Near East Foundation works with communities, civil society organizations and local governments to integrate climate risk management into community development plans and resource management. Local stakeholders lead efforts to prioritize and invest in systems and assets for the public good that mitigate climate change and conflict vulnerabilities.  

NEF supports local voices, especially those of marginalized groups - including women and young people – as they develop, adopt and utilize tools, encouraging participation and inclusivity in the development of resilience-building and climate adaptation measures.  These may include:  

• establishing inclusive governance institutions, community-based organizations and systems (e.g., water use associations, professional associations, women’s associations, youth associations);  
• strengthening local planning by engaging local governments on economic development, disaster and climate risk reduction strategies and initiatives;  
• providing technical assistance on the development of decentralized funding mechanisms;
• facilitating community consultations on collective investments; and  
• engaging local stakeholders in participatory and conflict-sensitive resilience mapping