ROATÁN, HONDURAS, June 27, 2024 – Representatives from five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic, along with members of civil society organizations, launch a workshop from June 27 to 29 on Roatán Island, Honduras. These discussions aim to strengthen the climate change adaptation processes for communities, economies, and ecosystems. The Peer Learning Cohort aims to emphasize the importance of participation by civil society organizations, or CSOs.
The Government of Honduras, in coordination with the NAP Global Network, convene government representatives from the environment ministries and adaptation financing leads from Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. Experts and members of CSOs will also participate in the forum themed “Partnerships with Civil Society for Fair and Equitable Climate Change Adaptation in Central America.”
Over three days, participants will share knowledge and strategies to identify challenges and opportunities in their respective NAP processes, promote regional collaboration on common interests to strengthen the resilience of communities, ecosystems, and economies, and reinforce the participation of organized civil society in the NAP process.
“The government of Honduras expresses that climate change adaptation is a priority. We express our willingness to be the region’s spokesperson on adaptation, being urgent to advance the implementation of national adaptation plans to reduce vulnerability and ensure the welfare and development of our people,” said the Deputy Minister of Environment of Honduras, Malcolm Stufkens.
Central America is one of the regions most affected by hydrometeorological events due to climate change. That is why the government of Honduras, through the Secretariat of Natural Resources and Environment (SERNA), has prioritized these issues to build resilience to the impacts of climate change. The fight against the climate crisis is a fundamental pillar in Honduras.
“This peer learning event will bring together government decision-makers and civil society organizations to explore how to strengthen partnerships crucial for accelerating adaptation processes in the region amidst the growing impacts of climate change,” said Mauricio Luna Rodríguez, Senior Policy Advisor and expert in climate change adaptation governance for the NAP Global Network Secretariat, which is hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
Representatives from the Central American Integration System (SICA), the Vulnerable Central America Forum (FCV), and the State of the Region Report for Central America and the Dominican Republic (ERCA) will also attend the event.
This program is jointly organized by the NAP Global Network and the participating governments and funded by the U.S. Department of State.
This forum is part of a three-year process initiated in 2023, aimed at fostering the exchange of experiences and lessons learned to address climate change adaptation topics of common interest in the region. In its first edition in 2023, the Peer Learning Group focused on the link between science and decision-making in climate change adaptation. Next year, the focus will be on how the private sector can mobilize resources to ensure a sustainable long-term adaptation process through the national adaptation plans (NAPs) in the region.
The NAP process is country-led and allows countries to identify medium- and long-term priorities for adapting to climate change. According to the GCF database, all participating countries have ongoing NAP processes and have accessed approximately USD 18.8 million to finance their national adaptation plans through the Green Climate Fund’s (GCF) Readiness Programme. As of June 2024, Costa Rica and Guatemala have formally submitted their NAPs to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
To promote the planning and implementation of NAP processes, the NAP Global Network has brought together over 600 government representatives from around 70 countries in forums for peer exchange and learning on the NAP process since 2014. The Global Network’s Peer Learning Groups balance the technical, relational, reflective, and experiential aspects of peer learning.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Juan Nuñez
Communications Director, SERNA
Juannunez@serna.gob.hn
+504 3212-8375
Adrian Estanol
Communications Officer, Red Global del PNA
aestanol@iisd.ca
About the NAP Global Network
The NAP Global Network was created in 2014 to support developing countries in advancing their NAP processes, and help accelerate adaptation efforts around the world. To achieve this, the Network facilitates South-South peer learning and exchange, supports national-level action on NAP formulation and implementation, and generates, synthesizes, and shares knowledge. The Network’s members include individual participants from more than 155 countries involved in developing and implementing National Adaptation Plans. Financial support for the Network has been provided by Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Green Climate Fund. The Secretariat is hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). For more information, visit www.napglobalnetwork.org.