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British Red Cross & WWF-UK launch partnership to tackle climate threats
Melanie May | 28 January 2025 | News
The new partnership will see the British Red Cross and WWF-UK use nature-based solutions to combat the effects of climate change, the charities have announced.
The collaboration will see the organisations work together on projects supporting communities in Kenya’s coastal Lamu County that are at risk from droughts, floods and water shortages.
The delivery of the projects will be led at a local level by WWF-Kenya and the Kenya Red Cross, supported by WWF-UK and the British Red Cross.
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Postcode Planet Trust is awarding £1mn to fund the partnership, which is part of a larger global effort between Postcode Lottery Group, Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies and WWF to respond to the scale and urgency of climate and nature challenges around the world. Other nature-based solutions projects are already underway in countries including Ethiopia, Mozambique, the Philippines and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
By working alongside local people to restore natural ecosystems in Kenya, the British Red Cross and WWF-UK aim to build resilience and reduce the impact of future climate and weather-related emergencies.
Béatrice Butsana-Sita, British Red Cross CEO, said:
“We know that climate change is having devastating effects on communities around the world. It’s making extreme weather events more common, more dangerous and longer-lasting, and posing ever-increasing threats to people’s lives, homes and livelihoods.
“But we also know that working with nature can be one of the most effective ways to help communities build resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges.
“By combining the Red Cross’ longstanding experience supporting people to prepare for and respond to climate-related emergencies with WWF-UK’s expertise in protecting our environment, we will be able to make a real difference to people facing some of the greatest risks as a result of climate change.”
The projects include working to restore the Southern Swamp mangrove forest: protecting a wildlife habitat, preserving a way of soaking up CO2, and creating a natural defence against floods, storms and cyclones.
Another project around Lake Kenyatta in the east of Lamu County will support community groups to plant trees in the area to prevent soil erosion and nutrient leaching, and contribute to the protection of a source of fresh water.
According to the Red Cross Climate Centre Country Profile: Kenya, around 6.5mn people in Kenya are currently affected by drought each year, and this is forecast to rise to over 18.7mn in the future. Floods affect an average of 75,000 people each year, with rising sea levels expected to threaten thousands more by the end of the decade. Climate change is also making it increasingly difficult to keep livestock and grow staple crops like cassava, wheat and sweet potatoes.
Tanya Steele, Chief Executive at WWF-UK, said:
“Nature is our greatest ally in the fight against the climate crisis. But as the world warms, our precious ecosystems risk reaching tipping points which will change them – and their ability to absorb climate-changing emissions – fundamentally, with disastrous impacts for nature and people across the world. It is not too late to change course, but we cannot do this alone.
“Our partnership with the British Red Cross exemplifies how we can unite to restore and protect our natural world, ensuring it can continue to thrive and safeguard humanity’s future.
“Now is the time for bold, collective action to harness the power of nature to save lives, improve livelihoods and restore nature.”
Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, added:
“This partnership between WWF-UK and the British Red Cross demonstrates the power of collaboration to address the crises of climate change and nature loss.
“By supporting innovative, nature-based solutions in Kenya, our players are helping to create a more resilient future for communities and the environment they depend on.”
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.