Plenary Sessions on Key Enablers

Enabling Resilience for All: The Critical Decade to Scale-up Action is the overall theme of the 7th Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum, which will be held on 8-12 March 2021 in fully virtual mode. For over a decade, the APAN forum has provided a prominent platform for adaptation practitioners for sharing their experiences and foster knowledge and networking.

Resilience is the unifying theme of the Forum and discussions will be organised on five enablers identified as (i) Climate Governance and Policy, (ii) Planning and Processes, (iii) Science and Assessment (iv) Technologies and Practices, and (v) Finance and Investment, through which resilience may be enhanced to deliver an inclusive resilience society, the resilience of economic sectors, nature-based resilience and resilience of local communities against adverse impacts of climate change.

The Forum will highlight one enabler per day. The theme will be introduced through a plenary session in which experts will frame the key issues, with the aim to deepen understanding on: a) how each enabler is currently supporting efforts of building the resilience of society, the economic sectors, nature, and local communities against adverse impacts of climate change; b) where trade-offs may occur and how to minimize and avoid them; and c) how to scale-up good examples and practices to support resilience for all.

Sessions will explore interlinkages among the five enablers and how they can support building resilience in a holistic manner. While each enabler supports building resilience in one or several areas, it has the potential to create space for trade-offs in others. For instance, national climate change policy and governance may be very supportive in building resilience for one specific economic sector, i.e. agriculture, but it may compromise the resilience of another sector and/or a community. Similarly, climate finance may not be accessible by a group or community, as the current planning process and/or climate change risk analysis present a weak climate rationale. Therefore, comprehensive mapping and understanding of the interlinkages among enablers and how they can support in building resilience in one area without compromising others is very important.

Parallel technical sessions around the four thematic streams focusing on (i) Inclusive Resilience; (ii) Nature-based Resilience (iii) Economic Sector Resilience; and (iv) Communities and Local Resilience, respectively will allow for dialogue and interactions among participants as they examine in greater detail particular topics from a number of perspectives.

Enablers

Description

Plenary Session

 

Day 1:

Policy & Climate Governance

 

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Notwithstanding the progress made in the development of policies, institutional coordination mechanisms, and processes to build climate resilience, gaps remain within how to integrate science to policy and practice. Resilience is interpreted in multiple ways, bringing together otherwise disparate groups, institutions, disciplines, and scales. Improving transparency of information on climate change adaptation measures provides a driving force for integrating policy measures and implementation, and for committing to greater ambitions and shared actions with encouraging narratives. 

 

The session will focus on sharing examples of climate governance at international, regional, and national levels that support adaptation actions towards building the resilience of sectors and society in an inclusive manner and are cognizant of trade-offs.  It will also look into examples of the supportive role of climate governance in planning and financing of adaptation actions as well as technology transfer. The discussion also aims to bring out some key messages and recommendations on actions required in the area of climate governance to scale-up adaptation actions and enable resilience for all.

 

Day 2:

Planning & Processes

 

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In planning and processes, science and knowledge have a role to play in tackling the impacts of extreme events and the slow onset of climate phenomena. Adapting successfully also requires a collaborative effort in targeting capacity constraints in planning, policy, and processes, along with a more humane and just approach in formulating and implementing policies.

 

By depicting successful stories at the national, sectoral, and local levels toward building the resilience of all sectors and society, as well as showcasing how global processes can support inclusive resilience-building efforts, this session will discuss how to apply system thinking in planning and processes to design inclusive adaptation actions that don’t create trade-offs, and break silos. The session will also highlight examples of the supportive role of the planning system and processes in ensuring inclusiveness and in financing well-designed adaptation actions and technologies. It will also touch upon how the correct use of scientific knowledge in planning and processes can avoid unintended long-term consequences of adaptation actions. 

 

Day 3:

Science and Assessment

 

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There will always be an element of uncertainty in adaptation planning and decision making. The intrinsic variability in the climate and in the human, social, economic, and environmental systems impose this to a certain degree, as does the fact that the knowledge may be imperfect. 

 

This session will examine available knowledge of climate science, its application by different actors at different levels, and limitations to support decision-making. It aims to bring examples of the use of climate science and its application by the government, the private sector, and funding agencies for designing adaptation actions supported by science. The session will review examples of the supportive role of climate science in long-term adaptation planning and in making technology choices for adaptation. The discussion aims to bring out some key messages and recommendations on key actions required in the area of climate science and risk analysis to support and scale-up adaptation actions and enabling resilience for all.

 

 

Day 4:

Technologies & Practices

 

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New and innovative climate-smart technologies, big data applications, and social and integrated media for awareness and outreach, can create effective cross-learning and knowledge-sharing opportunities, and practical opportunities for cooperation.

The session will share good examples of technologies and practices for adaptation to climate change that is cognizant of any long-term adverse impact on the environment and development. This session will also look into policy and governance issues related to technologies and practices. Discussions in this plenary session aim to delineate key messages and recommendations on actions required in the area of technologies for adaptation to support inclusive resilience building and to scale up adaptation actions.

 

 

Day 5:

Finance & Investment

 

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The means to connect finance and investments to projects that build national, local, and community climate resilience and support socio-economic national development, are real but implementation gaps exist. Actions to improve adaptive capacities can generate mutual benefits, as well as help achieve the other sustainable development co-benefits, such as improved health, reduced hunger, and better food security, women’s empowerment, and access to clean water and air, among others. 

This session will share good examples of finance and investment flows that allow building inclusive resilience society, the resilience of economic sectors, of nature and of local communities against the adverse impacts of climate change, trying to identify major gaps. This session will share examples of finance and investment by the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility, Multi-lateral Development Banks as well as from governments. It also aims to bring out some key messages and recommendations on actions required in the area of climate finance and investment to scale-up adaptation actions and enabling resilience for all. 

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