Responding to the Inevitable: Climate Change Adaptation Challenges and Opportunities in Asia Pacific

3 May 2009 (2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.)

It is now widely recognized that climate change will adversely affect Asian and Pacific countries, including an increased intensity and frequency of natural disasters such as tropical storms, severe droughts, and floods. It will also result in sea level rise and coastal inundation, as well as a wider incidence of forest fires, higher stress on crop production, and heightened risk from heat-related and infectious diseases.

There is a growing consensus that the adverse impacts in Asia and the Pacific may be so serious that prospects for achieving long-term development goals may be undermined. And the poorest are likely to suffer the most.

Adaptation measures will be needed at the local, national and regional levels to reduce vulnerabilities to such change. Financing mechanisms are being created to help, and plans and programs to respond - within the current global and regional financial, technical, policy, and sociopolitical context - are taking shape.

The session's objective is to exchange views on priorities for local, national and regional, response strategies, capacity development measures, and the investments needed to build a climate resilient future for Asian and Pacific countries. Panelists will provide a range of perspectives, which will be followed by open forum discussion.

PROGRAM/SPEAKERS

Salvano Briceno
Director, United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

Warren Evans
Director, Environment Department, World Bank

Luc Gnacadja
Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

Ashok Khosla
President, International Union for Conservation of Nature

Ursula Schaefer-Preuss
Vice President, Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development, Asian Development Bank

Emil Salim
Advisor, Environment and Sustainable Development, Office of the President, Indonesia

Moderator:
Gabrielle Walker
Writer/Broadcaster

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Note: All times are in GMT+08. For inquiries, e-mail: amseminars@adb.org.