NZ pledges almost $19m for wetlands at risk of climate change in Asia
New Zealand is giving almost $19 million to help people living in wetland areas in Asia adapt to climate change and avoid displacement. It will go to the Asian Mega-Deltas initiative which develops climate change-resilient rice, horticulture and aquaculture farming systems in Mekong (Cambodia and Vietnam), Irrawaddy (Myanmar) and Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (Bangladesh and India). Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said to succeed in the global fight against climate change we need to find innovative ways to work together, become more sustainable and lower emissions regionally. READ MORE: * Government admits it made a mistake when keeping a lid on the carbon price * Luxury items should face a higher climate penalty study * Green initiatives under threat as carbon-credit slump continues The funding comes from New Zealands 2021 $1.3 billion climate finance fund which included climate action in South and South East Asia as a priority, Mahuta said. Our contribution will directly help at a farm level, by providing advice, and at a system level, with access to finance. More than 170 million people live in the wetland areas and are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, Mahuta said. Climate change modelling predicts water shortages, severe cyclones and climate extremes, with rising sea levels and flooding already seriously undermining the livelihoods and food security of delta inhabitants and food availability beyond the delta area. Mahuta was attending the Asean conference in Jakarta for the Foreign Ministers meeting. Earlier in the week, New Zealand pledged $15.6m to Indonesias Geothermal Energy programme and help Indonesia achieve its renewable energy targets, Mahuta said. Ive witnessed and heard first-hand the impact climate change is having on New Zealand communities and our region. We must continue stepping up our support and contributing positively towards global efforts if we are to improve the very real and harmful effects of climate change, Mahuta said. Recently, the Earth has reached its highest average temperatures in recorded history. New precedents have been set recently with historically warm oceans , North Atlantic temperatures already nearing their typical annual peak , and unparalleled low sea ice levels around Antarctica.