Towards a climate resilient future

About

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II Report on Adaptation, Impacts and Vulnerability identifies the urgent need for Climate Resilient Development. Climate Resilient Development acknowledges that adaptation needs to be undertaken together with mitigation and development actions, in inclusive, just and equitable ways. This joined-up approach should span multiple arenas of engagement, enabling progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and guiding us toward more sustainable futures beyond 2030. This presentation considers what climate resilient development pathways can look like, with a focus on complex climate-sensitive development contexts (highlands, drylands and small islands). It highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement and partnerships to harness diverse knowledge sources, situating equity and justice concerns at the core of decision making and actions. While technological solutions offer potential to advance Climate Resilient Development, they need to be developed in an inclusive manner and used in ways that do not undermine Indigenous and local knowledge or exacerbate inequalities, with due consideration paid to the assessment and mitigation of trade-offs. The presentation concludes by identifying major urgent research gaps considering upscaling, finance, stakeholder responsibilities and governance, alongside the need for appropriate monitoring, evaluation and learning.