Protecting people by investing in nature
Floods, extreme droughts, and hurricanes affect millions of people worldwide every year. Homes are damaged, crops fail, and families are torn apart. Due to climate change, these types of disasters are becoming more frequent. Every year, large amounts of funding are needed to repair damage and save lives.
The good news is: much of this damage can be prevented. By acting in time and making smart choices, we can significantly reduce the impact of disasters. Nature plays a crucial role in this.
Healthy ecosystems, such as mangroves, forests, and rivers, act as natural protection. They reduce the force of storms, store water during dry periods, and lower the risk of flooding. At the same time, they provide food, clean water, and a healthy living environment.
The Princess Margriet Fund of the Red Cross focuses exactly on this. The fund supports projects worldwide that invest in nature to better protect people. By taking action together with local communities before disasters occur, we can save lives and prevent damage and suffering.
478 million
people were affected by natural disasters between 2020 and 2023
About the Princess Margriet Fund
In a world where climate change increasingly leads to deadly disasters, it is more important than ever not only to provide aid during or after a disaster, but to act in advance. The Princess Margriet Fund is an initiative of the Netherlands Red Cross and focuses on this preventive approach. The fund is dedicated to climate adaptation and reducing disaster risk. Central to this approach are so-called Nature-based Solutions (NbS). These are solutions that use nature to address challenges while also benefiting biodiversity and human well-being. Examples include restoring mangroves that protect coastal areas or strengthening forests and rivers that absorb water and help prevent drought.
By investing in nature, we better protect people against the effects of extreme weather. The Princess Margriet Fund supports national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and works closely with the International Federation (IFRC) to apply this approach worldwide. The goal is to develop and scale up more preventive programs so that we can reach more people.
The focus is on areas where the need is greatest: regions heavily affected by climate change but with limited resources to protect themselves. It is precisely there that these solutions make the biggest difference.
Accelerating change
Since 2025, the Princess Margriet Fund has played an important role within the international Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The fund helps accelerate climate adaptation worldwide and scale it up.
The fund does this in four ways. We support Red Cross and Red Crescent organisations (national societies) in developing strong programmes and securing funding for large-scale climate adaptation projects. We also focus on business development: building partnerships and exploring new opportunities with different stakeholders, such as nature organisations, universities, financiers, and local communities. In addition, we provide training to national societies that want to implement this approach, enabling them to develop and carry out projects independently. We also demonstrate what works by communicating successful examples and practical knowledge so that other countries can adopt this approach more quickly.
Would your company, organisation, or educational institution like to collaborate with us? We would be happy to get in touch and are open to new ideas.
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Princess Margriet
Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands has been involved with the Netherlands Red Cross since 1966. She started as Red Cross assistant first class (nurse) and worked both in the field and behind a desk, from holiday projects on the Red Cross vessel Henry Dunant to the Standing Commission of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
From 2000 onwards, Princess Margriet devoted herself to highlighting the link between climate change and natural disasters. “The discussion was about the causes, not the consequences,” she says. “So when we pointed out the disastrous consequences of climate change-related disasters for the world population, we managed to get this subject on the humanitarian agenda.”
The last twenty years, Princess Margriet worked as vice-president of the National Board of the Netherlands Red Cross. She resigned from this position in January 2011. To thank her for her tireless efforts, the Red Cross established a Fund in her name: the Princess Margriet Fund. To this day, the Princess devotes her time and energy to the Fund and its mission.
Working together with WWF
The Princess Margriet Fund helps to strengthen and grow the global partnership between the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and WWF, which started in 2021. In this partnership, we bring together two strengths: the humanitarian expertise and strong local presence of the Red Cross, and WWF’s knowledge of ecosystems and biodiversity.
We are already working in more than 25 countries, including Kenya, the Philippines, and Mozambique. Together with local communities, we show how people and nature can support each other. This includes projects in coastal protection, tree planting, sustainable farming, and water management.
Our ambition is clear. By 2031, we aim to help at least 20 million people become more resilient to climate change and disasters. At the same time, we are working to mobilize around USD 250 million to expand and scale up this approach. In this way, we are building a future where both people and nature are better protected.
The Green Pearl Programme, Haiti
Haiti is one of the countries most affected by climate-related disasters. Hurricanes, floods, and droughts occur frequently, leaving people with little time to recover before the next crisis strikes. At the same time, the natural systems that could offer protection are under severe pressure. Mangroves are cut down for charcoal and construction, coral reefs are degraded by overfishing and pollution, and only about 2% of the original forest remains.
Poverty and instability make this situation even worse. Deforestation and overgrazing reduce the soil’s ability to absorb rainwater, leading to more frequent flooding and landslides. During droughts, the degraded land can no longer support crops. This keeps Haiti trapped in a cycle of vulnerability and poverty.
The Princess Margriet Fund initiated the Green Pearl Programme to help break this cycle. In the Grand’Anse region, we worked together with the Haitian and Netherlands Red Cross, supported by the IFRC, to restore coastal ecosystems and strengthen local communities.
Our approach combined coastal restoration with activities on land. Mangroves were protected and restored, while hillside areas were rehabilitated through reforestation, soil stabilisation using gabions and grass terraces, and more sustainable land‑use practices. Communities were also trained in climate-smart agriculture to improve both resilience and livelihoods.
The results so far show the impact of this integrated approach. In total, 5,500 people have been reached directly, 2,000 hectares of mangrove forest have been protected and restored, and tens of thousands of seedlings have been distributed. In addition, nearly 100 households have been trained in sustainable farming practices.
More information can be found here
Alliance for the Amazon
Through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Princess Margriet Fund supports the Alliance for the Amazon. This programme focuses on protecting both the Amazon rainforest and thecommunities that depend on it.
The Amazon plays a crucial role in the global climate system, yet it is under increasing pressure from deforestation, drought, and more frequent extreme weather events. At the same time, millions of people in the region face growingrisks from floods, heat, and loss of livelihoods.
The Alliance of the Amazon program (2025–2036) addresses these challenges by enhancing the resilience of Amazonian communities to compound disaster risks through nature-based solutions. The program is active across all 9 Amazonian countries: Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, French Guiana, Guyana, Venezuela, Suriname, Bolivia, and Colombia. Minimum funding needs are CHF 10 million. The Princesse Margriet Fund supports the program through fundraising, business development, and communications.
