Annual report

Venezuelan Red Cross
branches pre-
pare for and adequately respond to the effects of 
climate change and meteorological phenomena, 
the IFRC supported the revision of the National 
Society’s Contingency Plan for floods as part of 
the initiation of the review of contingency plans.
Quality water infrastructures are essential but 
expensive. Therefore, vulnerable communities 
cannot count on diesel anymore, and National 
Societies in the 
MENA region
are investing in 
solar panels that can pump water and reduce the 
cost of pumping. In 
Yemen
, water systems are 
being rehabilitated and transformed from diesel 
to solar energy. In 
Syria
, the National Society is 
also training refugees to use solar panels to cook, 
to avoid the use of carbon fuels in kitchens.
Strategic Priorities
| Climate and environment 
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In Syria, staff and volunteers are the best play-
ers on the ground to identify the risks that the 
communities are facing, and are key to finding 
solutions. Research is being conducted on more 
drought-resistant seed variants, and more effec-
tive irrigation solutions. Some methods, such as 
the hydroponic animal feed system have been 
tested already by communities, through projects 
supported by the IFRC and ICRC. The method is 
very innovative, does not require electricity and 
needs very little water: a selection of grains is 
put into treated trays to grow, and in just one 
week, the fodder is ready to feed cattle.
In the 
Philippines
, the five-year IFRC part-
nership with the ZFRA supported the National 
Society on the implementation of climate-smart 
interventions in vulnerable communities. The 
programme covered more than 32,000 people 
indirectly, in 13 communities. The Philippine 
Red Cross also completed 28 Flood Resilience 
Measurement Communities urban studies. The 
results of these studies will contribute to the 
development of intervention plans to increase 
the resilience of communities to flood risks.
Under the Pan Africa Planting Tree and Care 
initiative, the