afrol News, 16 September - The Executive Board of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) concluded its two-day meeting in Rome, approving more than US$161.56 million in loans and $56.26 million in grants - many of them for projects helping smallholder farmers adapt to a changing climate and contributing to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The funding which will see poor farmers seeking to better their lives against the backdrop of climate change include projects to: enable Chad's water network to support the seasonal movement of shepherds and livestock, encourage small-scale water resources management to increase yields in Bangladesh and strengthen water harvesting and soil conservation measures in Lebanon.

The Board also approved $3.35 million in grants to international research centres and intergovernmental organizations.

IFAD's Executive Board oversees the organisation's general operations and approves its programme of work. It consists of 18 members and 18 alternate members who hold three-year terms. The Board meets three times a year.

Other projects approved by the 97th Executive Board session are for the Western and Central Africa, consisting of two project loans of $31.5 million; Mauritania for the Value Chains Development Programme for Poverty Reduction to the total cost of $17.8 million, while the Eastern and Southern Africa has been approved for two project loans and two project grants of $96.0 million.

The funding will also cover a Pastoral Community Development Project in Ethiopia, a livelihoods project as well as community agriculture improvement in Uganda, the Smallholder Agribusiness Promotion Programme in Zambia and the revitalizing of the Sudan Gum Arabic.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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