Building Climate Change Resilience in the Cambodian Health System

Abstract

The Global Environment Facility is the financial mechanism for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and it is the primary vehicle for funding climate change adaptation activities in lower resource settings. In March of 2016, GEF approved a $9,000,000 concept note covering Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar, Nepal, and Timor Leste. Each country worked with the WHO to develop a four-year proposal to utilize it’s $1.5 million share of the funding to mitigate the health impacts of climate change. The outcomes established in the concept note are: 1.1 Institutional capacities are strengthened to effectively integrate climate risks and adaptation options in health sector planning and implementation 2.1 Effective decision-making for health interventions is enabled through generation of information and improved surveillance and/or early warning systems 3.1 Climate resilience is enhanced in health service delivery 4.1 Enhanced regional cooperation and knowledge exchange for promoting scaleup and replication of interventions 4.2 Health National Adaptation Plans are effectively integrated into ongoing National Adaptation Plan processes The following country proposal detailed the current status of climate change adaptation in Cambodia and the activities proposed to achieve the project outcomes.