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Global Network News
Stakeholder Dialogues & Global EbA Fund – The GAN Secretariat has launched a stakeholder dialogue process for Ecosystem-based Adaptation! The dialogue includes a survey and several regional and global events. The goal is to raise awareness of the IUCN- and UNEP-led Global EbA Fund, and gather evidence on how to overcome barriers to EbA uptake and upscaling. The Fund has now opened its 2nd call for proposals.
Report: State of Finance for Nature - This brand new report tracks global trends in public and private investment in nature-based solutions (NbS), aiming to improve data quality and identify opportunities for governments, businesses and financiers. This year’s report calls for investments in NbS to triple by 2030 and to increase four-fold by 2050 from the current level. Private sector investments in NbS should be increased.
WASP website launch & UNEP’s adaptation portal – Are you regularly looking for most useful resources for adaptation? New UNEP webpages have been developed to make it easier to access knowledge and expertise on a wide range of adaptation topics. In addition, the World Adaptation Science Programme has launched their brand new website here. WASP is a UN-wide initiative led by UNEP, WMO, UNFCCC, IPCC, GCF and GEF.
Closing Adaptation Knowledge Gaps in North Africa, Middle East and Pacific SIDS - Led by UNFCCC and GAN as part of the 2nd phase of the Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative for the Middle East and North Africa regions, the final meeting was held in May. Experts gave updates on the proposals, and reflected on the next steps. If you would like to participate in closing knowledge gaps in Hindu Kush Himalayas and Pacific SIDS subregions, please contact rccbangkok@unfccc.int
Survey: GAN Knowledge Products and Activities - Have you participated in any GAN activities? Or have you used any UNEP adaptation knowledge products? Would you like to share how these activities and products contributed to your work? If yes, please take 10 minutes to fill out this survey, located here. Your responses are vital to our mission of spreading knowledge and building greater ambition for climate adaptation. Thank you!
Report: Buildings & Climate Change Adaptation: A Call to Action – The Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction issued a “green paper” which provides guidance to governments on how to include building adaptation actions into national plans and how to link adaptation and mitigation strategies and actions throughout the life cycle of buildings. Furthermore, the report delivers recommendations and estimates of the impact and costs of actions by type of actor.
7th EbA Knowledge Day - The 7th Ecosystem-based Adaptation Knowledge Day was held in May with the theme Overcoming Barriers to Adaptation: Employing Innovative EbA Approaches to Upscale Nature-based Solutions. Organized by GIZ and IUCN, under Friends of EbA, this knowledge day reached across sectors and highlighted new approaches and opportunities. Outcomes from the day will be shared on both the FEBA and Adaptation Community webpages.
EbA in Humanitarian Contexts - The Friends of EbA, Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Environment and Humanitarian Action Network’s Working Group on EbA in Humanitarian & Post-Disaster Contexts hosted a joint session on Nature-based Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Humanitarian Contexts. Key messages and outcomes are available here.
Expert Working Group on Biodiversity, Climate, One Health and Nature-based Solutions - Under the umbrella of the Friends of EbA network, experts involved in the science-policy interface of public health, biodiversity, and climate change will collaborate in an innovative initiative led by the WHO and IUCN to help guide decision makers toward a healthier, greener and more sustainable future as they navigate the challenges of the post-COVID-19 era.
News from the Regions
Asia Pacific
EPIC approach to climate resilience expands across Asia - We are very excited to share news of the EPIC Asia training workshop held in May! Representatives from 32 Asian city-university partnerships participated in a pioneering initiative that matches university students with adaptation challenges in their cities. The workshop was hosted by the EPIC Network with the support from GAN, START and Ministry of Environment, Japan.
New UNEP EbA projects in Bangladesh and Lao PDR – In the past 2 months, UNEP launched 3 brand new EbA projects, with around $20 million of funding from the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility. Read more about the projects and their objectives and activities here (Uganda, Bangladesh, Lao PDR). The $10 million Lao PDR project alone is expected to benefit around 10 per cent of the country’s entire population. See the project factsheet here.
News from the Regions
Africa
Flood walls and forests help Djibouti adapt to climate change - Climate change is leading to unpredictable rainfall in Djibouti, with droughts and floods both on the rise. With funding from GEF and support from UNEP, the government is taking action to adapt through a project using a mix of green and grey infrastructure. The success of the initiative has now led to the approval of a larger $10 million adaptation project in Djibouti, also supported by UNEP.
START International’s podcast back for Season 2 - This new season is about the Future Resilience for African Cities and Lands (FRACTAL) project, with a focus on transdisciplinary approaches that FRACTAL used to support resilience and adaptation decision-making in 9 southern African cities. Episode 1, titled Climate information distillation and the narrative approach to climate information, is available now here.
EBAFOSA’s Climate Action Digest – Read the latest issue of the Climate Action Digest from the Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA). This issue focuses on Training in Adoption of Affordable & Efficient Solar Dryers to Avert Effects of Post-Harvest Losses: The Case of Ghana, as well as climate action initiatives that are driving clean energy prospects and averting degradation of forest ecosystems.
News from the Regions
Latin America & the Caribbean
CityAdapt at the G20 - The G20 held a webinar on Resilient, Smart and Sustainable Cities: The Potential for Nature-based Solutions. UNEP’s CityAdapt project participated in the discussion on innovation and business models for scaling up nature-based solutions in cities. CityAdapt is building climate resilience in 3 Latin American and Caribbean cities – Xalapa (Mexico), Kingston (Jamaica) and San Salvador (El Salvador).
Andean Mountain Initiative: Regional Dialogue on Governance in Mountain Areas – In April, the Andean Mountain Initiative, whose goal is the sustainable development of the region in the face of growing climate impacts, held a Regional Dialogue on Governance in Mountain Areas with representatives from seven Andes countries, the Carpathians, Hindu Kush Himalayas, South Caucus, and Europe. The Dialogue laid out a vision for the Andean Mountain Initiative in 2031.
News from the Regions
North America
Video: The Living Shoreline: Building a Resilient Waterfront in Manhattan - Snaking along the northeastern shore of Manhattan is one of New York City’s last remaining marshes. The wetlands were built just two decades ago atop what was an illegal dump. But rapid erosion, a byproduct of climate change, is threatening to wash them away. To save the marshes, a group of conservationists has embarked on an ambitious push to build an offshore reef.
Fires, smoke, floods, droughts, storms, heat: America needs a climate resilience strategy - In a recent Op-ed in The Hill, the EcoAdapt co-founder Lara Hansen shares her thoughts on moving forward under the Biden/Harris Administration to build a resilient future in the U.S. President Biden, in his first week of office, started with an executive order promising to “move quickly to build resilience, both at home and abroad, against the impacts of climate change."
Upcoming Events
June 4-5
Launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration & World Environment Day
June 10
Latin America and the Caribbean: A Historic Opportunity to Lead the Sustainable Recovery
June 14-18
15th Community-based Adaptation Conference
June 15-16
Harnessing the Value of Blue Forests to Achieve Sustainable Livelihoods and Climate Action
June 16
Challenges of Scaling Up & Financing Ecosystem-based Adaptation in Africa: The Role of Innovation
June 23-25
Strengthening Cities Resilience to Climate & Disaster Risks
July 6-9
Asia Pacific Climate Week 2021
July 26-29
Africa Climate Week 2021
GAN Reading Lists
Climate Adaptation Suggested Reading: April 2021 - link
Climate Adaptation Suggested Reading: May 2021 - link
For more information, please contact Marcus.Nield@un.org
