17 November 2013: Development and Climate Days (D&C Days) took place from 16-17 November 2013, in Warsaw, Poland, on the sidelines of the 19th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 19) to the UNFCCC. The days focused on the theme, “Innovative approaches, inclusive dialogue for climate-smart development.”

Day one showcased adaptation practitioners’ field experiences. During the morning session, participants engaged in small group discussions on emerging issues, solutions and actors. Discussion topics included: national and sub-national planning; implementation of national adaptation progammes of action (NAPA); ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA); and integration of climate risk and vulnerability analysis for adaptation financing; climate risk insurance; health, adaptation and climate change; climate-smart agriculture; and disaster risk reduction (DRR). Participants also shared national experiences from Gambia, Malawi and Nepal. The RCCC facilitated a participatory game, ‘Climate Attribution Under Loss & Damage: Risking, Observing, Negotiating (CAULDRON).”

In the afternoon, participants discussed adaptation projects and programmes financed through the Least Developed Country Fund (LDCF), Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) and the GEF’s Strategic Priority for Adaptation (SPA). Speakers shared experiences on: building climate resilience in Afghanistan; implementing NAPA priorities in Niger; coping with climate-induced drought in Ethiopia; reducing coastal vulnerability in Guinea; and increasing ecosystem resilience in Uruguay. During a high-level panel on national level funding of adaptation, panelists highlighted the role of youth in leading fundamental change and suggested the climate negotiations use the political momentum behind the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to move forward. In an evening reception, an interview panel discussed local level adaptation finance.

Day two focused on game-based approaches for action on climate change. Games addressed negotiation blockages, disaster preparedness, early warning systems and disaster communication. The D&C Days aim to align practitioners’ adaptation experiences with policy-makers’ perceptions. [IISD RS Coverage of D&C Days] [D&C Website] [D&C Information Note and Agenda]