In the coming decades growing disaster risk, driven in part by climate change and environmental degradation, threatens to exceed the humanitarian sector’s capacity to respond to crises. The increasing severity and frequency of climate-related disasters exacerbate underlying risks, stoke conflict, and undermine humanitarian and development gains.
Nature-based solutions (NbS) are a powerful tool for enhancing resilience, supporting sustainable development, and improving the quality of life of affected communities while safeguarding the livelihoods and ecosystems they depend upon. Nature-based solutions can provide multiple benefits simultaneously relevant to humanitarian contexts and are one key approach not only for adapting to climate change but also for preventing loss and damage and sustainably managing natural resources.
The 28th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) in December, will hold for the first time ever a thematic day on “Relief, Recovery and Peace” (3 December) thus recognising the interlinkages between nature-climate-humanitarian crises. A key day to foster discussions on accelerating adaptation actions, preventing and addressing loss and damage, in both fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
Co-organised by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Geneva Environment Network, this event on "Nature-based Solutions in Humanitarian Contexts | Policy Dialogue" will be an opportunity to amplify common messaging on the interlinked nature-climate-humanitarian crises and the need of common narrative for tackling both climate emergency and humanitarian action.
Speakers
- Nena STOILJKOVIC, Under Secretary General for Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization, IFRC
-
Shanchita HAQUE, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of Bangladesh to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva
-
Andrew HARPER, Special Advisor on Climate Action to the High Commissioner for Refugees, UN High Commissioner for Refugees
-
Ninni IKKALA NYMAN, Lead for Climate and Resilience (a.i), IFRC
-
Charles KARANGWA, Global Head Nature-based Solutions, IUCN