ISLAMABAD – Climate change is real threat for humanity and it is wellrecognized around the globe. Recent special report of IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change on 1.5 Degrees emphasized that more coordinatedactions are required to effectively address the challenge of climatechange. On the heels of Paris Accord 2015, attentions are given foradaptation to climate change as the mitigation alone is not sufficient totackle climate change. Various adaptation measures are taking place in manycountries.
The Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA) is the latest and a notableinitiative for adaptation to climate change. In the month of October, 2018global leaders launched the commission in Hague, Netherlands to expediteclimate adaptation solutions, address obstacles that are slowingadaptation, and the transformation required to adapt to climate change. TheGCA is led by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon together withCo-chair Bill Gates of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and KristalinaGeorgieva head of World Bank.
The objective of GCA is to raise awareness of decision makers and thepublic about the opportunities of increased resilience to climate impactsand natural hazards. It focuses to ensure that governments and businessesincorporate climate change risks into their social and economic developmentplans and investments. Moreover, the GCA is established to ensure thatadaptation efforts help the world’s poorest and most vulnerable; and raisethe level of global leadership on the issue.
The GCA aims to accelerate adaptation action in seven areas, namely:climate-resilient food and rural livelihood security; resilient cities;ecosystem-based solutions; adaptation finance; resilient global supplychains; climate resilient infrastructure; and climate-resilient socialprotection. It will help to ensuring adaptation action and support reachesthe most vulnerable communities around the world. This will be helpful toimprove the capacity of local community for adaptation.
Adaptation is necessary as it not only helps to curb the climatic impacts,but also improves human well-being and leads to better and more sustainableeconomic development and security. It is pertinent to mention that thecosts of adapting are lower than those economies will face if they continuewith a business-as-usual approach. Therefore, it is imperative that thesocieties especially the local communities should learn how to adapt withthe existing challenge of climate change. Ban Ki-moon said that adapting toclimate change “will require a complete transformation of policies,programs and projects across governments, the private sector, and civilsociety.”
The GCA will work in support of the process of the United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change. In its first year, the GCA intends to preparea report explaining why adapting to climate risks and accelerated actionsare essential, what new actions need to be taken and what must be donedifferently, how we can start working now to make the world a safer andbetter place, and calling on governments, companies, and citizens torespond urgently.
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The representatives of the GCA will visit many countries to observe theprogress of adaptation and to consult and explore the required adaptationactions. The GCA will present its findings and recommendations at the UNClimate Summit next year in New York in September, 2019. It will alsoconvene champions, coalitions, the private sector and civil societyrepresentatives to advance activities in adapting the negative consequencesof climate change.
The launch event for the GCA was attended by score of importantrepresentatives of different countries and international organizations fromacross the world. It shows how the world is concerned about climate changeespecially they are recognizing and understanding the importance ofadaptation to climate change. The creation of the GCA is an unprecedentedand timely initiative of international community on adaptation.
Although adaptation is a global challenge, global leadership on the issueis scarce. In short, the world is falling short of the transformationrequired to adapt to a changing climate. However, the establishment of theGCA is a promising step to highlight the importance of adaptation andaccelerate adaptation actions for tackling climate change. Time will definethe actual success of the GCA.
BY: Mohammad Mumtaz (The writer is a Policy Analyst and PhD Fellow inPublic Administration and Government at Getulio Vargas Foundation, SaoPaulo, Brazil. He is a former PhD Visiting Fellow at University ofDelaware, USA.)
