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Global Network News
Cop28 & adaptation – The UN Climate Change Conference has reached its conclusion! In the coming days, the Global Adaptation Network will be sharing a recap of what the final decisions mean for climate adaptation specifically. Cop28 concluded the first Global Stocktake and adopted the Global Goal on Adaptation. A historic agreement on the Loss & Damage Fund was achieved on day one, with more than $700 million in commitments. This year, UNEP hosted its own Pavilion. Stay tuned for our wrap up of adaptation news from the conference!
Adaptation Gap Report 2023 - Released ahead of Cop28, the Adaptation Gap Report finds that the adaptation finance needs of developing countries are 10-18 times larger than current international public finance flows – over 50 per cent higher than the previous range estimate. Read the full report, the press release, the Executive Summary, and the case studies. In the first 24 hours, 744 media outlets covered the report in 12 languages and 54 countries.
National Adaptation Planning: Emerging Lessons Learned From UNEP Projects – A new policy brief aims to better inform climate adaptation planning and implementation, summarizing lessons and best practices from 23 different National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) that UNEP is supporting around the world, focusing especially on 6 countries that have progressed the furthest in developing their NAPs. Learn more about UNEP's work with NAPs here.
Empowering Climate Resilience Through Banking: Principles for Responsible Banking – This new report is a collaborative effort involving 27 leading banks and experts from academia and international organisations. It provides a framework and practical solutions for banks to set targets on adaptation to align with their climate and sustainability strategies, while empowering banks to redirect capital flows towards resilience and engage with clients in vulnerable regions and sectors.
Advancing Effectiveness of Climate Adaptation – The objective of this policy brief, produced by the UNEP-hosted World Adaptation Science Programme (WASP), is to enhance the understanding around the issue of climate adaptation effectiveness by elucidating the dynamic framing for adaptation policy and action, identifying areas where approaches for ensuring adaptation effectiveness have advanced, highlighting effectiveness in international and national policymaking, and measuring effectiveness of actions on the ground.
Tributes pour in for Dr Saleemul Huq, a true climate adaptation hero – It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the passing of Dr Saleemul Huq, who served on the GAN Steering Committee and was a founder of the UN's World Adaptation Science Programme. He was a pillar, recognized for his knowledge and expertise on adaptation and loss and damage. His eloquent insights have been a rich source of guidance and inspiration for many climate change experts. In honoring him, we will continue to echo his call to action.
News From The Regions
Africa
Driving change in Lusaka: the EPIC model’s role in transforming the city – As part of an EPIC project, Lusaka City Council worked with the University of Zambia to identify areas of high risk to floods, and to provide ideas and options for redeveloping the informal settlements of Kanyama. Students at the university provided the city and community with a risk analysis report, and formulated and ranked the possible sustainable solutions. Lusaka is now drawing on the annual city budget to implement solutions identified by the students.
Press release: Tanzania builds climate resilience in major push to restore landscapes hosting displaced populations – A $19 million climate adaptation project has been approved in Tanzania, funded by the Green Climate Fund as part of a collaboration between UNEP and UNHCR. The project will be helping communities, including displaced populations in refugee camps, build climate resilience by drawing on ecosystem-based adaptation practices. The initiative will be aiming to directly benefit up to 570,000 people.
Empowering communities through EPIC-Africa partnership in Uganda – Communities living in the informal settlements of Mbale City, Uganda, suffer from the presence of hazardous waste clogging natural drainage systems, leading to frequent flooding and malaria outbreaks. With support from the UN-Habitat and the European Commission, the University of Makerere and its students have been working with local governments on a long-term EPIC project to co-develop hazards maps and plans for upgrading the settlements to be climate resilient.
EBAFOSA’s Climate Action Digest – The Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly's (EBAFOSA) latest Climate Action Digest focuses on the uptake of environmental solutions to enhance food systems, as well as necessary measures being undertaken to enhance food system circularity, and the use of data to make informed environmental solutions. EBAFOSA constitutes the Global Adaptation Network's regional network for the Africa region, and you can learn more about the initiative on their website here.
News from the Regions
Asia Pacific
In pictures: eight ways Asia is using nature to adapt to the climate crisis – To mark the Asia Pacific Climate Week, a UNEP photo essay captures how the region is using nature-based solutions to build climate resilience. The Adaptation Gap Report 2023 finds that in South Asia alone, the costs of climate adaptation could range between US$40 billion and US$205 billion per year over the next 10 years. We thank our partners at UNDP and ICCCAD for their contributions to the piece!
Press release: Nepal unveils historic climate adaptation plan – On 21 November, Nepal launched its first National Adaptation Plan, a comprehensive strategy aimed at bolstering the nation's resilience against climate change. The plan, having an estimated cost of USD 47 billion extending to 2050, was unveiled at the National Climate Summit in Kathmandu. The development of a NAP is an important milestone in a country’s efforts to adapt to the escalating climate crisis.
Closing adaptation knowledge gaps in Asia-Pacific – In a bid to address critical gaps in adaptation planning and implementation, UNFCCC and UNEP have joined efforts to close knowledge disparities, at a time when adaptation progress appears to be stagnating. The Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI) brings together governments, non-governmental organizations and experts to tackle adaptation knowledge gaps. An article by UNFCCC covers some recommendations and next steps.
Resilience of Ecosystem and Ecosystem Services Outlook – This report, developed under the 8th APAN Forum, aims to provide a background for the Forum's discussions. It is structured around 5 key enablers: 1. Policy and Governance; 2. Planning and Programming; 3. Science and Assessment; 4. Technologies and Practices; and 5. Finance and Investment. The Outlook also seeks to shine a spotlight on key ecosystems in the region and underscore the opportunities for transformative adaptation actions.
Asia Pacific Climate Week 2023 – The Asia Pacific Climate Week, which took place this year from 13-17 November, brought together key actors from the region to explore ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while adapting to the mounting fallout from the climate crisis. UNEP and GAN organized a wide range of climate adaptation events, from sustainable cooling, to scaling up EbA and private sector investments, to locally-led and transformative adaptation, and much more! Find the full list of these events here.
News from the Regions
Latin America & the Caribbean
How communal loans are helping Antigua and Barbuda brace for hurricanes – In the run up to Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week, a new story and video looks at an innovative project in Antigua & Barbuda, where a community-based loaning scheme is helping families to ‘hurricane-proof’ their homes. Once repaid, the funds assist another family, perpetuating a cycle of community resilience. “It offers the homeowner a very long period of time to pay back the loan, and they don’t have to provide collateral."
With protective greenbelt, Mexican city hopes to fend off climate change – The city of Xalapa, Mexico, is bordered by more than 5,300 hectares of mountain forest, a sprawling green sponge that soaks up rainwater and slowly, predictably, releases it to residents downstream. CityAdapt, an initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility, is helping Xalapa’s residents to draw on the power of the forest to adapt to climate change. CityAdapt was awarded UNEP’s Kipepeo Award for the Environmental Impact category.
Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week – The XXIII Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean took place on October 24-25, in parallel with the Regional Climate Week hosted by Panama City. Both events strengthened the regional and subregional agenda in favour of nature-based solutions to respond to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution. A list of UNEP and GANs events at the climate week can be found here.
Manzanillo rising: a Cuban city thriving in face of climate change – In the picturesque Cuban city of Manzanillo, where urban planning and nature intertwines, a model for resilience is emerging, according to an article from UNFCCC’s Climate Champions initiative. From mangrove restoration to electric tricycles, discover how the city is confronting each climate challenge head on with nature-positive and inclusive solutions!
Report: Nature-based Solutions for Climate-resilient Cities – Climate impacts in Latin America and the Caribbean are increasing in frequency and intensity. Considering that a large part of the population lives in urban areas, the need to improve urban planning is essential to increase their resilience. Nature-based solutions can hold the key. Discover the different approaches of the solutions for Latin American cities, as well as tools to guide urban planning towards resilient cities (English and Spanish).
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