IFRC and China’s development agency launch programme to strengthen climate resilience in Mongolia

By the IFRC

(This story is an IFRC press release issued last Thursday in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur and Geneva. It has been edited here for time references.)

In a strategic move to address climate-induced challenges in Asia, the IFRC and the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) last week 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 IFRC Under Secretary-General Xavier Castellanos to China to attend the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025.

This marks the first joint programme 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, helping them change livestock feeding practices to better withstand climate disasters and have more diverse incomes through skills training, and strengthening the institutional capacity of the Mongolian Red Cross Society (MRCS). 

Shared commitment

During the signing ceremony, 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 front-line 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. The IFRC is committed to addressing these challenges collaboratively and effectively.

Following the MoU between CIDCA and the IFRC signed in July 2024, this agreement is another shared commitment to expanding multilateral humanitarian and development cooperation. 

The dzud in Mongolia this time last year (pictured) was said to be twice as critical as the year before and potentially worse than the record 2010 event. The IFRC’s new agreement with China aims to positively impact the lives of over 20,000 individuals across four high-risk provinces in Mongolia vulnerable to a variety of hazards, including dzuds, droughts, floods, storms, and both steppe and forest fires. (Photo: MRCS via IFRC)