8th Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation (APAN) Forum

Thematic areas of focus

The Forum will be built around the following four thematic “streams”: resilience of food systems; resilience of ecosystem and ecosystem services; resilience of communities; and resilience of cities, infrastructure and settlements. Sessions under each stream seek to establish a shared understanding of the outlook on a specific dimension of resilience.

Furthermore, discussions for each stream will be structured on five enabling conditions through which resilience may be built, maintained and strengthened. These “enablers” are policy and governance, planning and programming, science and assessment, technologies and practices and finance and investment.

Using a matrix approach (streams x enablers) outlined below, the Forum aims to address the adaptation gap and achieve resilience in the region

The Means to Build Resilience: A Matrix Approach

Streams

• Resilience of food systems, led by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Climate change presents significant risks to food production, availability, and access, with extreme weather events and changing climate patterns disrupting agriculture leading to crop failures and food insecurity. To address these challenges, climate change adaptation focuses on implementing resilient farming practices, diversifying crops and improving water management. This approach is vital for the long-term sustainability and resilience of food systems. It also aligns with global engagement, including objectives set by international agreements like the Paris Agreement and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. In addition, governments in the region are increasingly committed to transforming food systems to align with the 2030 Agenda, prioritising nutrition, health, nature conservation, climate neutrality, local adaptability, job creation and inclusive economies.

This stream will explore the key aspects of climate adaptive and resilient food systems, encompassing factors that contribute to food security, mitigate climate change impacts, promote biodiversity and ecosystem health, practice sustainable resource management, protect livelihoods and enhance community resilience.

• Resilience of ecosystem and ecosystem services, led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Nature for Climate Branch and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Asia Regional Office

The rationale behind emphasising the resilience of ecosystems and ecosystem services lies in their fundamental role in supporting life on earth and providing vital benefits to humanity. Natural ecosystems possess the capacity to enhance human resilience through their functions and services, yet they themselves face threats from climate change and variability.

The previous forum extensively examined the effectiveness and strategies of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) as part of Nature-based Solutions (NbS), emphasising how local-scale EbA solutions can illuminate the impact of ecosystem services on human well-being. Emphasising the shift from grey to green infrastructure, it underscored the importance of enhancing accessibility to scientific knowledge for integrated climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and biodiversity conservation, and showed how ecosystem services can harmoniously align land use policies with climate, biodiversity and food objectives.

This year, as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Korea's nationwide afforestation project and take advantage of the recent adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at the 15th Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Conference of the Parties (COP15), the Forum will place a particular emphasis on forest and coastal ecosystems.

• Resilience of communities, led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Asia Pacific

While human societies have shown resilience in the face of ever-changing environmental, political, and technological circumstances throughout history, climate change is placing significant strain on the human capacity to adapt, especially in communities already grappling with poverty, environmental degradation, and conflicts over land and natural resources. The rationale for climate change adaptation efforts in relation to community resilience and human well-being lies in the need to protect highly vulnerable groups in society. These adaptation measures aim to ensure their sustainable development, mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change on their lives and livelihoods, and foster their overall well-being.

This stream will focus broadly on how specific actions and strategies can deliver resilience benefits, emphasising the linkages between governance (institutions), policy, technology, and finance and how the resilience of human and social systems can be enhanced and built on demonstrated resilience in other areas.

Important sub-themes will include equitable partnerships between governments and local communities, international cooperation to advance climate-resilient development, cross-city risks and the integration of Indigenous knowledge and local knowledge, health and education, migration, and conflict resolution at scales from household to region.

• Resilience of cities, infrastructure and settlements, led by Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Rapid urbanisation in the region represents both concentrations of risk and opportunity to invest in climate-resilient development in diverse contexts from rural and informal settlements to large metropolitan areas. Dominant models of energy-intensive and market-led urbanisation, insufficient and misaligned finance, and a predominant focus on grey infrastructure in the absence of integration with ecological and social approaches, risk missing opportunities for adaptation and locking in maladaptation.

Urban climate-resilient development is observed to be more effective if it is responsive to regional and local land use development and adaptation gaps and addresses the underlying drivers of vulnerability. Integrated, inclusive planning and investment in everyday decision-making about urban infrastructure, including social, ecological and grey/physical infrastructures, can significantly increase the adaptive capacity of urban and rural settlements.

Taking stock of these experiences and good practices, key aspects under this topic may include adaptation measures and their enabling conditions, i.e., inclusive governance, adequate and appropriate human and technological resources, information, capacities and finance to enhance the climate-resilient development; and retrofitting existing urban design, infrastructure and land use.

Enablers

Each of these key aspects of resilience will be analysed against enablers — the means by which each of these systems may be enabled, including:

• Policy and Governance

This enabler emphasises the need for policies and regulations that promote adaptation to climate change. Current policies and regulatory frameworks might not be sufficient, and political instability or lack of political will can also hinder the implementation of necessary measures. To address this, governments need to prioritise climate adaptation in their policies, reform regulations to support these efforts and engage in international cooperation to share successful strategies and develop cohesive policies.

• Planning and Programming

The absence of long-term strategic planning and programming for climate adaptation can pose a significant barrier to the implementation of adaptation actions. This can be due to an inadequate understanding of the risks or a lack of capacity to develop and implement strategic plans. Overcoming these barriers will require capacity building for strategic planning related to climate adaptation. This includes implementing risk assessment and management approaches, developing clear adaptation plans, and regularly updating these based on new information and experiences.

• Science and Assessment

Understanding the complex nature of climate science can be challenging due to the lack of access to accurate and up-to-date information on climate change impacts and adaptation strategies. Investment in climate science research and the development of user-friendly tools for risk and vulnerability assessment, therefore, is important to improve the communication of science and risk information to decision-makers and the general public.

• Technologies and Practices

A lack of technical knowledge and access to suitable technologies can hinder adaptation efforts. Traditional practices might also resist change, even when such change is beneficial or necessary. Promoting research and development of new technologies for climate adaptation and providing technical assistance and training to communities and individuals can encourage practices that are adaptive to changing climate conditions.

• Finance and Investment

Adaptation measures often require significant investment. Lack of investment and limited access to finance can impede the implementation of adaptation projects, particularly in developing countries. Climate adaptation finance mechanisms are evolving rapidly in response to the growing need for adaptation funding. This can include public funding, private sector investment, and innovative financing mechanisms like green bonds or climate funds. It is also important to improve the understanding of financial risks associated with climate change to motivate investment in adaptation.

In addition, gender and social inclusion will be considered throughout the resilience streams and enablers as a cross-cutting issue.

Furthermore, sessions will serve as the basis for discussion on:

1. Addressing systemic barriers that may hinder the implementation of transformative adaptation;
2. Identifying regional priorities for strengthening adaptation efforts;
3. Highlighting promising innovations at regional, national, or subnational levels, which may be financial, social, institutional, or technological; and,
4. Exploring areas for regional cooperation to address the transboundary dimensions of resilience.

Forum Programme 

The event will be a combination of opening and closing ceremonies, high-level keynote speeches, plenary discussions, and parallel stream sessions, as well as deepdive and pre-forum events and workshops. 

Download the 8th APAN Forum Programme Book here. 

• Opening Ceremony and Keynote

The 8th Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation (APAN) Forum will officially commence with the Opening Ceremony, graced by esteemed representatives from the event's hosts. Opening and welcome remarks will be delivered by Ms. Marlene Nilsson, the Deputy Regional Director of the UNEP Asia and the Pacific Office; Dr. Huicheul Jung, Director General of Korea Adaptation Centre for Climate Change; and Mr. Jeong-bok Yoo, the Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City.

Dignitaries in attendance include Dr. Sang-Hyup Kim, Co-Chairperson of the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth of Korea, and Mr. Yutaka Matsuzawa, the Vice Minister fors Global Environmental Affairs of Japan's Ministry of the Environment.

Additionally, the Ceremony will feature a Keynote Address from Dr. Tae-Sung Cheong, IPCC Cooperating Lead Author and Senior Research Engineer at Korea's National Disaster Management Institute. He will shed light on the pressing need for Asia-Pacific regional climate change adaptation strategies and pathways.

• Plenary

The plenary sessions will serve as a platform that initiates a forward-looking discussion, setting the tone and theme for the entire Forum. The discussions will cover the following topics: Interconnectedness among Resilience Streams and Enablers, Nexus of Climate Change and Biodiversity, and Loss and Damage.

• Parallel Stream Sessions

The discussion for each stream will focus on addressing systemic barriers to transformative adaptation, defining regional adaptation priorities, exploring promising regional innovations, and recognising areas for regional cooperation to address transboundary aspects of resilience.

To represent the current state of resilience in the region and lay the groundwork for meaningful discussions during the Forum, the session lead and partner organisations will prepare the background document Resilience Outlooks for their respective stream. In addition, a Pre-Forum Webinar Series will be organised, under the overall coordination of the APAN Secretariat, to gather feedback on the background documents and promote shared understanding on recommendations for accelerating transformation towards climate resilience.

• Pre-Forum Events / Deep-dive Workshops

Partners will have the opportunity to organise pre-forum sessions (e.g., partnership events, deep-dive workshops, etc.) on 28-29 August 2023, preceding the main event. These events will allow participants to delve into specific topics and practices related to the main theme and programme of the APAN Forum.

The intended organisers are encouraged to review the Forum's theme, thematic focus areas, and objectives before submitting their proposal.

• Marketplace / Exhibition

Led and coordinated by KEI, the Marketplace will offer an informal space where the Member States, civil society, international organisations, private sector and other stakeholders can share best practices, publications, and product displays centered on integrated and inclusive approaches to climate change adaptation, with an emphasis on acceleration and delivery. Registration for the KGAW 2023 Adaptation Initiative Showcase is now closed. 

Forum Other Events

• Pre-forum Webinar Series

Background documentation for the forum consists of four resilience outlooks that provide a snapshot of the stream-specific aspects of resilience at the regional level, depicting challenges, promising innovations, best practices as well as priorities for action for the key aspects identified.

The documents aim to support an understanding of the status of adaptation practices in the region and will present the background for an in-depth discussion on how to enhance resilience holistically. The purpose of the background documentation is two-fold: present the status of resilience under each enabler, and identify good practices and examples. Each document covers the key aspects of resilience, analysing them against the means by which each of these systems may be enabled: the five enablers - Policy and Governance, Planning and Programming, Science and Assessment, Technologies and Practices and Finance and Investment.