Adaptation Can No Longer Go Under-prioritised

Adaptation can no longer go under-prioritised, Rotterdam 50-plus warn on climate emergency

Ahead of November’s COP 26 climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, a dialogue on climate adaption was held on Monday in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where over 50 leaders have advocated increase in money and political will to boost adaption to the rising and more frequent climate emergencies.

The dialogue, convened by the Global Centre on Adaptation, hosting more than 50 ministers, heads of climate organisations and development finance institutions, emphasised that the forthcoming COP26 climate talks should to treat adaptation as “urgent.”

The group, through a communiqué, observed that adaptation as a response to climate change has not received significant attention, resources or level of action in comparison to reducing planet-heating or emission-cutting efforts.

They argued that physical efforts, scientific breakthroughs and technological interventions such as relocating coastal communities, cultivating more drought-tolerant crops and building higher flood defences respectively are yet to gain priority attention among policy influencers.

At the opening of the meeting, Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Centre on Adaptation, warned that
“millions of lives and the safety of communities around the world are already at stake.”

Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank, added that, for Africa, “the impacts are massive.” According to him, “Africa loses today seven to 15 billion dollars a year in terms of climate change, and if that doesn’t change it’s going to be about $50 billion by 2040.”

A consensus on an urgent increase in international funding was apparent as attention was focused on least developed but highly vulnerable countries.

Amina Mohammed,
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, said a “massively scaled-up investment in adaptation and resilience” was “absolutely critical for those at the front lines of the climate crisis.” She, however, lamented the inadequacy of funds for those in greater need of financial assistance for climate adaptation.