Naomi Young and Linda Stevenson from the APN Secretariat participated in the second Technical Expert Meeting for the LAKI Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) Phase II, conducted virtually from March 6-7, 2024. Alongside eight regionally-based expert institutions contributing to knowledge in the HKH, APN collectively co-design actions to address the priority knowledge gaps for the defined targeted knowledge users for the HKH.
Amongst the other action proposals developed by the LAKI HKH partners, the APN Secretariat proposed and committed to supporting the repackaging and sharing HKH case studies from its projects across knowledge platforms, such as the Nairobi Work Programme Adaptation Knowledge Portal, the AP-PLAT Adaptation database, and the UNESCAP Asia-Pacific Risk and Resilience Portal. Going ahead, the APN Secretariat remains dedicated to contributing to open-access knowledge-sharing, through initiatives such as the LAKI HKH Phase II, and exploring other areas of possible collaboration.
This meeting follows a stocktaking exercise conducted in February 2024 to identify relevant case studies and existing knowledge contributing to the LAKI HKH priority knowledge gaps. From the assessment of APN’s project portfolio, 25 direct research and scientific capacity development projects were identified with strong alignment, with a main thematic focus in the areas of agriculture, water, and forestry and biodiversity. Further, 13 APN-funded publications addressing the global change in the HKH region, and which were cited in the IPCC 6th Assessment Report, were identified.
About the LAKI HKH initiative
The LAKI Hindu-Kush Himalayan (HKH) is an action pledge aiming to bridge knowledge gaps and barriers that hinder adaptation efforts in the region. The pledge is coordinated collaboratively by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) Nairobi Work Programme (NWP) and the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Global Adaptation Network (GAN). The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) serves as a sub-regional coordination entity for the HKH.
The LAKI HKH Phase I identified 16 priority knowledge gaps through a participatory priority-setting workshop in 2016. During the second phase of the LAKI HKH, UNFCCC, UNEP, and ICIMOD have worked together with national and regional organisations, networks, and experts, to focus on understanding and addressing the knowledge gaps and increasing resilience in the region.
The APN Secretariat has been engaged with the LAKI HKH Phase II activities since the 8th Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum (APAN) in August 2023, where representatives attended the pre-forum stakeholder consultation meeting. For more information about APN’s activities at the 8th APAN Forum, please see the report here.
The APN Secretariat gratefully acknowledges and gives thanks to the invitation from Ms Anna Kilpoen of the Global Adaptation Network to participate and contribute in the LAKI HKH second Technical Expert Meeting.