The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is facing escalating climate risks, including rising temperatures, water scarcity, and prolonged droughts, which threaten food security and agricultural livelihoods. Building resilience to these climate impacts—especially in the context of food, land, and water systems—requires significant investments in climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land management practices. However, many small- and medium-scale farmers in the MENA region are financially unable to make these necessary investments. The barriers to accessing finance are especially pronounced for women, smallholder farmers, and displaced populations.

Women farmers, for example, often lack the legal permissions or collateral to access loans, while small farmers frequently do not possess the required land titles or documentation. Refugees, who play a vital role in agri-food systems in several MENA countries, are similarly excluded from financing mechanisms due to their displaced status. Existing loan products also often fail to meet the needs of these vulnerable groups, with cultural concerns around interest-based financing playing a major role in their rejection.

This panel session at COP16 will focus on identifying inclusive, user-centric financial mechanisms for building climate resilience in the MENA region. The session will explore successful case studies, the roles of different stakeholders, and the challenges and opportunities in designing and scaling financing products that empower marginalized farmers, particularly women and refugees, to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices.