The 100 Village Project: A collaboration between UNOPS and the Indonesian Government to Boost Climate Action in South Sumatra

The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) and UNOPS launched the national PROKLIM initiative in South Sumatra today, aiming to strengthen climate resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 100 villages in the province.

The event highlighted the partnership between UNOPS and the MoEF to address climate change impacts directly at the village level. It focuses on helping communities adapt to and mitigate climate change by promoting carbon-neutral practices, increasing climate awareness, and boosting resilience. This includes supporting low-carbon agricultural development through technology and capital investments.

Palembang, September 19, 2024 – UNOPS and the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry held a meeting today to kick off the Strengthening Village-based Climate Actions and Livelihoods (PROKLIM) project in Palembang, South Sumatra province, Indonesia. Funded by Temasek Foundation, the project aims to enhance climate resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in 100 villages across the province.

This project operates under the broad Climate Village (PROKLIM) Initiative, established by the MoEF in 2012 to strengthen community engagement in local climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.

The expansion follows the recent success of a pilot PROKLIM project carried out by UNOPS Indonesia from September to December 2023 in village in Tangerang, Banten Province. This pilot project achieved notable positive results and received an Award and Trophy from the MoEF, highlighting the effectiveness of UNOPS climate resilience initiatives and allowing the targeted community to progress to a higher categorization level within the PROKLIM framework.

Learning from the success of this pilot, the PROKLIM project aims to further its achievements by collaborating with various stakeholders. The meeting brought together over 75 participants including representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, local governments, Universities, and NGOs.

At the meeting, Dr. Irawan Asaad, Director of Climate Change Adaptation at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, emphasized, “We hope that this project will lead to a significant improvement in climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, directly benefiting the community and fostering the long-term sustainability of these efforts.”

Dr. Sharon Thangadurai, UNOPS Country Manager for Indonesia and Timor-Leste, remarked, “By the end of this project, we expect to see villages that are more resilient to fire, floods, droughts, and other climate-related challenges, households with improved incomes and better access to resources, and a reduction in harmful emissions that contribute to global warming.”

Mr. Edward Candra, the Secretary of the South Sumatra Provincial Government shared their views, stating “We're confident that the collaboration will lead to positive outcomes and address the challenge of climate change in the future.”

“If these 100 villages can collaborate and strengthen each other’s efforts, it will lead to transformative changes,” remarked Mr. Ferdian Krisnanto, the Head of the Sumatra Region Climate Change Control Center, who presented the list of the 100 villages selected for the PROKLIM initiative.

The newly launched PROKLIM project in South Sumatra represents a significant step forward in supporting Indonesia’s efforts to enhance climate resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in alignment with the country’s Long-Term Strategy on Low Carbon and Climate Resilience (LTS-LCCR) 2050.

To further engage communities, UNOPS is planning to launch a call for proposals for organizations in Palembang and surrounding areas to implement grassroots climate adaptation and mitigation activities. The UNOPS PROKLIM Project Manager Marco Scarpetta emphasized that the key to success lies in strong collaboration among all stakeholders, further adding that “We will work to empower the targeted communities, ensuring they take ownership of the project and its activities, thereby enabling its long-term impact to extend well beyond the project's duration”

Drawing from more than a decade of PROKLIM experience and UNOPS expertise in climate action, the  PROKLIM project that is being implemented by UNOPS in South Sumatra aims to reduce vulnerability to natural disasters, strengthen institutions, and improve livelihoods at the community level.