CGIAR Initiative: ClimBeR: Building Systemic Resilience Against Climate Variability and Extremes <p class="ql-align-justify">Climate change is affecting planetary systems at a higher and faster rate than previously estimated,<span style="background-color: inherit;">i</span>,<span style="background-color: inherit;">ii</span>&nbsp;with the 1.5°C global warming level now expected to be reached by the early 2030s,<span style="background-color: inherit;">iii</span>&nbsp;a trajectory United&nbsp;Nations&nbsp;Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called “catastrophic.” If the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Paris Agreement targets (temperature increases held to 1.5ºC by 2030, carbon neutrality by 2055) are to be met, urgent – and early – action on the twin goals of&nbsp;<strong>climate mitigation</strong>&nbsp;(reducing emissions, creating carbon sinks) and&nbsp;<strong>climate adaptation</strong>&nbsp;(boosting countries’ resilience to climate change) is required.&nbsp;ClimBeR&nbsp;is aimed squarely at&nbsp;<strong>climate adaptation</strong>.&nbsp;</p><p class="ql-align-justify">The principal challenge addressed by&nbsp;ClimBeR&nbsp;is the poor climate adaptation preparedness of the food and agricultural systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The adverse impacts of climate variability and extremes in the Global South are well documented.<span style="background-color: inherit;">iv</span>&nbsp;The loss of productive assets and human capital, coupled with the effect of uncertainty on agricultural investments, stymie smallholders' efforts to improve livelihoods, exacerbating poverty and social tensions. The central objective of&nbsp;ClimBeR&nbsp;is, therefore, to transform the climate adaptation capacity of food, land, and water systems in six LMICs, ultimately increasing the resilience of smallholder production systems to withstand severe climate change effects like drought, flooding, and high temperatures.&nbsp;</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Demand has shifted from understanding climate change impacts to designing innovations and directing financial flows to achieve ambitious climate and food systems targets.<span style="background-color: inherit;">v</span>&nbsp;Isolated CGIAR interventions to increase crop yields or strengthen markets no longer suffice; it is critical to transform systems to simultaneously enhance resilience, productivity, and equity.&nbsp;ClimBeR&nbsp;will design and scale social-ecological-technological (SET)&nbsp;bundles&nbsp;that empower approximately 30 million people in the Global South to build climate resilience to a tipping point capable of triggering system-wide transformation.&nbsp;ClimBeR’s&nbsp;co-designed climate adaptation innovations will be focused on supporting women and youth; they will improve the lives of&nbsp;5&nbsp;million women and bring nearly 22 million hectares of degraded land under more sustainable management.&nbsp;ClimBeR&nbsp;will exploit emerging opportunities, such as the growing global impetus to meet urgent climate adaptation and mitigation targets, and increasing momentum among climate financiers, development banks, and international donors to invest in climate change adaptation.&nbsp;</p><p class="ql-align-justify">ClimBeR&nbsp;partners with six LMICs that demonstrate (a) a long history of engagement with CGIAR and&nbsp;the&nbsp;broader agricultural research for development (AR4D) community, (b) proven commitment to addressing the climate crisis and Paris Agreement targets via updated, ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and (c) financial flows being redirected (as per Article 2.1 of the Paris Agreement), towards low greenhouse gas&nbsp;(GHG)&nbsp;emissions and&nbsp;<em>climate-resilient development.</em>&nbsp;ClimBeR’s&nbsp;partner countries face serious climate vulnerabilities including droughts, floods, and high temperatures in Kenya, Senegal, and Zambia; droughts and high temperatures in Morocco and Guatemala; and floods and rising temperatures in&nbsp;the&nbsp;Philippines. All six countries recognize the challenge, are committed to boosting their climate resilience, and have enabling policies and investment plans in place. They need support on capacity strengthening and mainstreaming truly innovative climate adaptation solutions.&nbsp;</p>