27 July 2016: As global average temperatures reach unprecedented highs, climate change adaptation efforts around the globe concentrate on disaster risk management (DRM), public health issues, national adaptation planning and climate change-induced migration, among other issues. The recent developments reported in this Update contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts), SDG 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) and SDG target 10.7 on migration and mobility, including the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), June 2016 became the 14th consecutive month to break temperature records, and the 378th consecutive month with temperatures higher than the 20th century average. The global average temperatures of the year to date also broke records as the warmest in record-keeping history. [WMO Press Release] [NOAA Press Release] [NASA Press Release]

Against this background, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and the interlinkages between climate change and human health received renewed focus.

DRR, Climate Change – Human Health Nexus Gain Prominence

During a meeting held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, from 12-14 July 2016, ministers and high-level government officials from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan established the first Central Asia and South Caucasus Regional Platform for DRR to support the implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR in the region. [UNISDR Press Release on Dushanbe Platform] [UNISDR Press Release on Tajikistan’s Efforts] [UNISDR Meeting Webpage] [Sendai Framework for DRR]

The UN University (UNU) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) convened a public forum on ‘Advancing Science and Technology in the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR 2015-2030’ in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 19 July 2016. The event aimed to: raise awareness about the value of science, technology and innovation (STI) for DRR; engage key stakeholders in STI capacity building for DRR; and identify strategic next steps.

The forum included a launch event for the supplement issue of the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health (APJPH) comprising six policy-relevant papers addressing the various aspects of the human health-climate change nexus, including the interlinkages among extreme weather events, urbanization and health, and climate change impacts on air quality and public health, and on occupational health. [UNU Press Release] [Global Environmental Change and Human Health] [Climate Change, Extreme Weather Events, and Human Health Implications in the Asia Pacific Region] [Urbanization, Extreme Events, and Health The Case for Systems Approaches in Mitigation, Management, and Response] [Impact of Climate Conditions on Occupational Health and Related Economic Losses: A New Feature of Global and Urban Health in the Context of Climate Change] [Climate Change and Air Quality: The Potential Impact on Health] [Emergency Response to and Preparedness for Extreme Weather Events and Environmental Changes in China]

Extreme events was also the focus of an op-ed titled ‘The poor need alerts too’ by Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General and Chair of the Africa Progress Panel. In his piece, Annan emphasizes the need to protect public health, especially among the poor, by improving collection of climate and weather information, preparation of forecasts and distribution of weather warnings. [WMO Press Release]

NAPs Developments

During a workshop organized by the joint UNDP-UN Environment Programme (UNEP) National Adaptation Plan Global Support Programme (NAP-GSP) and partners, government ministers and delegates from 29 countries from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia (EECCA) shared their National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and addressed regional climate change challenges. The workshop, held in Chisinau, Moldova, from 28-30 June 2016, aimed to identify medium- and long-term climate adaptation needs, and operationalize strategies. [UNDP Press Release on 29 Countries Discussing Coordinated Climate Action] [UNDP Press Release on Eurasian Collaboration on Climate Change Adaptation]

On 11 July 2016, in Bonn, Germany, on the margins of NAP Expo 2016, the NAP Global Network held a side event on ‘Budgeting for Implementation of NAPs.’ The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) acts as the Secretariat of the Network. [Side Event Webpage] [NAP Expo 2016 Webpage] [NAP Global Network Website] [Adaptation and Loss and Damage Update Reporting on NAP Expo 2016] [IISD RS Sources]

Understanding of Climate Migration, Displacement and Human Mobility Enhanced

The Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid Regions (ASSAR) consortium issued a publication titled ‘The ASSAR Spotlight on Adaptation Futures’ focusing on the ASSAR members’ contributions to the Adaptation Futures 2016 conference discussing, among other issues, mobility as an adaptation response, adaptation and maladaptation, and vulnerability and risk response. [The ASSAR Spotlight on Adaptation Futures] [ASSAR Webpage] [IISD RS Story on Adaptation Futures 2016 Conference]

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) will hold a technical meeting on migration, displacement and human mobility from 27-29 July 2016, in Casablanca, Morocco. The technical meeting will address Action Area 6 of the initial two-year workplan of the UNFCCC Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage (ExCom) (Enhance the understanding of and expertise on how the impacts of climate change are affecting patterns of migration, displacement and human mobility; and the application of such understanding and expertise). [Meeting Agenda] [Meeting Concept Note] [Meeting Webpage]