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A man uses a small bridge to cross a river in Mikemani village, Tana River County, KenyaA man uses a small bridge to cross a river in Mikemani village, Tana River County, KenyaA man uses a small bridge to cross a river in Mikemani village, Tana River County, Kenya

Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance

Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance

Concern Worldwide is a proud member of the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance, a multi-sectoral partnership working to build resilience to climate hazards in rural and urban communities.

We aim to deliver sustainable, systemic change through long-term community programmes, new research and influencing policy.

A new phase in building resilience

Formerly known as the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance, the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance is funded by the Z Zurich Foundation, a charitable foundation funded by various members of the Zurich Insurance Group.

Concern has been working with the Z Zurich Foundation as part of the Alliance for the past six years at a global and local level in Bangladesh, Kenya, Malawi and South Sudan. 

After more than a decade of experience working with communities to measure and then increase their flood resilience, reaching more than three million people, the Alliance is beginning to expand its approach into additional climate hazards, including heatwaves and wildfires. 

The knowledge and approaches we have developed through this work are applicable to other climate hazards. We believe that the only way to increase community resilience at scale is to take a systems approach – one that recognizes the wider spectrum of climate challenges that must be addressed.

The work we do in each country varies depending on the nature of the existing levels of climate resilience, the nature of the climate hazard(s) and local and national policy environments.

As part of this partnership, the Z Zurich Foundation is providing multi-annual funding for Concern’s climate resilience work in Bangladesh, Kenya, Malawi and Pakistan. 

Seven men walking across flooded area
Concern Worldwide and partner NGO FIVDB going the extra miles to reach the most vulnerable. Photo: Concern Worldwide
A man wearing an orange lifejacket holds a megaphone
In Rangpur, Concern’s Zurich programme helps tackle the annual problem of flooding in communities, a problem growing in danger with climate change Photo: Gavin Douglas/Concern Worldwide

Our partnership

This partnership goes beyond a financial contribution. Funding comes through the Z Zurich Foundation, but Zurich Insurance Group is also a partner in the Alliance. In addition to providing insurance protection, Zurich offers prevention services such as those that promote wellbeing and enhance climate resilience. Zurich has been an active member in the Alliance since 2012, providing skills and expertise. This helps communities to reduce the devastating impacts of climate change.

This is in synergy with Concern’s approach to community resilience building of which disaster risk reduction is the foundation and a cornerstone of our approach to sustainable community-led solutions.

Our Goal

Alongside our partners in the Alliance, we aim to positively impact the lives of 5.5 million people by 2027, and 70 million people by 2035.

Our Objectives

1. Enhance and increase the resilience of urban and rural communities to climate hazards. 

2. Promote the widespread adoption of good climate resilience practices. 

3. Increase the funding available for communities to improve their climate resilience. 

4. Improve the policy environment for building community resilience to climate hazards.

A woman tends to crops in a field

Partner with Concern

  • Concern has been supporting the world's most vulnerable communities for more than 55 years

  • We're committed to being transparent about how money is spent - 90.3% of your donation goes directly to our relief and development work

  • What we deliver collaboratively can improve employee engagement and meet aligned priorities and values

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Our impact in 2023

15.5 M icon
15.5 M

people reached through our emergency response

9 M icon
9 M

people reached through our health interventions

2.3 M icon
2.3 M

people reached through our livelihoods programmes

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