Displaced people are particularly at risk of suffering from the adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation. Through innovative finance, DRC seeks to change this and reverse the effects of the environmental impacts of displacement.
Planting trees is not only one of the most cost-effective ways of mitigating climate change, it is also one of the most impactful methods of reversing the possible negative effects displacement can have on local ecosystems. Therefore, DRC has set out to explore how we can plant a minimum of 10 million trees across our country programs and support sustainable livelihoods for displaced people.
Climate change affects us all, but displaced people face some of the most serious consequences. When fleeing their homes, they often settle in areas with few resources. Cutting down trees for fuel and shelter leads to further environmental degradation, which can in turn lead to inter-communal tensions and conflict.
We focus initially on East Africa and the Great Lakes area, where displacement has taken a heavy toll on local ecosystems and caused frequent conflicts over resources. The initiative is being designed as a hybrid fund mechanism: grant partners can contribute to the livelihood programmes and natural resource management, while impact investing partners will find a long-term investment opportunity through the planting, management, and sale of trees and other agro-forestry products.