IIED-América Latina wins Global Center on Adaptation award at COP29
IIED’s Latin American partner organisation, IIED-América Latina, has received a 2024 Local Adaptation Champions Award at COP29.
At an awards ceremony on 13 November at COP29, IIED-América Latina (IIED-AL), IIED’s partner organisation based in Argentina, won one of four Local Adaptation Champions Awards from the Global Center on Adaptation along with local projects from Tree Aid (Burkina Faso), Green Hope Foundation (Kiribati) and Aliet Green (Indonesia).
A distinguished selection jury comprising Ban Ki-moon, chair of the board of the Global Center on Adaptation and eighth UN Secretary-General; Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Tanzania; Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Minister for International Development of Norway; Anneliese Dodds, Minister for Development of the United Kingdom; and Patrick Verkooijen, executive director of the Global Centre on Adaptation made the decisions from a shortlist of 21 projects.
IIED-AL's award stemmed from an informal settlement upgrading programme in Buenos Aires as part of an urban lab in the city.
Barrio 20 is an informal settlement in Buenos Aires that is leading in risk mitigation and community engagement in decarbonisation. The area has been going through a participatory process of urban upgrading since 2016, however without a focus on climate issues. Since the urban lab started three years ago, Barrio 20 has embraced climate action.
The project has incorporated a participatory design process, which included the input of local women, youth and civil society organisations. Together they have contributed to designing decarbonisation initiatives such as tree planting, green walls and shaded communal spaces, resulting in tangible benefits for residents.
IIED-AL was formed by influential former IIED urban researcher Jorge Hardoy after his return to Argentina in 1979. He established a regional office that in time became an independent organisation.
IIED is delighted that IIED-AL has received this prestigious award and would like to congratulate all the recipients.
Further reading
Interview: Integrating climate action into neighbourhood upgrading in Villa 20, Buenos Aires
Climate justice in informal settlements in Buenos Aires, Florencia Almansi, Julieta del Valle, Marcela Costello, Jorgelina Hardoy (2024), Briefing
