Fighting climate change in Burundi: a path of dedication and awareness-raising

15 November 2024

Stories

His name is Jules Mugisha and he hails from Burundi. He holds two master’s degrees in science and integrated environmental management from the University of Burundi and in nutrition, food security and climate change from the East African Nutritional Sciences Institute (EANSI). The environment in which he grew up is strongly affected by the effects of climate change (floods, landslides, climate-related diseases, disruption of the seasonal calendar, erosion and associated waste, rainfall irregularities, impact on children, etc.). For this reason, he has signed up for UN CC:e-Learn to gain a better understanding of climate change issues and the players involved in this sector, as well as ways of mitigating and adapting to its impacts.

These training courses on UN CC:e-Learn enabled me to be selected as a trainer at the International Training and Research Center for the Environment and Sustainable Development (CIFREDD in French).

As for their work as trainers at CIFREDD, it began with the month of February 2024. The overall aim of the training courses is to help build the capacities of different people and talents so that they can make a greater contribution to promoting sustainable development and combating deforestation, forest degradation and climate change. It focuses on modules relating to International Environmental Policies, Conventions and Negotiations; climate and disaster risk management; and environmental challenges worldwide and in Burundi: climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss. CIFREDD has already given over 300 training courses to young people and talents in the field of sustainable development and environmental protection.

The content of the UN CC:Learn courses I’ve learned has helped me a lot, particularly in preparing different teaching modules by establishing clear learning objectives, making sure that the training is relevant.

As well as being a trainer, he then became involved in raising awareness among young people to get them involved in the fight against climate change, notably through forest and fruit tree planting, environmental protection and the regeneration of endangered local species. This is why he founded a non-governmental organization called the Burundian Youth-Environment Coalition (CBJE in French), with the aim of achieving these goals as quickly as possible.

With the knowledge he acquired on UN CC:e-Learn, he was able to understand that the effects of climate change generate various phenomena such as flooding, rainfall irregularities, landslides, climate-related diseases, pest outbreaks, erosion and related waste, drought, disruption of the seasonal calendar, impact on children, changes in epidemiological patterns, plant diseases, species extinction, as well as high winds and storms.

A nursery of endangered medicinal plants, created by the CBJE near the Buta traditional medicine center, to encourage their domestication in agroforestry.

A nursery of endangered medicinal plants, created by the CBJE near the Buta traditional medicine center, to encourage their domestication in agroforestry.

Given that a large part of Burundi’s population, especially those living around the shores of Lake Tanganyika, is affected by the floods, we felt it was necessary first to raise awareness among the population to clear flooded areas in order to protect people, especially children and women, from drowning.

Residents cross the water to retrieve items from their flooded homes in Bujumbura, Kinindo district, March 2024.

Residents cross the water to retrieve items from their flooded homes in Bujumbura, Kinindo district, March 2024.

Another very important action is that the Burundian Youth-Environment Coalition (CBJE) has recently begun working in partnership with the Buta traditional medicine center, located in southern Burundi. This center is renowned for the quality of its treatments using local plants with proven healing properties. CBJE is responsible for identifying, multiplying and planting these medicinal species, which are unfortunately on the verge of extinction in various parts of the country due to climate change and excessive exploitation. The organization also raises awareness among the population of the need to domesticate these species in their own fields, in the form of agroforestry, which has very positive impacts on soil fertility, erosion control and land management.

The major impact of the CBJE is that 2,000 forest trees and 1,400 fruit trees have already been planted under its supervision and are doing very well at the moment. People are starting to plant medicinal species on a large scale, rather than disturbing the little that remains in our natural forests, and we’re proud of this.

The CBJE prepares nurseries and supplies seedlings to encourage people to grow them at home. The organization also raises awareness and helps plant fruit trees to combat food insecurity caused by climate change. This initiative contributes to the reduction of social inequalities by improving the livelihoods of local communities, with particular emphasis on the involvement and active participation of young people, women, indigenous people and traditional healers. In conclusion, he is convinced that all these actions are and will be extremely beneficial in terms of mitigation, adaptation and resilience to climate change.

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*The views expressed in this story are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the United Nations or any of its affiliated organizations.

Advancing Action for Climate Empowerment in Mexico

12 November 2024

Stories

Berenice Danaé Espinoza H. is a Mexican Climate Change Professional currently collaborating with the Latin American Observatory for Climate Action (OLAC) in the Coordination of the Climate Justice cluster. As a member of OLAC she has been exchanging experiences with other regional organizations, which are often working on the ground with local communities, indigenous peoples, cooperatives, youth organizations, etc. She co-creates strategies for strengthening the capacity of such organizations on issues of climate negotiations under the UNFCCC framework and strengthens capacities on climate issues at the local, regional and international levels

She is also an independent consultant in climate change. She has been part of the Official Mexican Delegation of Negotiators in the UNFCCC negotiations as an Expert and Senior Advisor on the Action for Climate Empowerment, Capacity Building (PCCB) and Adaptation program. Moreover, she has co-authored two books on climate change, sustainable development, and the Rights of Nature and has been part of the development and implementation of projects for capacity building on climate change at national (Mexico), regional, and international levels.

She enrolled in the course on Adaptation Plans to strengthen her capacities and to be able to implement concrete actions regarding the ACE program and Capacity Building on climate change in my activities as a climate professional.

Participation in the “LAC Countries Forum on Sustainable Development 2017” in Mexico City to read the position of Civil Society.

Participation in the “LAC Countries Forum on Sustainable Development 2017” in Mexico City to read the position of Civil Society.

I have been enrolled in the course Mastering National Adaptation Plans: From Start to Finish, which has allowed me to see the need for the correct implementation of a specific program, Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE).

The course strengthened her professional work and inspired her to take concrete actions on adaptation and strengthen the projects on ACE and Capacity-Building. Also, the course helped to review existing NAPs, make comparisons, and take examples of actions that could be implemented at the national, regional, or international level given her professional field and role as an independent consultant. Currently continues its work en route to COP 30.

By learning more about the process of building an Adaptation Plan and its structure, I have been able to understand and focus on where concrete ACE and Capacity-Building efforts are needed whether or not there is an Adaptation Plan”.

Start your learning journey:

Join Berenice and hundreds of students and start learning today:

*The views expressed in this story are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the United Nations or any of its affiliated organizations.

The National Implementation of the Paris Agreement

Courses

This course was developed by the UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat to explain how Parties to the UNFCCC implement the goals of the Paris Agreement through continually increased ambition expressed in national legislation, constitutional amendments, regulations, standards, codes or other mandatory compliance means.

Enroll
  • Other
  • Adaptation

Self-paced course

2 hours

Welcome!

The main objective of the international climate change regime established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is to limit dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Domestic legislation is the key to regulate, structure, and implement climate change actions to meet this objective.

This course provides guidance on the overarching climate change laws that governments can implement to establish bodies and frameworks for addressing climate change. It also provides examples of mitigation and adaptation legislation across a range of sectors.

What will you learn?

After completing this course, you will be able to:

  • Analyse the rationale for parties to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement to incorporate climate considerations within legally binding national instruments.
  • Identify and describe the specific actions that parties to the Paris Agreement should undertake regarding climate change adaptation and mitigation.
  • Evaluate various types of legal instruments appropriate across a range of sectors and governmental structures and key features and examples of many of these.
  • Outline and comprehend the reporting requirements of the Paris Agreement.
  • Describe examples of the societal, financial, technical, and international challenges in establishing and implementing legally binding instruments, and solutions to those.

Course at a glance

This e-learning course consists of one online lesson with five learning modules followed by a final quiz. It will take 1-3 hours to complete the course depending on how deeply you explore modules two to four.

Module 1: The Implementation Regime, explains the goals of the Paris Agreement, the increasing levels of action needed to address climate change, and why overarching climate change framework laws are necessary.

Module 2: Implementing in the Energy Sector, presents legal instruments for the energy sector.

Module 3: Addressing Climate Change in the Natural Resources Sectors, presents legal instruments to address climate change in the natural resources sector.

Module 4: Addressing Climate Change in Cities, presents legal instruments to address climate change in Urban Systems.

Module 5: Implementing the Supporting Legal Infrastructure, addresses challenges to implementing the obligations of the Paris Agreement.

Who is this course for?

This course caters to both Party and non-Party stakeholders, including members of civil society, policymakers, advisors, government officials and parliamentarians.

Certification

Participants who successfully pass the quiz with a minimum grade of 70% within three attempts will get an official UN Climate Change certificate.

The Adaptation Imperative: Insights on Adaptation from a Climate Adaptation Expert

31 January 2024

News

On 24 January 2024, UN CC:Learn alumni delved into the significance of climate change adaptation with Ms. Anna Kilponen, from UNEP.

 

The 1-hour discussion shed light on the day-to-day of a climate adaptation professional and key adaptation strategies, such as nature-based solutions.

 

Read on to find out more.

Why is climate change adaptation important?

As the world faces unprecedented shifts in weather patterns and rising temperatures, adapting to these changes becomes crucial for the survival of ecosystems, communities, and economies.

Against this backdrop, climate change adaptation not only safeguards vulnerable populations and biodiversity but also fosters resilience against major negative impacts of a changing climate, such as biodiversity loss, extreme heat, and water scarcity.

To help UN CC:Learn alumni unpack climate change adaptation, we invited Ms. Anna Kilponen, Global Adaptation Network (GAN) Regional Liaison Officer for Asia-Pacific at UNEP, to discuss climate adaptation with Ms. Lisa Maina, Project Expert Consultant at UNITAR and moderator of the session, at a one-hour Fireside Chat on Climate Change Adaptation.

Ms. Kilponen kicked off the exchange with a glimpse of her academic and professional backgrounds. She pursued her master’s degree in Marine Environmental Sciences at Stockholm University, Sweden, and began her career with WWF in Finland, delivering environmental education in schools and supporting the implementation of a national marine monitoring program. She also acquired experience with Conservation International, IUCN, the Marine Stewardship Council, and UNDP before joining UNEP.

After the introduction, she highlighted that both mitigation and adaptation efforts are currently off the targets set out in the Paris Agreement and that, despite recent advancements at COP28, countries should ramp up their efforts on these two fronts to meet their climate goals.

During the discussion, the problem of financing adaptation strategies was raised by the audience. Ms. Kilponen stressed that financing adaptation is vital but, unfortunately, the gap between adaptation needs and funding keeps widening, and in particular, there is an urgent need to direct funding to local communities.  She also noted that while the COP28 did set of a two-year work program to establish indicators and metrics for assessing progress towards the Global Goal on Adaptation, it left out finance. However, she highlighted that there are funding mechanisms that aim to scale up adaptation, such as the Global EbA Fund, which aims to create an enabling environment for the implementation of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA).

Ms. Kilponen also stressed that engaging with local communities is crucial for effective adaptation since they play a vital role in driving adaptation action and also because adaptation is very much context-specific, with no one-size-fits-all approach. She highlighted the importance of nature-based solutions in adaptation strategies and emphasized the need for actions at all levels, including at the individual one, to address climate challenges effectively and ensure positive effects on biodiversity, air quality, water management, greenhouse gas emission reductions, and health and well-being.

To wrap up the discussion, she pointed out that everyone has a role to play in climate change adaptation. By electing policymakers that advance the adaptation agenda and by changing consumption patterns, individuals can ramp up adaptation in their communities.

This Fireside Chat was attended by over 140 participants and is part of UN CC:Learn’s alumni engagement initiatives. It was organized for everyone who had completed any of the UN CC:Learn’s adaptation-related e-courses.

The Fireside Chats provide exclusive, direct access to the personal/professional insights of UN and other thought leaders/experts on climate change topics. They consist of short (45-60 minutes), informal interviews with engaging specialists followed by an interactive Q&A with participants able to submit questions to the experts in advance.

Building a professional career in REDD+

30 May 2023

Stories

‘At the beginning of 2022, I took the two courses on REDD+ that are offered on the UN CC:Learn platform. Based on this, I was hired by a Foundation to carry out a REDD+ project in Argentina.’

The courses on REDD+ that I took from UN CC:Learn provided me with a theoretical framework ranging from the most basic to the most advanced issues that have to do with the conservation, recovery and protection of native forests. This allowed me to introduce myself to the “Huellas para un Futuro” (“Footprints for a Future”) Foundation with the necessary knowledge to be able to embark with them on their socio-environmental projects in the province of Misiones, Argentina.
My role consisted of project management and administration tasks, especially assisting with the formulation of REDD+ sub-projects on the sustainable management of the forest with the participation of indigenous communities and original settlers. The knowledge and skills that I acquired through the UN CC:Learn courses gave me the necessary bases to understand what REDD+ projects are about and the guidelines that must be taken into account to carry them out. I was able to apply all this knowledge in different ways throughout the management of the project. 

Niña plantando un árbol (archivo personal).

Girl planting a sapling (personal archive).Niña plantando un árbol (archivo personal).

The impact of the project in terms of gender equality in indigenous communities is seen in the high participation of women in the workshops held. In addition, with respect to this REDD+ project, one of the products that I consider most relevant is the one that has to do with the Nagoya Protocol. The Foundation established a partnership with a biotech laboratory to create products using a plant species native to Misiones, called Pitanga, and certify them with the Nagoya seal. Part of our REDD+ funds were allocated to train people from indigenous communities on the Biological Diversity Convention, the Nagoya Protocol and ways in which they could earn a living as suppliers of the raw materials to the laboratory. This represents an important source of work for everyone within the communities, including women.  

Agroecology as a tool for resilience to climate change

16 May 2023

Stories

Juan is transforming rural communities in Veracruz towards sustainable agroecological shifts after taking UN CC:Learn courses. As part of his initiative, he is designing educational materials and encouraging training processes on agroecological practices for women and men in rural areas.

I am Colombian, I studied to be a teacher, with emphasis on biology, I hold a master’s degree in environmental management for sustainability and recently started a doctorate in sustainability sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Currently, I’m living in the State of Veracruz (Mexico), where there are different regional problems associated with climate change, such as increased desertification, extreme increase in temperatures, changes in rainfall, early hot seasons, disappearance of glaciers, deforestation, etc. In particular, I have been considering the correlation between the globalised agri-food system and climate change, this being a sector that is strongly linked to the causes of this phenomenon, but also one of those most affected by it. In this regard, I am concerned about the carbon footprint of the agricultural sector caused by conventional practices and processes that do not allow carbon sequestration underground. For example, the excessive use of agrochemicals, the long distances that food travels and the inappropriate disposal of organic solid waste.

I have had the opportunity to take part in technical advisory processes for agro-ecological transition, training on sustainable agricultural management, and raising awareness of the multiple associated crises. These activities have been aimed at educational communities, groups of farmers in rural areas and citizens who practice urban and peri-urban agriculture. In particular, having urban orchards and rural plots, as ideal spaces for the exchange of knowledge and practices. My work has focused on promoting agro-ecology as a viable alternative to build sustainable agri-food systems, essentially through the adoption of good agricultural practices in urban and rural communities.

My objective has been to promote agro-ecological transition to design and manage agro-ecosystems resilient to climate change. This has led me to design didactic materials and encourage training processes on multiple agro-ecological practices. For example, fallow, reduced soil tillage, composting, organic fertiliser, soil mulch, use of native seeds, crop association and rotation, use of living barriers and hedges, integrated water management and short marketing circuits. All of this is crucial for agriculture to adapt to climate change and to continue to ensure food security.

Preparing cultivation beds. Photo by Iván Morales.

During these multidimensional processes, the lessons learned on climate change obtained from the UN CC:Learn platform have been very useful to me; firstly, because they have provided the technical-scientific foundations for my social interventions and, secondly, because they have allowed me to relate climate change to the nutrition, health and well-being of communities. In addition, something that I value highly is the gender approach within the training, not only to highlight the vulnerability of women to adverse climatic conditions, but also to value their work as agricultural labourers.

During these last years, I have always had the support of valuable teams such as the Agro-ecological Garden of the Faculty of Biology (Universidad Veracruzana), Conselva Costas y Comunidades (Mazatlán, Sinaloa) and the Civil Association “Caminos del Buen Vivir” (Teocelo, Veracruz). Without a doubt, collaborating with different environmental groups that defend climate action, take care of the territory and contribute with concrete actions such as composting and local food production. Aspects that help to consolidate sustainable lifestyles, rebuild the social fabric, complete the circularity of city life and build resilient cities for new and future generations.

Women sharing their agricultural knowledge. Photo by Iván Morales

Thanks to different community experiences, I can now definitely affirm that the valuable participation of women is key in the agro-ecological transition towards sustainable food systems. Therefore, it is essential to consider their voices and discourses, as well as their desires and feelings when promoting this type of projects and initiatives. Personally, I believe that rural women have ancestral knowledge about favourable agricultural practices, as well as particular skills in conserving seeds and generating innovations for a better future.

New course on Climate-smart Agriculture is now available on UN CC:e-Learn

8 May 2023

News

A new course on climate-smart agriculture will walk you through this concept and show you how South Africa can enable it in its own context.

 

Read on to find out more about the course!

Agriculture is one of the sectors most impacted by climate change. The warming temperatures are increasing the frequency of extreme weather events, such as droughts and storms, which significantly affect farmers across the globe, but especially smallholder farmers in developing countries who have limited resources and access to infrastructure.  

Against this background, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an important approach that can guide action to transform agri-food systems, making them more sustainable, resilient, and adaptive to climate change. Climate smart agriculture has three key objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; adapting and building resilience to climate change; and reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions, where possible.  

Climate-smart agriculture offers a lot of benefits for farmers in South Africa. To help South Africans tap into those opportunities presented by CSA, UNITAR has partnered up with the Government of South Africa and the UNEP-implemented SWITCH Africa Green project to develop the “Climate-smart Agriculture in South Africa” e-course, which is being offered on UN CC:e-Learn. 

The four-module e-course on climate-smart agriculture in South Africa, provides participants with an introduction to key concepts and approaches , and strives to strengthen their capacities to apply climate-smart tools and techniques in practice. 

What will you learn? 

By the end of this course, learners should be able to: 

  • Explain what climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is, its main principles, objectives and benefits 
  • Identify critical social, environmental, and economic opportunities for CSA in South Africa 
  • Describe applications of CSA in various agricultural domains, such as livestock and croplands 
  • Discuss the role of remote sensing and identify practical steps to apply CSA in South Africa 
  • Discuss enabling conditions for the adoption of CSA in South Africa 

Who should take this course? 

The course is geared towards anyone who is interested in the basics of the CSA and/or individuals involved in the agriculture sector in South Africa looking to enhance knowledge and skills regarding the subject. Specifically, the course should benefit representatives from:  

  • Professionals from national, provincial, local investment, agriculture, economic, labour, environment departments.  
  • Extension workers, farmers, professional associations.  
  • Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), academia and business representatives. 

Will you get a certificate? 

The successful completion of the course rewards the learner with a certificate. To complete the course, the learner must complete all four modules and pass each associated quiz with a minimum grade of 70% from no more than three attempts. 

Take the course today! 

A new UNITAR training course uses LoCAL experience to reinforce climate negotiation strategies and tactics

18 January 2023

News

A new course available on our e-learning platform will walk you through climate change negotiations with a focus on adaptation for vulnerable countries.

 

Read on to find out more!

Geneva, Switzerland – Climate negotiations organised through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are the primary platform for countries to define long-term cooperative action for addressing climate change and its impacts. A free online course published today guides participants towards a solid understanding of this complex negotiating environment, looking closely at negotiations on adaptation and their relevance for vulnerable countries, in particular LDCs, SIDS and African nations working with the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility.

The self-paced course ‘International Climate Change Negotiations: Leveraging LoCAL Experience in Support of Climate Change Negotiations’ is available online on UN CC:e-Learn and aimed at climate negotiators from LoCAL participating countries, though technical staff, observers and interested individuals are also encouraged to sign up. The three-and-a-half-hour course brings together a decade of adaptation experience from the LoCAL Facility with the training and skills development expertise of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), which developed the course.

“We are proud to offer this new online training to all those interested in advancing effective adaptation through negotiations,” said Sophie De Coninck, UNCDF’s Global Facility Manager for LoCAL. “We invite climate negotiators from the LDCs, SIDS and African nations implementing LoCAL to use and apply this course as part of our continued support for effective and sustainable adaptation that meets community needs in the most climate-vulnerable nations.”

The Local Climate Adaptive Living (LoCAL) facility, designed by the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), promotes climate change-resilient communities and local economies through a standard, internationally recognised country-based mechanism that channels climate finance to local government authorities in developing countries, in particular the LDCs, SIDS and African nations. LoCAL aims to contribute with climate action and implementation, through the local level, to countries’ achievement of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals – particularly poverty eradication (SDG 1), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) and climate action (SDG 13). 

This latest training complements and builds on a previous one-hour UNITAR training: Financing Local Adaptation to Climate Change: an Introduction to Performance-Based Climate Resilience Grants and 4 day in person training course on the same topic. These two trainings serve as an introduction to the LoCAL Mechanism and LoCAL’s performance-based climate resilience grants (PBCRGs) – which ensure programming and verification of climate change expenditures at the local level while offering strong incentives for performance improvements in enhanced resilience – with technical and capacity-building support.

UNITAR provides high-quality learning solutions to address the capacity development needs of individuals, organizations and institutions ensuring that knowledge and experience is shared without barrier.

To successfully complete the course, participants must pass all three modules and associated quizzes scoring more than 70% within three attempts. Upon successful completion of the course, they will be awarded an official UNITAR certificate of completion.

Start learning today! 

Addressing The Climate Crisis: Loss And Damage by Doddy S. Sukadri and Farhan Helmy

9 January 2023

Stories

Have you ever imagined a small island sinking due to rising of sea levels? Global warming has caused earth temperatures to rise and melted the polar ice caps. As a result, the volume of seawater rises, and eventually submerges the land. Human life including other living creatures, cultural heritage, and human civilization will disappear instantly. This is one of the worst possible impacts of climate change. Obviously, climate change has brought about substantial negative impacts on ecosystems, infrastructure, health, and livelihoods of people around the world. 

In the Conference of the Parties – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-UNFCCC), material loss and damage to ecosystems, infrastructure, etc. is a priority for many vulnerable countries due to the severe climate change impacts they are experiencing. For many small island states, such impacts pose an existential threat. 

This type of issue is known in climate change negotiations as “Loss and Damage”.

What we need to understand is that the impacts of climate change are permanent (irrecoverable), so there is no going back to the way things were. 

According to a 2022 report made by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), almost half of all-natural disasters on earth is of a climate disaster. The recent devastating wildfires of 2022 in the US and Canada are the result of a long heatwave in the northern hemisphere; severe drought threatens Africa with widespread famine; and flash floods in Pakistan have affected 30 million people.

Over the past fifty years, climate-related disasters around the world have killed an average of 115 people, with more than 91% occurring in developing countries. The current level of global loss and damage is actually difficult to calculate, but it is estimated to be no less than US$ 200 million every day. During the period from 1970 – 2019, more than 11,000 climate disasters have occurred in the world. This has led to more than two million deaths and financial losses of US$ 3.64 trillion.

In Indonesia, more than 90% of disasters that occur are due to meteorological disasters (including floods and landslides) driven by the climate crisis. The result of a study undertaken by the National Development Planning Agency (the Bappenas) shows that Indonesia is threatened to experience economic losses of IDR 544 T due to the climate crisis during the period 2020 – 2024. Around 80% of it is due to coastal damages; and the rest are losses due to decreased agricultural production (rice), health related problems, and clean water supply. 

Global Negotiation

The issue of Loss and Damage (LD) has been discussed for a long time since the UN climate change negotiations in 1991. At that time, Vanuatu, representing island countries under the Association of Small Island Countries (AOSIS), proposed the establishment of an insurance scheme for countries that could potentially be submerged due to rising of sea levels caused by global warming and climate change. 

According to the developing countries, global negotiations on LD have not been “fair” enough. The Maldives, for example, contributes only 0.03 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but sea level rise is a real threat to the country as four-fifths of its islands are only one meter above sea level. Similarly, the entire continent of Africa contributes only 3.8 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, yet the continent is the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and has long suffered severe loss and damage. Politicians and civil society stakeholders in several developing countries have highlighted the responsibility of developed countries in causing climate change and called on them to compensate for the losses and damages.

LD gained momentum in 2013 when Parties agreed to establish the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts. The mechanism is intended to facilitate dialogue, fill knowledge gaps, and enhance action and support for countries experiencing loss and damage.

At COP-25 in Madrid in 2019, Parties agreed to establish the  ‘Santiago Network’ on Loss and Damage, to act as a bridge between developing countries, developed countries, and international agencies providing aid/loans for development. 

At COP-26 in Glasgow in 2022, LD received a considerable amount of attention. The ‘Glasgow Climate Pact’ eventually included a specific section on LD and urged developed countries and international aid agencies to provide more assistance for LD-related activities. The Parties agreed to hold a dialogue to discuss arrangements for funding activities to prevent, minimize and address loss and damage associated with the adverse impacts of climate change. The ‘Glasgow Dialogue’ will run until June 2024.

At COP-27 in Sharm el-Sheikh in December last year, the Parties finally agreed on a funding mechanism for Loss and Damage (LD) due to the recent escalation of climate disasters in various parts of the world. Parties only recently realized the importance of this being addressed immediately and collectively. 

What do we need to do?

The COP-27 agreement to create an LD funding mechanism is a historical moment. It is something that climate-vulnerable developing countries have been working towards for decades, despite the lack of support from developed countries. However, it has yet to be decided where the fund will be placed, within or outside the UNFCCC’s framework, what types of activities will it support, how it will be managed, which countries will be eligible to receive the support, and who will contribute financially.

At COP-27, Parties agreed to establish a ‘transition committee’ that will take a look at this issue in more depth, and will make recommendations for Parties to consider at this year’s COP-28 in Abu Dhabi.

The Government of Indonesia (GoI) should capitalize on this funding opportunity by reviewing its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitments to focus more on mitigation efforts. LD should serve as a buffer when mitigation efforts are constrained by uncertain global dynamics.

LD-related Ministries/Agencies such as the Bappenas, the Ministry of Forestry and Environment, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing should take the initiative to initiate this effort. 

A transparent and participatory LD dialogue involving state and non-state actors needs to be conducted immediately, especially to identify vulnerable coastal areas where more than 50 million people live (Bappenas, 2021). This includes other areas that are vulnerable due to disrupted hydrological cycles (floods, landslides). Governance and institutionalization of the government should lead to technical interventions to solve problems at the local level.

In addition, it is necessary to identify politically realistic steps that can be taken in the short, medium, and long term to build a shared vision by involving all stakeholders including people with disabilities, as this group is the most vulnerable to the impact of LD. The contestation of the 2024 Indonesia’s General and Presidential Elections must also show serious attention to this issue, as it will be an important agenda for whoever received the mandate to run it later on.

An adaptive strategy needs to be created and developed together to deal with the impacts of climate disasters that are expected to increase in the coming years.

**
This article only reflects the personal view of Mr Doddy Sukadri, UN CC:Learn Ambassador and Executive Director of Yayasan Mitra Hijau (Green Partner Foundation) and Farham Helmy, Principal of Thamrin School of Climate Change and Sustainability and President of Pergerakan Disabilitas dan Lanjut Usia (DILANS-Indonesia).

Enhancing Knowledge in The Asia-Pacific Region: Two-Day Workshop Trains Almost 100 People on the Interlinkages of Gender Equality, Human Rights, Climate Action and Renewable Energy

12 April 2022

News

UN CC:Learn and EmPower partnered up to train over 90 people from five Asian countries on the interlinkages between gender equality, human rights, climate action and renewable energy.

 

Read on to get a glimpse of the training.

 

Facilitating women’s access to renewable energy can increase gender equality and enhance the realization of their rights, while boosting climate action. That’s one of the key takeaways from the “Gender Equality and Human Rights in Climate Action and Renewable Energy” e-course, launched in November 2021. As a follow-up UN CC:Learn and EmPower joined forces once again to organize a two-day moderated e-workshop on the topics of the course with the purpose of enabling participants to delve deeper into them.

The “E-Workshop on Gender Equality and Human Rights in Climate Action and Renewable Energy” took place on 6th and 7th April 2022 and brought together 102 people – between participants and speakers – to discuss, among other things, how women’s access to renewable energy can positively affect gender equality, human rights, and climate action. The e-workshop aimed to contextualize the knowledge about these topics while enhancing experience-sharing across the Asia-Pacific region. It primarily focused on five Asian countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Viet Nam, and was divided into four main sessions spread across over more than seven hours of training.

The training was designed to achieve the following learning objectives:

Learning Objectives – Slide taken from main presentation.

The sessions were:

  • Session 1: Regional overview
  • Session 2: Understanding gender equality and human rights in climate policy
  • Session 3: Gender and climate change – sectoral experiences
  • Session 4: Moving forward – where to from here?

Each session consisted of keynote presentations delivered by experts, with three of them having moderated and interactive group exercises to promote experience-sharing among attendees. The “Experience-sharing: the status of gender equality in climate action in Asia-Pacific” and “Designing gender responsive sectoral activities” group activities in sessions 2 and 3, respectively, allowed participants to exchange and brainstorm with peers, thus allowing them to share their experiences while they worked on tailored exercises focused on each country or sector. The former had participants split into 5 groups representing one of each focus countries while the latter had them divided into 3 groups representing three key sectors: energy, agriculture, and forestry.

“Thank you for all the organizers of the e-workshop on Gender Equality and Human Rights in Climate Action and Renewable Energy. I have learned a lot.  It is interesting to meet so many people from all over the region that are working on the issue. I am thankful that I found this workshop and joined this network exactly at the same time as I planned to delve more into this issue.“ – E-Workshop  Participant

To attend the e-workshop, participants had to undertake a selection process which consisted of being invited or appointed by their governments or agencies and filling in an online application form. They were also encouraged to take the online course prior to the training to arrive at it with a similar level of knowledge and understanding.

The entire process was captured by a visual artist who drew live the topics and ideas discussed.

Visual Representation of Day 1

Visual Representation of Day 2

 

Disclaimer

Cover picture credit: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Panos Pictures