NEWS

Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Environment Canada (EC) today announced 12 new projects to help Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean address threats to water resources resulting from a changing climate.

The Adaptation Research Initiative in Asia (ARI-Asia) and the Adaptation Research Initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean (ARI-Americas) are two three-year initiatives of  $10 million each which aim to build a strong base of evidence on adaptation options to safeguard water resources and to inform decision-makers about the most effective use and targeting of climate change funding.

"With our fast-start financing, we are supporting important and innovative initiatives, such as the ones that are being carried out by ARI-Americas and ARI-Asia through the International Development Research Centre," said Canada's Environment Minister Peter Kent . "These efforts will help developing countries be better equipped to deal with climate change, and we are very proud of the work we are doing in this area."

ARI-Asia and ARI-Americas will focus on critical adaptation issues ranging from the frequency and intensity of floods and droughts, to the availability and use of water resources with goal of informing strategies to improve planning, coordination, and decision-making to safeguard lives and livelihoods.

"From floods, to drought, and landslides, water-related disasters are increasingly frequent and severe," says IDRC Acting President Jean Lebel .  "ARI-Asia and ARI-Americas will help scientists develop strategies that will help the world's most vulnerable adapt to a changing climate where we're bound to see increased pressure on water resources."

ARI-Asia and ARI-Americas builds on the success of IDRC's adaptation research in Africa, which with $10 million in fast-start financing, supports seven projects through the African Adaptation Research Centres initiative. This programming is managed by IDRC as part of the Government of Canada's $1.2 billion commitment to fast-start financing promised under the Copenhagen Accord.

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For more information, visit www.idrc.ca and see Backgrounder – New Funding for Climate Change Adaptation in Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.