Bangkok, October 1, 2018—Thailand’s Office of National Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning hosts a summit this week on strategies for achieving the Paris Agreement’s goals for preparing for the impacts of climate change.
The peer learning summit on “The role of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process in advancing the implementation of the adaptation goals under the Paris Agreement” is co-hosted by the NAP Global Network and brings together adaptation specialists from 16 developing country governments to discuss their approaches to climate change adaptation.
The negative impacts of climate change—including global temperatures increasing and extreme weather events becoming more frequent and intense—are already being observed and are anticipated to escalate in coming decades. The world’s five hottest years on record ranked in order are 2016, 2015, 2017, 2014, and 2010. 2018 is also on track to be among the hottest years on record.
The Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) seeks to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, as well as to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change through adaptation.
The Bangkok peer learning summit will focus on opportunities for aligning countries’ National Adaptation Plan processes with the adaptation information that they have included in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted under the UNFCCC.
The summit is one of three events focused on climate change supported by the Government of Germany and partners in Bangkok this week as part of the “Capacity Building and Knowledge Exchange Week on Accelerating the Implementation of the Paris Agreement.” In addition to the summit, the International Climate Initiative will convene its 5th NDC Cluster Workshop, and UN Development Program and the UNFCCC Secretariat will co-host a “Regional NDC Dialogue for Asia and Arab States” with the support of the Governments of Germany, Japan and Norway.
“Adaptation efforts are crucial, as climate change with its negative impacts is already a harsh reality in many countries,” said Tim Mahler, country director of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Thailand. “Even though the inclusion of adaptation in the NDCs was optional, the great majority of all NDCs mention adaptation needs and goals. It is crucial to create linkages between NDC implementation and the NAP process.”
The peer learning summit will be attended by government representatives from Vietnam, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Brazil, Jamaica, Morocco, Malawi, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Nepal, Ethiopia, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Colombia.
“The scale of the challenge facing communities, ecosystems, and economies means we must move quickly to adapt to climate change,” said Anne Hammill, Director of the NAP Global Network Secretariat. ”Convening peers from different countries to share their experiences and learn from each other can build momentum for action. We hope that this week’s meetings help governments make progress towards the adaptation ambitions they have set out under the Paris agreement.”
About the NAP Global Network
The NAP Global Network was created in 2014 to enhance support for national adaptation planning and action through sustained peer learning and exchange, enhancing bilateral support, and promoting national-level action on the NAP process. The Network’s members include participants from more than 60 countries involved in developing and implementing national adaptation plans, as well as 11 bilateral donors. Funding for the Network is provided by the United States and Germany. The Secretariat is hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). For more information, visit www.napglobalnetwork.org.