© Helvetas / Stefan Stolle

Our Expertise and Services: Environment and Climate Change

© Helvetas / Stefan Stolle

Climate change is threatening humanity. Poor women and men living in low-income countries are generally the worst affected. Helvetas supports such people to adapt to climate change, reduce the risk of disasters and sustainably manage forests, water and other natural resources.

Why environment and climate change matter in development

Climate change disproportionately affects poor women and men living in areas at high risk of floods, drought, hurricanes and similar disasters. It threatens important development progress achieved in low- income countries over past decades. People living in our partner countries face a rising frequency and severity of disasters.

Secured access to land, water and other natural resources is critical for the livelihoods of poor and disadvantaged people. The sustainable management of natural resources ensures the conservation of the soil and biodiversity, along with water and the air we breathe.

What we do

Through our work on climate change, disaster risk and natural resource management, Helvetas contributes to reducing the risks to people of climate-induced hazards while increasing their resilience.

We support the development and implementation of measures that allow local people and partners in our partner countries to adapt to the expected effects of climate change. We promote measures to mitigate climate change, such as avoiding or reducing emissions of greenhouse gases or increasing carbon storage in carbon sinks.

We support measures to prevent disasters, reduce the vulnerability of communities to natural and other hazards and increase their preparedness for disaster events. Helvetas also provides humanitarian response in its partner countries in collaboration with partner organizations.

We support local communities and people in securing their rights to natural resources such as forests, pastures or fisheries and to sustainably manage these resources to improve their livelihoods while conserving ecosystems and the biodiversity within them.

Helvetas brings local, lived experience – on issues such as those surrounding the governance of natural resources – to policy dialogue at national and international levels. We provide a practical context to strategic discussions.

© Helvetas / Simon B. Opladen
Farmer family in Bolivia © Helvetas / Simon B. Opladen
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© Helvetas / Agnieszka Kroskowska
Environment and Climate Change Communities improve and better manage their environment, have secure access to natural resources in particular land tenure and experience more secure & safer living conditions. © Helvetas / Agnieszka Kroskowska
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© Helvetas
Klimawandel Climate change environment Umwelt,Celia Quispeccolque © Helvetas
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What we offer

We provide advisory services to clients in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, including:

  • Broad-based expertise and advice on climate change, disaster risk management, humanitarian response and natural resource management within landscapes.
  • Advocacy on people-centered climate and development policies, land and resources rights, biodiversity conservation and disaster risk management.
  • Ability to work from the local to national, regional and international level – combining science, policy, and practice in linking field activities to policy dialogue.
  • Expert facilitation of multi-stakeholder partnerships.
  • Longstanding experience in mainstreaming climate change and disaster risk management in sectoral plans and policies and integrating climate change in development plans.
  • Development of context-specific analytical tools and methods and delivery of tailor-made trainings.
  • Assisting clients in designing programs and projects including project formulation, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation.

Contact our team

Our multilingual advisory team offers wide-ranging thematic expertise and has in-depth experience in navigating complex processes. Helvetas’ work builds on over 60 years of experience in more than 30 countries.

Contact our environment & climate change experts

Selected projects

Helvetas develops and guides projects. To be sustainable, they must be locally embedded. We support our partners in organizing projects and processes effectively and assist local authorities in fully assuming their responsibilities.

© Helvetas
Haiti Climate & Disaster Resilience

Better Prepared for Storms

© Helvetas
Ethiopia Climate & Disaster Resilience

Pastoralists Take Charge of Natural Resource Management

© Helvetas / Patrick Rohr
Nepal Climate & Disaster Resilience

Fresh Start after the Earthquake

Mali Climate & Disaster Resilience

New Strategies to Adapt to Climate Change

North Macedonia Climate & Disaster Resilience

Conserving Biodiversity, Managing Complex Landscapes

© Helvetas
Tajikistan Climate & Disaster Resilience

For a Self-Determined Life in Dignity

Tanzania Private Sector Development

Climate-Smart Organic Cotton

Switzerland Climate & Disaster Resilience

For Climate and Disaster Resilience - Swiss NGO DRR Platform

Peru Climate & Disaster Resilience

Andes Resilient for Climate Change

Rasht Valley Tajikistan | © Helvetas
Tajikistan Gender & Social Equity

Improved Nutrition and Health for Rural Families

Kyrgyzstan Private Sector Development

Sustainable Tourism Strengthens People and Nature

 Mother with daughter preparing food | © Patrick Rohr
Laos Climate & Disaster Resilience

Connecting for Improved Nutrition

© Helvetas / Luigi Baldelli
Madagascar Private Sector Development

Boosting Income to Boost Rainforest Conservation

© Helvetas/Andrew Bartlett
Laos Private Sector Development

Towards a Greener and More Profitable Future

© Helvetas Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan Climate & Disaster Resilience

Green Economy for People and Environment

© Helvetas
Nepal Climate & Disaster Resilience

Green economic development in Nepal

Peru Climate & Disaster Resilience

Water in Emergencies Project

© Axel Fassio
Madagascar Climate & Disaster Resilience

Growing cocoa and protecting the forest at the same time

Peru WASH & Water Governance

Water for Andean Cities

© Axel Fassio
Madagascar Climate & Disaster Resilience

Growing cocoa and protecting the forest at the same time

Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion

In many countries where we work, men and women are unable to claim their rights and participate actively in decision-making processes.

Humanitarian Response

In recent years there has been a global rise in disasters. Earthquakes, droughts, floods and cyclones turn years of development progress to dust overnight.

WASH & Water Governance

The most vulnerable communities suffer from dirty and scarce water. Annually we help up to 500,000 people get new access to drinking water and basic sanitation.