Connect4Climate (C4C) team members traveled from World Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C. to Bangkok, Thailand to attend the 2nd Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum and to speak on the "Youth and Adaptation Panel" on March 12 and 13 at the United Nations Conference Center.
Members of the Connect4Climate team attend the Opening Session - Adaptation in Action at the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok, Thailand during the 2nd Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum. (Photo by Leigh Vogel)
The two-day event attracted more than 700 participants, ranging from "adaptation practitioners at global, regional, national, and sub-national levels...government representatives from various line ministries, researchers, practitioners, NGOs, international organizations, regional intergovernmental bodies, youth, media and the private sector," according to asiapacificadapt.net. The Forum aimed to provide opportunities to "share frontline findings and innovations, opportunities and challenges in mainstreaming Climate Change adaptation into development," according to the site. Connect4Climate team members attended a multitude of panel sessions and events in order to introduce the Connect4Climate initiative to these new audiences and gain insights, perspectives, and information regarding climate change initiatives in Southeast Asia and worldwide.
Above: Opening Session-Adaptation in Action panel and Connect4Climate literature at Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum. Photos by Leigh Vogel
As the Connect4Climate initiative goes global, we prepared to meet and speak with peers about their involvement during the Forum, and were well received across sectors. C4C Program Manager Lucia Grenna sat on the well-attended panel on "Youth and Adaptation" along with:
- Tek Jung Mahat, Project Manager, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Nepal
- Sanjay Vashist, Director, Climate Action Network Asia (CANSA), South Asia
- Craig Hobbs, CEO, Asia-Pacific Media Alliance for Social Awareness, Singapore
- Tanzima Shahreen, Communications and Outreach Expert/Junior Research Assistant, Boishakhi Television, Unnayan Onneshan, Bangladesh
- Kevin Charles Kettle, Project Development Officer, SEAMEO SPAFA, Thailand
The panel sparked conversation and yielded questions from attendees wanting to learn more about the strategic use of social media in communicating about climate change issues.
Connect4Climate Program Manager speaks to a crowd of attendees, including civil society, climate change researchers, NGOs, and academics during the Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum on March 13, 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand. Photos by Leigh Vogel
As a result of C4C's attendance at the Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum, we anticipate welcoming many new partners, follows on social media outlets, and sharing of climate change information and research on our website and social media platforms. Forum attendees saw the value of the C4C initiative and many asked how the C4C team received so many photos and videos (and especially ones depicting hope) during the Connect4Climate Photo & Video Competition. We were asked how C4C was able to create this largeand well-received of a platform.
According to C4C Program Manager Lucia Grenna,
"C4C has become a comfort zone for individuals, NGOs, and organizations that have content to share and questions to ask."
In return, C4C team members have gained Increased knowledge of global climate change perspectives, and increased understanding of the difference in perception and experience between the various continents in which we are working.
We look forward to sharing information from new partners as a result of our attendance at the Forum.
Above: Craig Hobbs, CEO, Asia-Pacific Media Alliance for Social Awareness, Singapore; Right: Green Growth Capacity Development Consultant at United Nations Maria Tomovik and Justin Alick of Education for Sustainable Development Unit at UNESCO attend the 2nd Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum. Photo by Leigh Vogel
