ClimADAPT

About

Tajikistan is among the most climate-vulnerable countries in Central Asia. Climate change could increase soil erosion, land degradation and water scarcity, the preservation of which is all vital for the agriculture sector. Through ClimADAPT, local banks and microfinance institutions in Tajikistan enhance men and women’s access to climate resilience technologies, particularly in the agriculture sector. With support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), women borrowers were encouraged to adopt climate resilience technologies through increased awareness-raising activities and the introduction of dedicated training for local banks. 

Approach and impact

ClimADAPT enhanced the gender capacity of local banking staff to better cater to the needs of women customers. Local banks showed flexibility in adapting their collateral requirements for accessing loans and repayment plan terms to meet women’s needs, by accepting the use of jewellery, shop inventories and commercial assets as collateral. Communications materials helped attract more potential women borrowers. About 30 per cent of ClimADAPT borrowers were women, holding 19 per cent of the total amount of loans disbursed (higher than the national average of women borrowers). The overall value of loans accessed by women borrowers showed an increase of five percentage points between 2017 and 2018, rising from 14 per cent to 19 per cent of total loans by the PFIs. This growth was attributed to increased efforts from partner financial institutions (PFIs) to build their gender capacity internally, as well as reach out more actively to women borrowers.