COP29 Side Event
Sat. 16 November 2024
Time: 13:00-15:00 (GMT +4)
UN Azerbaijan Pavilion, COP29 Blue Zone, Baku, Azerbaijan
UNEP, Royal Scientific Society of Jordan (RSS), Walker Institute in the University of Reading
| Parties to the Paris Agreement recognized at COP28 that “climate change impacts are often transboundary in nature and may involve complex, cascading risks that can benefit from collective consideration and knowledge-sharing, climate-informed transboundary management and cooperation on global adaptation solutions.” |
This event showed how this Adaptation Goal is being translated into practice, with a focus on contexts in which transboundary cooperation on adaptation is both critically important and challenging. Participants from West Asia and South Caucasus described their experience of transboundary climate risks. International adaptation specialists discussed options for incorporating science into transboundary adaptation planning, helping to advance adaptation action across transboundary ecosystems.
Expected Outcomes:
Increased Awareness: Participants will leave the event with a heightened understanding of the importance of addressing transboundary climate risks through science-based dialogue, also understanding how such cooperation is being mobilized in practice.
Policy Insights: Policymakers and stakeholders will gain valuable insights into how transboundary cooperation on adaptation is being mobilized, with UN facilitation and support, including in regions affected by conflict. Lessons will be drawn from regional processes: in particular, the role of scientific assessment in providing a basis for identifying shared solutions will be explored. Participants will highlight what they have learned from each other as they explore shared solutions to transboundary climate risks.
Engagement and Commitment: The event will inspire participants working on regional cooperation processes for adaptation to continue their engagement, fostering a sense of shared work and responsibility for addressing climate risks together.
Speakers
Elizabeth Sellwood, Senior Advisor, Ecosystems Division, UNEP
Jessica Troni, Head of Climate Adaptation, UNEP
Rafig Verdiyev, Ministry of Ecology, Republic of Azerbaijan
Najib Chedid, Ministry of Environment, Lebanon
Professor Rosalind Cornforth, Walker Institute, University of Reading
Katy Harris, Director of Adaptation Without Borders at the Stockholm Environment Institute