World Bank Development Marketplace website

Read the project summaries from 100 development NGO finalists

Green Cross Australia is also working with the World Bank to support its Development Marketplace (DM) for Climate Change Adaptation as part of our community led adaptation efforts.

Green Cross Australia CEO Mara Bun visited the World Bank Headquarters in November 2009 to judge the winning 26 projects selected by the 2009 Development Marketplace out of an initial pool of 1,700 community adaptation proposals worldwide.

Mara was invited to judge climate change adaptation proposals developed by indigenous leaders from around the world - an incredible opportunity to understand how traditional knowledge and culturally grounded practices can influence agricultural resilience, disaster management and urban environments in developing countries.

One of the projects which Mara supported and was selected for funding offers excellent integration of food security, ecosystem services and community development.

The Nicaraguan "Drought-Hardy "Food Forests" to Help Miskito Children Weather the Storm" initiative will establish 120 hectares of Maya Nut "food forests" in 25 Miskito communities, with production potential of 5 million pounds of food per year, worth $3 million per year, and carbon-dioxide sequestration of 125,000 metric tons over 30 years.

This initiative will improve the nutritional status of at least 2,500 Miskito children, will restore wild game populations (deer, peccaries, tapirs, and fish) and will protect 30 miles of rivers from flooding and erosion. Find out more about Maya Nut work of the local NGO MASANGNI and their partner The Equilibrium Fund here.

Mara was also really impressed by a remarkable Samoan disaster resilience project that won DM funding to support indigenous community infrastructure - it turns out traditionally designed structures were among the few buildings that survived the recent tsunami.

Watch the video interview on the top of this page with the World Bank Institute's Habiba Gitay and Mara Bun to share their passion about youth involvement in climate change initiatives.