Xavier Castellanos, IFRC and CIDCA Vice Chairman Zhao Fengtao sign agreement to launch joint climate resilience project in Mongolia. It is the first joint project between the two organisations in Asia.
Xavier Castellanos, IFRC and CIDCA Vice Chairman Zhao Fengtao sign agreement to launch joint climate resilience project in Mongolia. It is the first joint project between the two organisations in Asia.
Xavier Castellanos, IFRC and CIDCA Vice Chairman Zhao Fengtao sign agreement to launch joint climate resilience project in Mongolia. It is the first joint project between the two organisations in Asia.
Photo: CIDCA
Beijing/Kuala Lumpur/Geneva, 27 March 2025 – In a strategic move to address climate-induced challenges in Asia, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) today signed a significant agreement to help address Mongolia's escalating climate risks.
This pivotal agreement, which aims at bolstering the resilience and adaptive capacity of communities affected by climate change in Mongolia, was signed during the visit of the IFRC Under Secretary-General Xavier Castellanos to China, to attend the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025.
This marks the first joint program between IFRC and CIDCA in Asia, deepening their cooperation and reinforcing a shared commitment to long-term climate change adaptation programmes.
Over the next two years, it will support communities to be less vulnerable to climate risks by establishing community-based early action systems, support to change livestock feeding practices to better withstand climate disasters, helping communities to have more diverse incomes through skills training, and strengthening the institutional capacity of the Mongolian Red Cross Society (MRCS).
During the signing ceremony, IFRC Under-Secretary General Xavier Castellanos emphasized the strategic importance of the initiative:
“The climate crisis is a global threat and a present reality. Our partnership with CIDCA is a testament to global solidarity, leveraging China’s expertise in development aid and IFRC’s frontline networks to build resilience in communities in need.”
Aligned with IFRC’s Strategy 2030, which prioritizes climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, this initiative aims to positively impact the lives of over 20,000 individuals across four high-risk provinces in Mongolia. These regions are vulnerable to climate change-related hazards, including Dzud (cold waves), droughts, floods, storms, and both steppe and forest fires, all of which pose significant challenges to livelihoods and sustainable development. IFRC is committed to addressing these challenges collaboratively and effectively.
Following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CIDCA and the IFRC signed in July 2024, this agreement is another shared commitment to expanding multilateral humanitarian and development cooperation.
For more information or to request an interview, please contact: media@ifrc.org
In Beijing: Kexuan TONG, +86 13147812269
In Kuala Lumpur: Afrhill Rances, +60 19 271 3641
In Geneva: Scott Craig, +41 76 370 35 75