SEI at the 4th Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum

The Forum, which runs from 1 to 3 October, aims to help participants from all levels of government, business and other sectors to more effectively address development challenges in a changing climate. This year’s programme is organized around five themes: mainstreaming and transformative change; development and the food-water-energy nexus; disaster risk reduction and human security; forestry, biodiversity and ecosystems change; and cities, with an emphasis on coastal development and sea-level rise.

“There must be new partnerships built between government, business and civil society, based on trust, to meet the full scope of challenges,” said Dr. Zakri Abdul Hamid, science adviser to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, in his welcome address. Hamid noted that 7 in 10 countries in the region are vulnerable to climate risks, and they need partnerships, along with better science-based decision-making, to achieve climate-resilient development.

SEI is closely involved in the Forum, with multiple researchers participating, and Executive Director Johan L. Kuylenstierna addressing the plenary on the topic of “adaptation as a multi-stakeholder process”. In addition:

• Richard Klein, leader of SEI’s Reducing Climate Risk theme, is speaking on a panel on mainstreaming and integrating climate change adaptation in development. The panel will look at how development processes can better integrate concerns about extreme weather and disaster risk reduction.

• Klein, a coordinating lead author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II, will also speak at a plenary session on the key findings of the Fifth Assessment Report from the perspective of the Asia-Pacific region.

• SEI Asia Centre Director Eric Kemp-Benedict will speak on a panel on climate sensitivities of the water, food and energy system, which takes a “nexus” approach to these issues.

• SEI Senior Research Fellow Charles Rodgers will present his work in a panel discussion on ecosystems-based adaptation.

• SEI Senior Research Fellow Bernadette Resurreccion will moderate a panel on gender-sensitive adaptation, looking at lessons learned from efforts to address differences in needs, capacities, risk burdens and rights in adaptation interventions.

• SEI Research Fellow Albert Salamanca will speak on a panel on transformative change and adaptation readiness.

About the Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum

The Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum, now in its fourth year, has been organized by the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN) since 2010. APAN is a regional programme for applying adaptation knowledge in Asia, and helps to support governments and other actors working on adaptation, with special emphasis on knowledge management and capacity-building. SEI is a key partner in APAN, which also includes the Institute of Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and the Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RRC.AP) based at the Asian Institute for Technology (AIT) in Bangkok.

Learn more about the Forum »