Shadows of Silence

Conference to examine finance options for local communities adapting to climate change An international conference in Nepal next month aims to show how to unlock finance that can help communities in developing countries adapt to climate change. The 8th International Conference on Community Based Adaptation (CBA8) on 24-30 April will explore ways to encourage the private sector to invest in adaptation and ensure that public finance reaches communities that need it. The meeting in Kathmandu is organised by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies and Clean Energy Nepal on behalf of Climate Change Network Nepal. The Government of Nepal will host the conference. Speakers will include: · Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC · Jose Maria Clemente Sarte Salceda Co-Chair, Green Climate Fund Board · Mamadou Honadia, Vice Chair of Adaptation Fund Board · Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe, Chair UNFCCC Adaptation Committee · Prakash Mathema, Chair of the Least Developed Countries Group · Pa Ousman Jarju, Climate Envoy of the Gambia · Thomas Loster, Munch Re Foundation · Cristina Rumbaitis, Rockefeller Foundation The conference will gather policymakers, researchers and others to explore what funding is available and where, and assess how well it reaches those most exposed to the impacts of climate change. Delegates will also examine ways to secure private sector finance to support community initiatives, for example through micro-credit and climate insurance. “As the cost of adaptation rises, the need for finance to reach communities will grow more urgent,” says Dr Saleemul Huq, senior fellow at IIED. “Governments must strive to ensure public money can filter down to poorer communities, and create incentives for the private sector to invest in community-based adaptation.” The conference will tackle barriers funding agencies face in distributing climate finance both fairly and efficiently, while government bodies will share experiences on building capacity to access and, importantly, spend adaptation finance. The programme will also examine funds available to finance disaster risk reduction, and new methods governments can use to demonstrate to donors that they spend international finance for local adaptation wisely. Three days of field visits that precede the conference will show delegates the challenges local communities face with finance for adaptation. As the conference’s final outcome, delegates will make a joint declaration that will aim to ensure global and national adaptation funds prioritise the most vulnerable communities. “Vulnerable communities can use their own knowledge and experiences to design and manage effective adaptation programmes, but they need finance to make this happen,” says Huq. “They know what works, but need funds to scale-up their efforts. CBA8 is an opportunity for practitioners to share lessons on how to do, and to emphasise to funding agencies, policymakers and others how important it is that private investment reaches local communities.” “CBA8 is an opportunity for Nepal to share the exemplary work it has done in community based adaptation and learn from the experiences of participants from all over the world,” says Sunil Acharya, Program Director at Clean Energy Nepal.