World Vision International Launches Climate-Smart Agriculture Project with Support from AECID
Communities across the West Bank continue to face deepening environmental and economic pressures driven by violence, legal and administrative restrictions, climate change, water scarcity, land degradation, desertification, and limited access to sustainable livelihoods opportunities. Rural families, particularly those living in Areas B and C, are among the most vulnerable to these challenges.
According to World Vision’s survey conducted in April 2026, 74% of households in World Vision programme areas report monthly income below subsistence level and 81% are buying less food than they were eighteen months ago. In Bethlehem and Hebron — the two governorates targeted by this project — the situation is particularly acute: 64% of households in Bethlehem and 38% in Hebron experience moderate or severe hunger. Nearly half of all children surveyed regularly skipped meals in the past month due to lack of food at home.
In response, World Vision International, in partnership with MA'AN Development Center, has launched a new project titled "Revitalisation of Sustainable Local Economic Development through Climate-Smart Agriculture in Areas B and C of the West Bank."
The 22-month initiative is funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) with a budget of €1 million. The project will target 30 communities across Hebron and Bethlehem Governorates and is expected to directly benefit five community-based organisations (CBOs), 1,500 children and caregivers, and approximately 71,231 indirect beneficiaries.
Strengthening Communities through Climate-Smart Agriculture
The project centres on equipping five grassroots community organisations to lead climate-resilient social enterprises. Working alongside an external consultancy, each CBO will undergo a tailored capacity assessment to identify strengths and gaps, followed by modular training covering organisational governance, financial management, marketing, and practical climate-smart agriculture (CSA) techniques including composting, hydroponics, water-efficient irrigation, drought-resistant seeds, and soil restoration.
Each CBO will then develop and implement a sustainable social business plan — supported by the rehabilitation of land and infrastructure, provision of equipment and agricultural inputs, and access to packaging, labelling, and marketing tools. The aim is to create locally owned enterprises that generate income, improve food security, and reduce dependence on external aid.
A six-month paid internship programme will place 20 young people — at least half of them women — within the five CBOs. Interns will receive 40 hours of structured training in CSA techniques, cooperative business operations, and community outreach, contributing both to the sustainability of the CBOs and to the economic empowerment of youth from the most marginalised communities.
Building Awareness from the Ground Up
The project's third pillar focuses on shifting behaviours and attitudes at the community level. Thirty educational sessions and participatory open days will be held for 1,500 children and caregivers, using age-appropriate, interactive methods — including hands-on demonstrations of composting and hydroponics — to promote environmental awareness and sustainable practices. Eco-friendly information and education materials, designed with children and caregivers in mind, will be distributed through CBOs, schools, and community events.
The West Bank faces severe and overlapping environmental challenges — irregular rainfall, degraded soils, water scarcity, and unsustainable land use — compounded by movement restrictions, limited institutional capacity, and the economic fallout of the conflict. These are the conditions this project is designed to address.
Restoring Livelihood
"This project is not only about agriculture — it is about restoring livelihoods in communities that face some of the most severe land access constraints in the West Bank. By equipping local organisations with practical tools and sustainable business models, we are investing in resilience that communities themselves can own and sustain," said Saher Khoury, Climate Change Projects Manager at World Vision.
"Through strong partnerships and active engagement with targeted CBOs and communities, this project aims to create lasting environmental and economic impact. By combining climate-smart agriculture with inclusive business development, we are helping communities build a future that does not depend on external support," said Hasan Abed Al Jabbar, Director of Programmes at MA'AN Development Center.
The project contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 13 on Climate Action and SDG 2 on Zero Hunger, and is implemented under a human rights-based approach with gender equality and inclusion as cross-cutting priorities. At least 49% of all direct participants will be women.
About the Partners
About the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID)
The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) is the state agency attached to Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. It is responsible for the promotion, programming, operational coordination, management, and implementation of Spanish public policies for sustainable development, humanitarian action, and education for sustainable development and global citizenship.
About World Vision International
World Vision is a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. World Vision began working in Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1975. In 2025, its programmes in the West Bank reached more than half a million people, including 346,000 children.
About MA'AN Development Center
MA'AN Development Center is an independent, non-governmental, nonpartisan Palestinian development and training institution established in 1989 and registered by law as a non-profit organisation. MA'AN's work is informed by the necessity of creating independent, self-reliant initiatives that contribute to sustainable development and strengthen human resources through values of self-sufficiency and self-empowerment.