Story highlights:
Last week policy-makers, implementers, supporters and investors from all over the world met during the UNFCCC Climate Conference at the Technical Expert Meeting on Adaptation to talk about “Integrating climate change adaptation with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction”.
With the WMO’s announcement earlier this week of new world records for the highest reported historical death tolls from tropical cyclones, tornadoes, lightning and hailstorms, it’s timely that countries, with the help of the global community take a closer look at how they can integrate efforts to build climate resilience and develop sustainably.
Participants discussed action already underway to make vital progress to increase climate resilience and advance sustainable development, and identified various opportunities for linking adaptation with SDGs and disaster reduction efforts, including through:
Participants learned about many specific activities already making a difference to the lives of people on the ground, such as:
Through their rich exchange, participants took vital steps forward in taking action towards the ambition enshrined in the Paris Agreement, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, to collectively achieve the SDGs, Sendai Targets and deliver on the global adaptation goal of the Paris Agreement. Simply put, the more we adapt to climate change, the better prepared we are for disasters and the closer we get to sustainable development.
Ms. Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC secretariat applauded the work of participants and underscored the great potential in enhancing resilience, reducing disaster risk and promoting sustainable development to lift people out of poverty, increase equity and ensure economic and social growth that does not harm other people or the planet.
“Transformation is not just possible; it is already happening. This is what the TEMs are about. The action presented here is excellent, but we must do more. We must turn all commitments into action. We must transform reality on the ground”.
“This will only happen if we take what has been shared and learned here – and in all the technical expert meetings – and put it into practice in the real world”.
This week Ms. Espinosa will attend the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction to pass on the learning and outcomes from the adaptation technical expert meeting, and highlight the collective challenge, and great opportunity to improve the lives of so many.
Further reading and information:
Decision 1/CP.21 decided to launch, in the period 2016-2020, a technical examination process on adaptation (TEP-A) under the leadership of the UNFCCC Adaptation Committee. The TEP-A is achieved through collaboration between Parties, international organizations and non-Party stakeholders to identify concrete opportunities for strengthening resilience, reducing vulnerabilities and increasing the understanding and implementation of adaptation actions.
The key messages and outcomes of discussions from the TEM-A will be incorporated into a technical paper and summary for policymakers as background for a high-level event that will take place during the upcoming COP, and widely disseminated among the sustainable development, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation communities.