28 September 2017: Recent adaptation efforts reported in this Update sought to reduce climate vulnerability in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. A regional climate change adaptation conference discussed region-specific case studies focused on green sectors, extreme climate events, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and adaptation across various sectors, while a workshop helped integrate climate change adaptation in development planning in Morocco.

The implementing organizations of the Regional Initiative for the Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources and Socio-Economic Vulnerability in the Arab Region (RICCAR) organized a High-Level Conference on Climate Change Assessment and Adaptation in the Arab Region, held in Beirut, Lebanon, from 26-28 September 2017. The conference served as the closing meeting of the Adaptation to Climate Change in Water Sector in the MENA Region (ACCWaM) project.

The conference launched the RICCAR ‘Arab Climate Change Assessment Report,’ along with a series of technical outputs and training materials on regional climate modelling, hydrological modelling, vulnerability assessment and climate change adaptation in the Arab region. It also shared the results of joint work conducted with Arab States on the establishment of an Arab Climate Outlook Forum, the development of a regional knowledge hub and support for climate data rescue.

RICCAR eleven implementing agencies are: the League of Arab States, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA), the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmBH (GIZ), the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), UN Environment (UNEP), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Cairo Office, the UN Office for DRR (UNISDR), the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). [High-Level Conference on Climate Change Assessment and Adaptation in the Arab Region] [Arab Climate Change Assessment Report] [Conference Agenda]

A workshop, held in Marrakesh, Morocco, from 17-20 April 2017, sought to help the country to: formulate and implement its National Adaptation Plan (NAP); reduce its vulnerability to climate change and integrate climate change adaptation into ongoing development planning processes; and build more inclusive and effective initiatives through including the gender dimension. Co-hosted by GIZ, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the workshop contributed to implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition to SDG 13 (climate action), it helped advance SDGs 7 (affordable and clean energy), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), 10 (reduced inequalities), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) and 17 (partnership for the Goals). [UNDP Climate Change Adaptation Press Release]

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The SDG Knowledge Hub publishes regular adaptation and loss and damage updates that can be found under the tag Adaptation and Loss and Damage Update.