07/03/07

Web-portal to spread climate adaptation measures

Students in Angola's technical colleges are also set to benefit from the project Copyright: UNESCO

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[DHAKA] Climate adaptation experts have unanimously agreed to create an open-access web portal to provide information about climate change for those who must cope with its impacts.


The plan was agreed at a workshop on community-based adaptation to climate change held in Dhaka, Bangladesh last month (24-28 February).


The aim is to share ideas as and when they become available, says Saleemul Huq, director of the climate change programme at the UK-based International Institute for Environment and Development.


“People from all walks of life, starting from grass roots to experts would have access to the network, which we intend to [start] as soon as possible,” Huq told SciDev.net.


Ainun Nishat, country representative of the World Conservation Union in Bangladesh, emphasised the need for a simple and direct message to attract the attention of policymakers and bring climate change issues to the forefront of planning and decision-making processes.


More than 110 policymakers and representatives from nongovernmental organisations, research and policy institutes, as well as development practitioners and media participated in the workshop.


Huq said community-based adaptation has moved rapidly to the forefront of the climate change agenda. He emphasised how vulnerable communities in developing countries will be most affected by climate change, and said the workshop was important in asking which lessons learned could best help them.


The workshop also recommended raising the status of women in projects; focusing on low-cost appropriate technology; promoting multi-stakeholder dialogues around climate change adaptation by development practitioners; reiterating mitigation as a priority; engaging national and regional governments; and ensuring resources in these budgets.

Climate change is considered to be one of the most serious threats to sustainable development, with adverse impacts expected on the environment, human health, food security, economic activity, natural resources and physical infrastructure.