Project Summary:

Moldova’s rural women are four times more prone to absolute poverty and more vulnerable to climate change, requiring targeted actions towards enhancing their access to alternative income generation activities and support services (i.e. subsidies), as well as information and knowledge on sustainable and resilient management of natural and agricultural resources on which they depend.

The overarching strategy of the project is to build sustainable and inclusive resilient communities through empowering women to practice alternative livelihoods in the context of increased environmental degradation and vulnerabilities to extreme weather patterns. UNDP will work with women groups in 30 target communities from Nisporeni, Calarasi, Basarabeasca, Leova districts, Gagauzia and Transnistrian regions, and the security zone to increase their knowledge and skills for sustainable and resilient agriculture and forest practices and to explore alternative income generation activities in the respective sectors.  

Objective:

The project’s objective is to build inclusive sustainable and resilient communities and create an enabling environment for women’s economic, social and educational empowerment.

Expected results:

• Sustainable, climate resilient and environmentally-sound livelihoods defined and local capacities & knowledge on environment, climate change and gender enhanced and implemented successfully;   
• NGOs capacities to provide expertise to LPAs and women in the field of resilience to climate change, sustainable development and gender mainstreaming enhanced;
• Environment-friendly and climate resilient practices and projects implemented by women headed households, women agri-producers and communities;
• Sustainable and climate resilient practices and business models disseminated and replicated.

Accomplishments:

• Baseline study to determine the level of awareness about climate changes risks and environmental issues in target districts/regions completed (700 respondents - representatives of LPAs, NGOs, women-led businesses, other private sector entities, women households,  general population and vulnerable groups);
• The Climate Profiles for Calarasi, Nisporeni, Leova, Basarabeasca, and Dubasari districts have been supplemented with an environmental and gender component;
• The Climate Profiles for Transnistrian region and ATU Gagauzia were produced;
• 6 gender mainstreamed Actions Plans on including Climate Change Adaptation and Environmental Protection Measures in the local development plans of Nisporeni, Leova, Calarasi, Basarabeasca, ATU Gagauzia and Dubasari districts were developed;
• 89 local government officials, including 50 women, from Calarasi, Leova, and Dubasari districts have been trained  on effectively transposing environment and climate-related legislation at the local level, applying a gender equality perspective in planning and executing climate-resilient solutions and initiatives locally;
• 6 practical guidelines for women-headed households and women and men agri-entrepreneurs have been produced, presented in an accessible manner, with practical examples, the principles and steps in starting up and expanding climate-resilient income-generating operations locally;
• 4 user-friendly Guidelines for LPAs on the implementation of climate and environmental legislation locally, as well as on the gender - climate and environment nexus developed;
• 854 households women and women and men agri/eco-entrepreneurs (665 women and 189 men) have improved their skills and abilities in managing ecological businesses within 35 training courses organized in all target districts and regions;
• 6 environmental NGOs received tailored technical assistance as part of an Institutional Capacity Development Programme;
• 77 environmental NGOs (313 beneficiaries, inclusive 281 women) strengthened their technical and advocacy capacities to promote gender-responsive climate resilience and environmental agenda forward at national and sub-national levels;
• 9 environmental NGOs were competitively selected to provide assistance on environmental and climate change aspects to grant beneficiaries (LPAs, women entrepreneurs and women with economic activity in the household);
• 11 women entrepreneurs from the districts of Nisporeni, Calarasi, Leova, ATU Gagauzia, the security zone (Dubasari district) and the Transnistrian region received grants in the value of US$18,000 each to initiate environmentally friendly and climate-resilient businesses;
• 30 LPAs have received grants of up to US$16,000 for projects designed to increase communities' resilience to climate change, reduce disaster risk and contribute to sustainable local development;
• 120 women with economic activity within their household supported with a grant in the value od $4,300 to develop environmentally-friendly practices and to increase their resilience in the context of climate change.