In its second edition, the National Forum on Adaptation to Climate Change brought together more than three hundred national and international experts, decision makers, academics, and members of civil society to discuss adaptation priorities in national climate policy.
The Second National Forum on Adaptation to Climate Change in Mexico allowed to discuss the progress and challenges involved in fulfilling the commitments that Mexico acquired as part of the Paris Agreement. It was a space for the exchange of ideas and experiences among key actors for the design of the National Adaptation Policy (NAP) and the discussion of the needs for the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of Mexico. The event took place on April 18 and 19 at the headquarters of the Senate of the Republic.
During the two days, more than 300 attendees participated, including specialists from the academic sector, representatives of civil society, representatives of the private sector, multilateral cooperation agencies, and the Mexican government. In plenary sessions, they discussed issues such as vulnerability to climate change, ecosystem-based adaptation, cities, disaster risk management, and access to information for decision making. Likewise, transversal themes of the development agenda were analyzed in specialized panels, among them: water management, food security, adaptation finance, and community participation with a gender perspective.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH was part of the organizing committee together with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC), the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Inter-American Development Bank (BID) and the Green Effect (Efecto Verde A.C.). In his opening remarks, Gerardo Arroyo of UNDP said that adaptation to climate change must involve a development process that allows societies to manage the consequences of climate change and prevent the deterioration of capacities and opportunities as a result of this phenomenon.
On the first day of work, Kathrin Ludwig, adviser of the GIZ’s Mexican-German Climate Change Alliance, participated in the session ‘Improving water management for adaptation and development’, together with representatives of the Mexican Institute of Water Technology (IMTA), the National Water Commission (CONAGUA), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC), the National Bank of Public Works and Services (BANOBRAS), as well as the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP). The participants agreed that water is a central issue for the fulfillment of the goals of the Mexican NDC and considered that there are several pending issues in the sector, such as the regulation of settlements in risk areas, the promotion of education on the water management, as well as the adoption of a gender approach to water.
Ludwig announced that since 2014 GIZ has been working with SEMARNAT on adaptation and water resources. She indicated that the elaboration process of the NAP of Mexico, soon to begin, will include adaptation in the field of water. She also recalled the study tour that representatives of SEMARNAT and GIZ made to the Netherlands and Germany at the end of 2017, to learn about the work of these countries on the subject. She considered the participants obtained relevant information for their daily work, which will allow them to follow up on various topics and innovations in the sector.
In the session “Adaptation Finance” representatives of SEMARNAT, IDB, UNDP, TNC, among others, analyzed the current state of financing and the impacts of adaptation. They recommended prioritizing the goals of the Mexican NDC based on a cost-benefit analysis to facilitate compliance. They stressed the need to change the financing structure, for example, by promoting investment in prevention rather than disaster repair. In addition, they called for strengthening financial institutions such as the Climate Change Fund, but also to promote the profitability of natural capital. Some challenges identified for adaptation finance are measuring the risk and impacts of natural disasters, developing adequate capacities and projects, as well as incorporating the private sector.
For his part, Camilo de la Garza, adaptation advisor of the Climate Change Alliance, moderated the session ‘Food security in the context of climate change’. Representatives of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Postgraduate College (COLPOS), the National Agricultural Council (CNA) and the Agency for Services to Marketing and Development of Agricultural Markets (ASERCA) participated in the meeting.
Gloria Abraham, representative of the IICA Office in Mexico, highlighted the development of the Agenda for Climate Change and Agro-food Production, which began in December 2015 after the approval of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. She noted that the Agenda is the result of the collaboration of 130 people in 38 institutions, including IICA and GIZ, who have worked in the organization of workshops, the application of participatory methodologies, and collaboration with organizations interested in the agro-food sector.
In the session of the private sector, Thomas Schneider, director of the ADAPTUR project of GIZ, together with representatives of the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR), the Ministry of Environment and Territorial Development of the State of Jalisco (SEMADET), the Business Coordinating Council of San Miguel de Allende (CCE), the Yucatecan Business Foundation (FEYAC A.C.), and TNC, shared with the attendees some of the effects caused by climate change and the initiatives that are being carried out. For example, the insurance for reefs that is being promoted with entrepreneurs in Puerto Morelos and Cancun, the vulnerability diagnoses in 25 tourist destinations, the Environmental Fund in the State of Jalisco, sustainability certifications, training of entrepreneurs on issues of climate change, among others. Finally, they highlighted that one of the challenges to involve the private sector in the national adaptation policy is to translate the technical language into business language demonstrating the benefits generated by investments in the conservation of ecosystems.
On the other hand, in the session “Resilience of Ecosystems: an opportunity for adaptation” Alexandra Köngeter, advisor of the Mainstreaming EbA project, implemented by GIZ, shared several experiences on the ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) approach. In this session, conceptual development was discussed, as well as examples of application in the field, and its integration in various international forums. In this session, representatives of federal government institutions (CONANP and INECC), as well as academia (UNAM), civil society (ProNatura , Community and Biodiversity AC) and international cooperation (GIZ) discussed challenges and opportunities for the integration of the approach AbE. Among the main messages of the session highlighted the need to mainstream the issue and integrate local populations in the design and implementation of adaptation measures. Likewise, the importance of strengthening governance schemes and effectively communicating the benefits and limitations of the approach was discussed, as well as the integration of multiple actors and approaches for adaptation.
The event is part of the efforts of the Mexican-German Climate Change Alliance to generate capacities for development, involving different sectors to generate innovations for climate protection. The Second National Adaptation Forum gives continuity to the first forum, held in 2016, which was able to generate for the first time a space to reflect on the best adaptation strategies for Mexico, with the participation of civil society, academia and government.
The Mexican – German Alliance for Climate Change works on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety (BMU) as part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). Its objective is the development of knowledge at all levels in Mexico in order to disseminate and generate innovations for climate protection.
