Background

Thursday, 31 May 2012, 09:30-10:45 MST
Ballroom South, Student Union Memorial Center
Arizona University, USA

The need for climate change adaptation is increasingly recognized by communities, with an initial focus on assessing vulnerabilities and identifying adaptation options. The complexities of adaptation due to the multidisciplinary nature of the required solutions and the lack of long-term data pose a great challenge, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Approaches at the grass-roots levels (including the identification of local champions) that involve communities and local governments to incorporate climate change adaptation practices into development planning will be needed, and Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) will need to be customized for local to regional and sectoral levels.

This session, fully funded by the APN, focuses on the importance of partnerships and networking to facilitate the adoption of local to regional-based adaptation strategies. Encompassing a range of activities funded by the APN, the session highlights the need for collaboration among a range of stakeholders to ensure the most appropriate responses to the impacts of climate change.

Programme and presentation materials

A: Importance of Partnerships for Sustainable Climate Adaptation Scenarios (9:30–9:50)

• Opening & Overarching Statements
  • Introduction to Session and Speakers: Dr. Linda Anne Stevenson
  • Professor Nobuo Mimura, Ibaraki University
    ICAS Adaptation Networking
  • Dr. Mafizur Rahman, BUET
    UN-CECAR Adaptation Research & Networking
• APN’s Future Climate Adaptation Strategies in Asia and the Pacific
  • Dr. Akio Takemoto, APN Secretariat Director
    APN’s Future Climate Adaptation Strategies in Asia Pacific

B: Best Practice Examples from the Asia-Pacific Region (9:50–10:25)

APN’s LOCAL SCIENTIFIC CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES FOR ADAPTATION

• Integrating Science and Local Knowledge for Climate Change Impacts and Vulnerability Assessments in the Philippines
  Professor Juan M. Pulhin Presentation
• Dryland Development Paradigm: Adaptation of Pastoral Social-Ecological Systems in Mongolia
  Professor Togtohyn Chuluun Presentation
  Video: Mongolian Gobi (produced by: Misheel Chuluun)
  [hana-flv-player     video=”https://www.apn-gcr.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/MongolianGobiLong480pixel.flv ”     width=”480″     height=”270″  player=”2″    autoplay=”false”     loop=”false”     autorewind=”true”     splashimage=”https://www.apn-gcr.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cover1.jpg” /]
• Scientific Capacity Building for Rural Coastal Zones in Viet Nam
  Professor Do Minh Duc Presentation

APN’s REGIONAL  RESEARCH ACTIVITIES FOR CLIMATE ADAPTATION

• Climate Change Adaptation Modeling – Mangrove Ecosystems
  Mr. Kashif Majeed Salik Presentation
• Scientific Capacity Development for Mainstreaming Climate Adaptation
  Dr. S.V.R.K. Prabhakar Presentation

C: PANEL DISCUSSION & POLICY BRIEF FOR RIO+20 (10:25–10:45)

Speakers will respond to questions from the audience and address (time permitting) the following key questions:

1. Regional Activities: Where are the places and people most at need and what are their adaptation options?
2. Building Adaptive Capacity: Communities, individuals and institutions lack sufficient capacity for implementation. What are the most effective ways to build capacity?
3. In terms of linking adaptation with sustainable development, what message should we take to Rio+20? Presentation

Photo gallery