21 November 2013: The Netherlands and the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) organized a side event during the Warsaw Climate Change Conference on promoting coherence on adaptation across the UNFCCC, from negotiations to action on the ground.

This side event, moderated by Karin Lexén, Chair, SIWI, provided an informal platform to explore how increased coherence on adaptation can be achieved and how cooperation between Parties and stakeholders can be strengthened to support enhanced action on adaptation at all levels.

Wilma Mansveld, Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment, the Netherlands, stressed that water management constitutes a cross-cutting issue and the most crucial challenge in adaptation.

Shyla Raghav, Conservation International (CI), said National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) allow countries to share lessons, as well as technical information and guidance.

Kathleen Dominique, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), addressed knowledge production and dissemination, pointing to human resources on the ground that can support activities under the UNFCCC.

Thinley Namgyel, Climate Change Division, Bhutan, addressed the historic path since COP 7 that led to NAPs, stressing they constitute a catalyst to support bringing together all relevant stakeholders.

Drawing from the Colombian experience, Pablo Vieira, Vice-Minister, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia, presented three adaptation projects: the Integrated National Adaptation Plan (INAP); a regional comprehensive plan on climate change (PRICC); and INAP 2.

Than Thuc, Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment, Viet Nam, addressed inter alia: National Target Programs to Respond to Climate Change (NTP-RCC); the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM); REDD+ programmes; a green growth strategy; NAMAs; and the NAP in Viet Nam.

A panel followed the presentation of the case studies. Panelists included Rodrigo Suárez, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia, Christoph Feldkötter, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Germany, Shereen D’Souza, Department of State, US, and Kyekyeku Yaw Oppong-Boadi, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana. They addressed questions on the links between adaptation and mitigation, the contribution of the private sector, and the role of local communities. [IISD RS ENBOTS coverage] [IISD RS video coverage]