Recent changes in climate have had widespread impacts on humanity and ecosystems. A transformative adaptation agenda with real innovative actions is needed to accelerate action on key issues such as the water sector, food security and oceans.
Here at COP21, the Lima-Paris Action Agenda (LPAA) is hosting another of its 'Action Days'. Today's focus is on Resilience. Resilience can have many different meanings to many different people, and today, in Paris, saw a nine hour marathon debate on the subject.
The first speaker was the president of last year’s COP20 in Lima, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Peru’s Minister of Environment.
"We must have resilience as a main objective whenever we engage in climate change talks’” said the Minister. “Why has it taken since 1992- to get resilience as a main talking point or objective in climate change talks?"
He also offered up an opinion on where he believes the answer to climate change resilience lies, "Science is key, it is the only way to know!"
Garry Conille, former Prime Minister of Haiti, stated: "Resilience cannot be built over night. You cannot just invest in resilience and then it is done. Building resilience is a journey of continuous learning and innovation".
The second speaker was Ségolène Royal, Minister of Environment, France. Her speech was very much aimed at a discussion on water, and the many terrible problems the Earth faces in regards to water.
"Millions lack access to drinking water. Millions die from it. And then in other areas, we have such an excess of water, rising sea levels, floods, that people are dying from that."
The French Minister went on to say: "Resilience is about more than just adaptation or overcoming adversity, it is also about learning from that adversity and starting over. It is not just about returning to the starting point. It is about rebuilding, strengthening, powering something strong from a negative experience".
