Securing the resilience of rural areas

Context

Whether in Kyrgyzstan, Benin or Germany, across the world people in rural areas often face similar challenges. Climate change, declining biodiversity and the loss of fertile soil are making it increasingly difficult to ensure a healthy diet, sufficient food and sustainable employment. For this reason, it is important to protect land ecosystems and their resources (soil, water, biodiversity), while promoting their sustainable use and restoring their capacity. These ecosystems are vital for securing rural livelihoods and essential to the transformation of agricultural and food systems.

Objective

Rural areas worldwide are more resilient and allow people, institutions and landscapes to adapt to challenging changes and recover from shocks.

Approach

The programme supports BMZ in strengthening resilient rural areas worldwide, operating across three priority areas:

Promoting land governance and sustainable land management: The programme provides advice on protecting and restoring land resources and using them sustainably, in particular with expert and policy advice on international agreements. It also provides advice on securing land rights for long-term land management.

Advancing agroecological transformation: The programme promotes agroecology as a path to sustainable agricultural and food systems. It supports the international exchange of knowledge and promotes resilience strategies for local communities.

Strengthening rural development: The programme supports spatial and holistic approaches to the ecological, social and economic development of rural areas in the long term. Working on aspects of employment, financing and the organic economy, it improves the structural conditions in rural areas.

Moreover, in all the priority areas, the programme takes into account climate resilience and climate protection, gender equality, young people and people in vulnerable situations.

Last updated: March 2025