Germany recently announced a new Large Grant project for India, which has a funding volume of up to EUR 20 million under the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The project aims to improve resilience in high-risk ecosystems across priority regions, including the Himalayas, island areas, the Western Ghats, the North-East, and the Lower Gangetic floodplains.
About New Large Grant project
- It will support ecosystem-based approaches (EbA) such as forest restoration, enhancing biodiversity corridors, flood and erosion control, groundwater recharge, and community-led natural resource management.
- It will also strengthen the monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks associated with the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and explore innovative financing mechanisms such as blended finance, biodiversity credits, and insurance schemes.
About International Climate Initiative (IKI)
- It is a key financial instrument of the German government dedicated to supporting international climate action and biodiversity conservation in developing and emerging countries.
- Established in 2008, it aligns with global frameworks like the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Core Funding Areas: The IKI concentrates its resources on four primary thematic areas:
- Mitigation: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to support the transition to a low carbon economy.
- Adaptation: Strengthening the resilience of countries and regions vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
- Natural Carbon Sinks: Preserving and restoring ecosystems (e.g., forests and wetlands) that store carbon.
- Biodiversity: Supporting the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to halt and reverse nature loss.
- IKI in India: India is a priority partner country for the IKI, with bilateral cooperation dating back to 2008.