T

he US Agency for International Development (USAID) mission director Andrew Sisson on Friday signed an agreement to award US$5 million to the Indonesia Climate Change Trust Fund (ICCTF) to fund the climate change programs of Indonesian NGOs.

'€œFrom changing weather patterns that affect food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of coastal flooding, Indonesia faces a wide range of climate change-related threats,'€ Sisson said as he signed the agreement with National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) deputy minister Endah Murniningtyas, who is also chairwoman of the ICCTF board of trustees.

'€œThe US is proud to support the ICCTF and continue our history of partnering with the Indonesian government to tackle important global challenges,'€ said the USAID mission director.

He said climate change was a shared global priority that required the action of governments, private companies, NGOs and citizens. '€œIt'€™s impressive that this fund involves all these stakeholders in Indonesia,'€ Sisson said.

The ICCTF pools and coordinates funds from various sources to support and finance climate change programs and policies. The ICCTF is one of only two nationally managed trust funds in the world dedicated to fighting climate change, making it a model for many middle-income and developing countries.

'€œThis contribution shows that international partners like the US are important in Indonesia'€™s efforts to transition to a low-carbon economy and adapt to climate change,'€ said Endah.

Apart from being a greenhouse gas emitter, Indonesia is among the countries that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The Asian Development Bank estimates that climate change could cause economic losses of between 2 and 7 percent of annual gross domestic product by the end of the century.