Organizer

• Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ)

Event Overview

• H.E. KOIZUMI Shinjiro
  Minister of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ) (TBC)

Keynote Speech

Ms. Mizutori Mami, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Head of UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)

Speakers

• Dr. Takeuchi Kazuhiko, President, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
• Dr. Nameki Mimi, Deputy Director, the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES)
• Dr. Medrilzam, Director, Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS), Republic of Indonesia (TBD)
• Ms. Chompunut Songkhao, Environmental Official Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy (ONEP), Planning Climate Change Management and Coordination Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), Thailand
• Ms. Ogawa Masako, Chief Advisor, The Project for Capacity Building on Climate Resilience, Pacific Climate Change Center (PCCC), Samoa
• Mr. Woochong Um, Director General, Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Moderator

Dr. Saleem Huq, Director, International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCD), Senior Fellow, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Co-chair, Asian-Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN)

Overall Chair

Mr. Takahashi Kazuaki, Director of climate change adaptation office, MOEJ

Speaker

• Minister of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ)
• Mizutori Mami, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Head of UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
• Arifin Rudiyanto, Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS), Republic of Indonesia
• Nameki Mimi, Deputy Director, the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES)
• Chompunut Songkhao, Environmental Official Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy (ONEP), Planning Climate Change Management and Coordination Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), Thailand
• 小川 眞佐子, Chief Advisor, The Project for Capacity Building on Climate Resilience, Pacific Climate Change Center (PCCC）, Samoa
• Woochong Um, Director General, Asian Development Bank (ADB)
• 武内 和彦, President, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
• Saleem Huq, Director, International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCD) Senior Fellow, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) Co-chair, Asian-Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN)
• 髙橋 一彰, Director of climate change adaptation office, MOEJ

Event Summary

This session focused on grasping climate change risks, and adaptation including disasters risk reduction based on them, in order to realize a world more resilient to climate change. The participants shared some examples of their initiatives and activities related to the Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Information Platform (AP-PLAT), which was launched in Japan in 2019. We discussed the future direction and efforts for adaptation to be taken, including information infrastructure development and disaster prevention.

First, H.E. Koizumi, Minister of the Environment Japan, stated that as extreme weather came to intensify due to climate change, the government needs better system for recovery from disasters through enhancing synergies between climate action and disaster risk reduction.

It was announced that the International Initiative for Climate Action and Disaster Risk Reduction will be held in collaboration with UN agencies in March, Tokyo. He also referred AP-PLAT launched in June 2019, and stated that MOEJ will work with partner countries and organizations to promote appropriate adaptation actions based on scientific information and datasets.

In the keynote speech by Dr. Mizutori (UNDRR) explained the current status and future prospects of society and economic losses due to climate-related disasters based on past reports and disaster databases. She emphasized that the increasing risks of floods and landslides are really emergent and prompt measures are needed.

Subsequently, Dr. Medrilzam (BAPPENAS), Indonesia shared information on the promotion of the pact adaptation activities including its localization and mainstreaming in Indonesia.

In the panel discussion, information infrastructure developments were shared from some speakers, firstly. Ms. Nameki (NIES) presented the current status of AP-PLAT including its plans to post high-resolution climate and impact projection data. Ms. Songkhao (ONEP) reported the adaptation measures, and the outline and progress of the Thai information platform.

Dr. Ogawa (JICA Expert) has made presentation on the progress of the training program including datasets on impacts such as inundation, hazard mapping and adaptation practices to deal with disaster risks peculiar to island areas. The business plan was also shared.

Mr. Um (ADB) commented on ADB's measures related to climate change resilience and coordination between datasets sharing with AP-PLAT.

Prof. Takeuchi (IGES) introduces examples of strengthening the integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in ASEAN countries, and supports for the initiatives. He stressed importance of integrated measures based on regional sustainability.

Lastly, Dr. Huq (IIED), as a moderator, concluded the session with mentioning possibility of collaboration in wider range of fields and areas through integrating scientific knowledge from various case studies shared in this session. For its vehicle, he expressed expectations for Japan's action and its support for APAN, AP-PLAT and other adaptation related projects.