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  • Description
  • Program

The seventh meeting of the Global network of basins working on climate change adaptation took place on 25-26 May 2023 in Geneva in a hybrid format. The meeting allowed the exchange of experiences and updates on the benefits and added value of developing and implementing climate change adaptation strategies and plans in transboundary basins.
It focused on the following topics:

  • drought management in transboundary basins under changing climate;
  • linkages between global processes on water, environment, climate and biodiversity;
  • adaptation of wetlands to climate change in transboundary basins; and
  • financing transboundary climate change adaptation.

The meeting also discussed future activities within the Global network including how to further facilitate a regular exchange of experience between the participating basins, the on-line Compendium of good practices and lessons learnt in climate change adaptation in transboundary basins and other similar initiatives.

Liens

AGENDA
25 May

Introduction (10:00 – 10:20)
Welcome remarks and short introduction
Moderated by: Ms. Sibylle Vermont, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland
Co-chairs of the Task Force on Water and Climate:

  • Ms. Sibylle Vermont, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland
  • Mr. Niels Vlaanderen, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Netherlands INBO:
  • Mr. Edouard Boinet, International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO) UNECE:
  • Ms. Sonja Koeppel, Secretariat of the Water Convention/UNECE
  • Ms. Hanna Plotnykova, Secretariat of the Water Convention/UNECE

First session (10:20 – 12:00)
Climate and transboundary water cooperation

Moderated by: Mr. Niels Vlaanderen, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the
Netherlands

  • UN Water Conference outcomes related to climate change – Mr. Niels Vlaanderen, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Netherlands
  • Opportunities for mainstreaming water and transboundary aspects into global climate processes under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – Mr. Stefan Dierks, UNFCCC Secretariat
  • General updates of the network members about respective climate change adaptation actions, including links to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and their implementation as well as to the Global Stocktake and the Global Goal on Adaptation
    • Mr. Lenka Thamae, Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM)
    • Mr. Jorge Luis Guerra Bonilla, Binational Commission of the Sixaola River Basin
    • Mr. Ylber Mirta, Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, North Macedonia
    • Mr. Adrian Schmid-Breton, International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR)
  • Contributions from other basins and questions & answers

 

Second session (14:30 – 16:30)
Biodiversity, wetlands and transboundary water cooperation

Moderated by: Ms. Sibylle Vermont, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland

  • Integrating water and transboundary approaches into Global Biodiversity Framework and other activities under Convention on Biological Diversity – Ms. Monica Kobayashi, CBD Secretariat
  • Management, conservation and restoration of wetlands in transboundary basins under the
  • Convention on Wetlands of International Importance – Mr. Jerker Tamelander, Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands
  • Adaptation of wetlands to climate change at transboundary level: examples from basin
  • organisations
    • Ms. Birgit Vogel, International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR)
    • Ms. Ana Jeleapov, Dniester Basin Commission
    • Mr. Mohamed Fawzi Bedredine, Organisation for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS)
    • Mr. Michael Kizza, Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat (NBI)
    • Mr. Raphael Glemet, Indo-Burma Ramsar Regional Initiative
  • Contributions from other basins and questions & answers

26 May

Third session (10:00 – 12:00)
Drought management in transboundary basins

Moderated by: Mr. Edouard Boinet, International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO)

  • United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and its instruments for drought risk management in transboundary basins – Mr. Daniel Tsegai, UNCCD
  • Policies on drought risk management in a transboundary perspective under the European Commission – Ms. Dagmar Kaljarikova and Mr. Willem Jan Goossen, European Commission
  • Plans and actions on-the-ground: examples from basin organisations
  • Mr. Jean-Noël Pansera, International Meuse Commission
  • Mr. Dele Olatunji, Niger Basin Authority (NBA)
    • Mr. Mpaphi Casper Bonyongo, Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM)
    • Mr. Khoi Tran Minh, Mekong River Commission (MRC)
    • Mr. Arsen Zhakanbayev, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan
  • Contributions from other basins and questions & answers

Lunch-break (12:00 – 14:30)

Fourth session (14:30 – 15:50)
Financing climate change adaptation in transboundary basins

Moderated by: Mr. Niels Vlaanderen, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Netherlands

  • Opportunities for financing climate change adaptation in transboundary basins
    • Ms. Kalterine Vrenezi, Adaptation Fund
    • Mr. Edoardo Borgomeo, World Bank
  • Mobilizing funding for adaptation in transboundary basins: examples from basin organisations: panel discussion
    • Ms. Rafatou Fofana, Volta Basin Authority (VBA)
    • Mr. Carlos Lazary, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO)
  • Contributions from other basins and questions & answers

Fifth session (15:50 – 16:20)
Future activities and needs of the Global network

Moderated by: Ms. Sibylle Vermont, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland

  • Discussion

Closure (16:20 – 16:30)
Wrap-up and closing remarks by the co-chairs