understanding of environmental sustainability concepts and terminology, preparing them to discuss and address local issues effectively. Sessions on Climate Change and Understanding Environmental Risks covered the causes, local impacts, and practical measures communities can adopt to mitigate and adapt to climate-related challenges.
Participants also gained insights into Environmental Mitigation Measures aimed at reducing community vulnerabilities, such as resource conservation and effective risk management. A session on Risk Analysis and Assessment introduced tools for identifying and prioritizing community-specific risks, allowing for tailored responses. Additionally, the training will allow the Green Committees to identify key areas of intervention they will then prioritize through practical, community-led solutions.
This training will support Green Committees in developing and submitting gender- and age-sensitive intervention plans. These plans will initiate community-based environmental protection and awareness campaigns, along with innovative initiatives like the development of hydroponic systems for agricultural production and eco-friendly community spaces. By engaging an equal number of women and men, including three participants with disabilities, the project underscores its commitment to inclusivity and to the empowerment of diverse voices in environmental leadership.
The project, led by World Vision and Ma’an Development Center and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), aims to build the resilience of communities against climate change and environmental hazards in Areas B and C of the West Bank.
The Palestinian territory is one of the places on earth most vulnerable to climate change. It is facing substantial environmental challenges due to its delicate environmental resources, lack of sovereignty and its limited financial assets. These challenges are aggravated by many factors such as the scarcity of available water, deterioration of the water resources, land, and soil contamination, as well as desertification and unsustainable management of land. In this context, building the resilience of local community to climate change and raising awareness on environment protection is critical to protect the rights of Palestinian children to a healthy environment.
Notes to editor
About World Vision
World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. The organisation started to work in the West Bank and Gaza in 1975.
Since then, World Vision has developed one of the largest community-based presence of any organisation operating in the West Bank with 85 dedicated staff and a total annual budget of $11 million USD. In 2023, our programming on education, early childhood development, child protection and child resilience benefited directly more than 136,000 people, including 95,000 children in 150 villages in the West Bank.
About Ma’an Development Center
MA’AN Development Center is an independent, non-governmental, nonpartisan Palestinian development and training institution established in January,1989, registered by law as a non-profit organization. MA’AN's work is informed by the necessity of creating independent, self-reliant initiatives that lead to the development of human resources for sustainable development, which incorporate values of self-sufficiency and self-empowerment.