Background:
Policy makers and institutions globally face heavy challenges in planning for climate adaptation. The challenges associated with coordinating adaptation are multiplied in countries that rely to a significant extent on international financing, and those affected by conflicts – including countries hosting substantial populations of displaced people and/or refugees. To translate science-based adaptation plans into results, planners need to generate sound, durable adaptation proposals, and communicate those proposals to decision-makers – including national and international donors. The transboundary nature of many critical ecosystems adds a further layer of complexity to the adaptation picture.
What happened:
Mindful of these challenges, and of the need to scale up effective, science-based and inclusive climate adaptation action to address climate risks across the Middle East, the Walker Institute and several partners, including the Royal Scientific Society (RSS) and WSP, hosted a meeting /workshop in Amman, Jordan on 9-10 June 2024 to better understand the adaptation challenges being faced by regional states and communities, drawing on the experience of climate adaptation planners from the Middle East region.
We explored process solutions that would help stakeholders to overcome challenges to adaptation planning in practice, both at local and national levels, and with a transboundary lens.
During the workshop we presented highlights of transboundary Climate Risk Assessment, adapted to include all countries represented (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine), and conducted focus group activities on regional adaptation needs and strategy to face hazards (sand and dust storms, heatwaves/high temperatures, flooding)