Increasing resilience to the consequences of climate change

Additional items of equipment, including special backpacks, fire flappers and work boots, were purchased in Mexico as part of the Hero Brigadista campaign for local fire service employees, an initiative that is being co-financed by Munich Re and ERGO. The equipment is used to combat wildfires. A number of firebreaks were also created, which will help check the spread of wildfires in particularly dry areas.

Unfortunately, many people around the world have great difficulty accessing water. Many communities in Guatemala, for example, have no centralised water supply. The water tanks that were delivered by project staff from the partner organisation, Defensores de la Naturaleza, not only provide 37 families with access to drinking water, but also serve as storage tanks for use in periods of drought.

An area of around 8 hectares was successfully reforested in the Dominican Republic and it is hoped to expand this to 25 hectares by the time the project ends. Alongside reforestation, providing training to members of the local community is a key element of local activities.

Education also plays a central role in the project. Training courses on the use of agroforestry systems for farming were provided in the Dominican Republic. The knowledge that local people acquire from these courses will allow them to benefit from the large number of agroforestry systems that have been created even after the project has concluded.