How climate resilience projects are paying off around the world
As floods, fires and heatwaves grow more frequent and destructive, new research shows that climate adaptation isn't just urgent. It's also one of the smartest investments governments can make.
According to a new report from the World Resources Institute (WRI), every €1 spent on climate adaptation will yield roughly €10 in benefits over a decade.
That figure comes from analysing 320 projects across 12 countries, including infrastructure upgrades, health system improvements and disaster risk management schemes. All told, they amounted to more than €1 trillion in projected returns.
'This research has pried open the lid on what resilience is truly worth – and even that first glimpse is staggering," said Sam Mugume Koojo, co-chair of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action from Uganda.
Glaciers are disappearing from the Alps, and record heatwaves and flash floods are costing lives and destroying livelihoods. Scientists warn that even if warming reverses, much of the damage, such as Arctic melting, won't be undone in our lifetimes.
As climate change intensifies, the need to protect lives, economies and ecosystems is no longer a distant concern. But this research suggests that adaptation is not only a necessity – it pays off.
The WRI defines adaptation investments as those aimed at reducing or managing physical climate risks, such as climate-smart agriculture, expanded health services and urban flood protection.
The research found that some sectors generate bigger gains than others.
While the WRI projects 27 per cent returns on average, health-focused initiatives, such as expanding services to cope with rising malaria and heat stress, could deliver average returns of 78 per cent. Investments in risk management projects, from early warning systems to flood defences, also stand out for their high impact and cost-efficiency.
And they didn't just pay off in times of crisis.
The WRI report found that over half of the benefits from adaptation projects occur even if climate shocks don't happen. For example, irrigation systems can support crop diversity, and evacuation shelters can double as community centres.
'One of our most striking findings is that adaptation projects aren't just paying off when disasters happen – they generate value every day through more jobs, better health and stronger local economies,' said Carter Brandon, senior fellow at WRI.
'That's a major mind shift: policymakers don't need a disaster to justify resilience – it's simply smart development.'
Europe has made progress.
Breda in the Netherlands recently became the EU's firstNational Park City in recognition of its work to restore wetlands, green its streets and adopt a whole-of-society approach to embracing eco-minded urban development.
Twenty-two cities in Europe, including Copenhagen, Milan and Stockholm, earned an A grade from the non-profit CDP in 2023 for theirclimate leadership.
Experts still say that Europe lacks a clear, unifiedgreen development strategy. Some warn that investment is not keeping pace with growing risks. In 2023 alone, disasters cost the continent more than €77 billion, according to the World Bank. Without action, the economic toll of climate change could reach seven per cent of EU GDP.
But countries around the world are exploring unconventional methods to prepare for the future and improve life in the present.
The Pacific island nation of Nauru has proposed a 'golden passport' scheme, offering citizenship to climate investors to help fund critical infrastructure – a controversial idea that underscores the urgency many nations face in bridging adaptation finance gaps.
As global leaders prepare for COP30, the WRI and others argue that climate adaptation should no longer be treated as a side project but rather as a central part of policy.
'This evidence gives leaders and non-state actors exactly what they need heading into COP30: a clear economic case for scaling adaptation,' said Dan Ioschpe, a high-level champion for COP30, the global climate conference taking place in Belém, Portugal, in November.
'Belém must become a turning point [in] mainstreaming resilience into national and local priorities and unlocking the full potential of non-state actors' leadership.'
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Euronews
3 days ago
- Euronews
How climate resilience projects are paying off around the world
As floods, fires and heatwaves grow more frequent and destructive, new research shows that climate adaptation isn't just urgent. It's also one of the smartest investments governments can make. According to a new report from the World Resources Institute (WRI), every €1 spent on climate adaptation will yield roughly €10 in benefits over a decade. That figure comes from analysing 320 projects across 12 countries, including infrastructure upgrades, health system improvements and disaster risk management schemes. All told, they amounted to more than €1 trillion in projected returns. 'This research has pried open the lid on what resilience is truly worth – and even that first glimpse is staggering," said Sam Mugume Koojo, co-chair of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action from Uganda. Glaciers are disappearing from the Alps, and record heatwaves and flash floods are costing lives and destroying livelihoods. Scientists warn that even if warming reverses, much of the damage, such as Arctic melting, won't be undone in our lifetimes. As climate change intensifies, the need to protect lives, economies and ecosystems is no longer a distant concern. But this research suggests that adaptation is not only a necessity – it pays off. The WRI defines adaptation investments as those aimed at reducing or managing physical climate risks, such as climate-smart agriculture, expanded health services and urban flood protection. The research found that some sectors generate bigger gains than others. While the WRI projects 27 per cent returns on average, health-focused initiatives, such as expanding services to cope with rising malaria and heat stress, could deliver average returns of 78 per cent. Investments in risk management projects, from early warning systems to flood defences, also stand out for their high impact and cost-efficiency. And they didn't just pay off in times of crisis. The WRI report found that over half of the benefits from adaptation projects occur even if climate shocks don't happen. For example, irrigation systems can support crop diversity, and evacuation shelters can double as community centres. 'One of our most striking findings is that adaptation projects aren't just paying off when disasters happen – they generate value every day through more jobs, better health and stronger local economies,' said Carter Brandon, senior fellow at WRI. 'That's a major mind shift: policymakers don't need a disaster to justify resilience – it's simply smart development.' Europe has made progress. Breda in the Netherlands recently became the EU's firstNational Park City in recognition of its work to restore wetlands, green its streets and adopt a whole-of-society approach to embracing eco-minded urban development. Twenty-two cities in Europe, including Copenhagen, Milan and Stockholm, earned an A grade from the non-profit CDP in 2023 for theirclimate leadership. Experts still say that Europe lacks a clear, unifiedgreen development strategy. Some warn that investment is not keeping pace with growing risks. In 2023 alone, disasters cost the continent more than €77 billion, according to the World Bank. Without action, the economic toll of climate change could reach seven per cent of EU GDP. But countries around the world are exploring unconventional methods to prepare for the future and improve life in the present. The Pacific island nation of Nauru has proposed a 'golden passport' scheme, offering citizenship to climate investors to help fund critical infrastructure – a controversial idea that underscores the urgency many nations face in bridging adaptation finance gaps. As global leaders prepare for COP30, the WRI and others argue that climate adaptation should no longer be treated as a side project but rather as a central part of policy. 'This evidence gives leaders and non-state actors exactly what they need heading into COP30: a clear economic case for scaling adaptation,' said Dan Ioschpe, a high-level champion for COP30, the global climate conference taking place in Belém, Portugal, in November. 'Belém must become a turning point [in] mainstreaming resilience into national and local priorities and unlocking the full potential of non-state actors' leadership.'
LeMonde
4 days ago
- LeMonde
Zelensky says a new release of prisoners is in the works after Istanbul meeting, despite no peace talk progress with Russia
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In other steps, the delegations agreed to swap 6,000 bodies of soldiers killed in action and to set up a commission to exchange seriously wounded troops. Meanwhile, Kyiv officials said their surprise drone attack Sunday damaged or destroyed more than 40 warplanes at air bases deep inside Russia, including the remote Arctic, Siberian and Far East regions more than 7,000 kilometers (4,300 miles) from Ukraine. The complex and unprecedented raid, which struck simultaneously in three time zones, took over a year and a half to prepare and was "a major slap in the face for Russia's military power," said Vasyl Maliuk, the head of the Ukrainian security service, who led its planning. 'A brilliant operation' Zelensky called it a "brilliant operation" that would go down in history. The effort destroyed or heavily damaged nearly a third of Moscow's strategic bomber fleet, according to Ukrainian officials. Russia on Sunday fired the biggest number of drones – 472 – at Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine's air force said, in an apparent effort to overwhelm air defenses. That was part of a recently escalating campaign of strikes in civilian areas of Ukraine. US-led efforts to push the two sides into accepting a ceasefire have so far failed. Ukraine accepted the proposed truce, but the Kremlin effectively rejected it. Recent comments by senior officials in both countries indicate they remain far apart on the key conditions for stopping the war. The previous talks on May 16 in the same Turkish city were the first direct peace negotiations since the early weeks of Moscow's 2022 invasion. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the fact that the two sides met again Monday was an achievement in itself amid the fierce fighting. "The fact that the meeting took place despite yesterday's incident is an important success in itself," he said in a televised speech. 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'I think they're idiots' Zelensky also told journalists that the Russian side said it was ready for a two- to three-day ceasefire to collect bodies from the battlefield, not a full ceasefire. "I think they're idiots, because the whole point of a ceasefire is to prevent people from being killed in the first place. So you can see their mindset — it's just a brief pause in the war for them," he added. The relentless fighting has frustrated US President Donald Trump's goal of bringing about a quick end to the war. A week ago, he expressed impatience with Putin as Moscow pounded Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles for a third straight night. Trump said on social media that Putin "has gone absolutely CRAZY!" Ukraine was triumphant after targeting the distant Russian air bases. The official Russian response was muted, with the attack getting little coverage on state-controlled television. The Russia-1 television channel on Sunday evening spent a little over a minute on it with a brief Defense Ministry statement read out before images shifted to Russian drone strikes on Ukrainian positions. Zelensky said the setbacks for the Kremlin would help force it to the negotiating table, even as its pursues a summer offensive on the battlefield. "Russia must feel what its losses mean," Zelensky continued on Monday from Lithuania. "That is what will push it toward diplomacy."
France 24
4 days ago
- France 24
What we know about Ukraine's drone strikes on airbases in Russia
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