Climate

Today, no fewer than 96 million people are suffering from climate-related food insecurity (Global Report on Food Crisis 2025). 

Understanding climate   

Floods, droughts, heat waves and storms. Over the last few years, extreme climate phenomena have become more frequent and even, sometimes, more severe. Climate change has undeniable long-lasting consequences for populations and for hunger. 

The increasing frequency of these rare, violent weather phenomena underscores the state of crisis and climate emergency the world faces: ‘The climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win’, admits António Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN.

Sustainable Development Goals  

Among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN in 2015 to eradicate hunger, poverty and inequalities while preserving the planet, SDG 13 is the one that directly relates to climate: 

‘SDG 13 seeks to take urgent measures to combat global warming, to adapt to its repercussions and to manage climate events linked to it (alerts and crises), especially by integrating specific measures into national policies, strategies and planning.’  (UN Global Compact) 

Our climate crisis advocacy 

We advocate for the right to adequate food to be at the heart of climate policies and plans by actively participating in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), especially through contributions to their joint work on agriculture and food security. 

What are the pillars of our fight against the climate crisis? 

Adaptation 

We help local communities and institutions to anticipate, absorb and adapt to climate events by integrating risk and climate vulnerability analyses into our programmes. We encourage adaptation based on ecosystems and carried out locally in accordance with traditional, indigenous knowledge to reduce these risks and vulnerabilities and to  strengthen long-term resilience. For instance, this is the idea at the heart of the CARE project led by our teams in Bangladesh, which raises public awareness of the health risks linked to the effects of climate change (consumption of unsafe water and food, lack of access to health care, poor diet, etc.).

Resilience 

Resilience is at the heart of everything we do. With the help of climate analyses, we create a link between sustainable development and humanitarian interventions, early alert systems and anticipatory action. Thanks to this integrated approach, we strengthen food systems’ resilience, improve inclusive governance and develop adaptation capacities so that communities may prosper despite increasing environmental pressure. 

Mitigation 

We contribute towards climate change mitigation efforts by promoting the use of sustainable, low-emission technologies and renewable energies in humanitarian and development operations. In all sectors, we incorporate environmental protection measures, ecosystem-oriented approaches and sustainable resource management practices that reduce emissions and preserve biodiversity. As the consequences of climate change have a negative impact on populations’ livelihoods, farmers are increasingly choosing agroecological practices and benefiting from our agricultural support (agricultural equipment, organic fertilisers, agroecology training, irrigation systems, etc.). 

How is local communities’ expertise woven into our activity? 

Our advocacy revolves around a human rights–based approach and convincing evidence that supports agroecology as an effective climate intervention, with significant social co-benefits. We coordinate major civil society coalitions like the International Climate Action Network’s (CAN) Agricultural Working Group, as well as participating in global forums on biodiversity policy, such as the United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties (COP) and working groups within the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). We work with research partners to strengthen biodiversity protection while taking socio-economic factors into account and supporting our fight against hunger. 

Strengthening health systems and nutritional diversity  

We strengthen food systems through adaptation measures like climate-resilient agriculture and agroecology, which diversify agricultural production in order to guarantee permanent access to nutritious food and a varied diet despite climate change. We incorporate climate risks into health and nutrition systems thanks to advanced predictive analyses, integrated planning and forecasts that take climate considerations into account. Our approach allows us to take measures in advance, strengthen supply chains and support nutrition-sensitive protocols adapted to climate variability. 

Given the link between nutrition, humanitarian development and peace, we look at health, food security and climate adaptation together in order to implement inclusive, resilient systems capable of resisting shocks and crises. 

Developing agroecological food systems 

We prioritise  environmentally sustainable, climate-adapted agriculture and agroecological approaches that improve soil health, biodiversity and productivity, thus reducing vulnerability to drought and floods. Techniques such as crop diversification, pollinator habitat improvement, composting, mulching and water-efficient irrigation, all adapted to local conditions, improve yields, boost soil fertility and reduce dependence on harmful agrochemical products, thus bolstering households’ food security and ecosystem sustainability. We encourage holistic management of livestock farming systems, making sure that our projects integrate social, economic and environmental dimensions in order to make farmers’ livelihoods more sustainable. This approach focuses on soil regeneration and livelihood improvement thanks to better livestock management practices, which optimise grazing systems to improve soil fertility, water retention and plant cover. Ultimately, this increases productivity, biodiversity and pastureland ecosystems’ resilience. Action Against Hunger has also led  sustainable pastoralism initiatives in West Africa. 

The water security and water resources question 

Our programmes incorporate climate considerations into water management thanks to water security plans, rainwater collection, water reuse systems and restoration of drainage basins. We encourage integrated water resource management to balance domestic, agricultural and livestock farming needs and therefore guarantee sustainable water access in arid and semi-arid regions. We help communities to strengthen their adaptation through rainwater collection, microirrigation and predictive analysis that integrates local expertise into regional climate models. Our solar-powered water supply systems at wells and pumping stations guarantee reliable access to water while reducing emissions and costs, which, in turn, strengthens ecosystem restoration and sustainable governance. The installation of solar water pumps and irrigation channels has had a major impact on  agricultural communities in the Basra Governorate in Iraq, where over 70% of the population struggles to access drinking water. 

Biodiversity, marine management and coastal protection 

We are strengthening  coastal resilience by combining local, indigenous knowledge and scientific research to ensure sustainable marine management. Our work incorporates environmental conservation, sustainable resource management, gender equality and social inclusion to foster climate change–resilient livelihoods in coastal communities. Key strategies include promotion of community-led resource management, the creation of protected marine areas managed by communities and livelihood diversification to improve both environmental sustainability and social equity.  Our mangrove restoration project in Sierra Leone, led by local communities, protects coastal livelihoods, improves biodiversity, sequesters carbon and protects communities against storm surges and other climate impacts. 

Integrating gender equality 

Our climate programmes incorporate gender equality and social inclusion by pursuing a transformative, intersectional approach based on our gender equality policy. We strive to guarantee that women and marginalised groups can exercise their rights, make decisions and have their specific needs considered. By taking into account the way in which different social identities influence experiences and vulnerabilities, we design interventions that strengthen autonomy, equity and resilience. 

Measuring environmental impact 

We acknowledge our responsibility as a humanitarian organisation to measure and reduce our carbon footprint and minimise the environmental impacts of all our operations by evaluating risks, adopting renewable energy solutions and implementing resource-efficient practices. Guided by environmental evaluation tools and frameworks that meet international standards, our country offices carry out environmental risk evaluations. 

We also contributed towards creating the MERA  matrix for identifying risks and recommending mitigation measures. In 2023, we launched the initiative ‘Greening Humanitarian Response’ to increase the sustainability of humanitarian operations thanks to energy evaluations and the integration of renewable energies, especially through the React web app, which helps humanitarian teams to analyse energy needs and reduce dependence on fossil fuels during crises. Our green, resilient economy programmes improve management of solid waste, encourage circular economy practices and sustainable procurement, and promote inclusive governance to protect ecosystems and help urban and coastal communities to adapt to environmental challenges. 

What specific climate commitments has Action Against Hunger made? 

Why do we care about climate change? What do the IPCC’s climate forecasts say? 

Climate change is worsening humanitarian conditions all over the world, disrupting food systems, putting water resources under severe pressure and heightening inequalities that disproportionately affect women, girls, indigenous populations and other marginalised groups. Rising temperatures and increasingly severe climate risks are eroding livelihoods, harming people’s health and nutrition and accentuating social and economic vulnerabilities. The IPCC’s sixth evaluation report warns that, without urgent action, risks such as biodiversity loss, droughts, floods and heat waves could reach catastrophic levels, while UN Women estimates that, by 2050, climate change could plunge 158 more women and girls into poverty and expose 236 million more to hunger, which is double the number of men affected. 

Action Against Hunger strives to rectify these disparities by making sure responses are inclusive and transformative in terms of gender equality while reducing emissions, minimising environmental impacts and strengthening local adaptation thanks to sustainable, resilient practices. 

What approach does Action Against Hunger take to deal with the climate crisis? 

Action Against Hunger is committed to transforming humanitarian and development approaches in the face of the climate and environmental crisis. Action Against Hunger has implemented an Environment and Climate Framework for its network, which defines the principles and operational requirements needed to integrate climate and environmental considerations into all programmes and operations. We have also signed the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organisations and adhere to the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), which makes sure programmes identify, prevent and mitigate environmental risks. 

We will continue to: 

• Incorporate climate and environmental risks into all our programmes and strategies 

• Develop renewable energies and low-carbon solutions across all our activities 

• Strengthen community adaptation and ecosystem restoration initiatives 

• Improve early alert systems and promote local anticipatory measures in the face of climate shocks 

• Protect and restore biodiversity as the foundation of resilient ecosystems and sustainable food systems 

• Forge deeper partnerships and promote research and innovation to create scalable climate solutions 

• Promote transformative, rights-based approaches to gender to strengthen resilience 

By combining scientific evidence, local, indigenous expertise and a strong operational presence, Action Against Hunger proposes specific, evolving climate solutions that protect lives, strengthen systems and guarantee our planet’s future. 

Together, we are strengthening climate resilience for a world without hunger.