CBA7: Live debate on climate change adaptation tweet-by-tweet

We took part in a fast-moving live AlertNet online chat on climate change adaptation today.

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9 April 2013

Considering the road ahead, now impassable for vehicles other than four wheel drives.

View the story "CBA7: Live debate on climate change adaptation tweet-by-tweet" on StorifyCBA7: Live debate on climate change adaptation tweet-by-tweetWe took part in a fast-moving live AlertNet online chat on climate change adaptation today. Storified by Suzanne FisherMurray· Thu, Apr 11 2013 01:44:11

Comments ranged from how communities can adapt, how toinvolve communities in tracking climate change, promoting gender equality in the climate talks, educating and communicatingabout climate change adaptation and climate finance.

Experts who took part included Saleemul Huq, a senior fellow with IIED, Maarten van Aalst, Director of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre, Yvette Abrahams, Women for Climate Justice, South Africa, Charlotte Sterrett, Principal Consultant, Climate Concern (Australia) and Kit Vaughan, Director, CARE Poverty Environment and Climate Change Network (PECCN).

It was a busy debate. According to Alertnet there were 554unique visitors to the live blog and 77 different people postedcomments. Here’s some hand picked tweets and comments from the debate. Visit the debate page to read all the comments.

Is it too late for the poorest people to adapt to #climate change impacts? Join our debate today, 12:30 BST ow.ly/jSJA0 #CBA7AlertNet10 minutes to go until live chat on #climate change starts but discussion's already kicked off! Join in bit.ly/Ya56ei #CBA7IIEDAs all good things do, the debate kicked off with some good questions.
#Adaptation or #mitigation. #CBA7 Which way for #Africa? #climatechange.Geoffrey KamadiGood question: "What does one do about traditional ways of living (cultures, customs and traditions) that are anti-climate change?" #CBA7...AlertNetVery curious to know: is anyone assessing, or even seriously taking loss/direct impact of adaptation on people's cultural traditions? #CBA7Stella PaulThe experts were asked for examples of community-based adaptation that has worked well. Saleemul Huq said: " I am afraid it is diffcult to say for sure since climate change is a long term problem and we will not know what works well as adaptation to climate change for another decade or so. However, in the interim we can use proxies such as adaptation to disasters through disaster risk reduction of which there are many examples from Bangladesh to Cuba. However, these remain adaptations to climate variabality rather than adaptations to climate change (which, as I have said, is a much longer term phenomena that cannot be judged yet)." Community-based adaptation: how can we make sure all voices are heard?
Local-level adaptation is spreading around the world quite rapidly - IIED expert #CBA7 ow.ly/jSXCk @IIEDalertnetclimateIf 'transformation' is needed to adapt to future change, how do we ensure all views are heard (vested interests and power not abused)? #CBA7Lindsey Jones#Climate scientists 'need to be more humble' and better understand community problems - #RedCross expert #CBA7 ow.ly/jT1axalertnetclimate#Climate 'adaptation in Africa cannot become another job creation project for middle class of global North' #CBA7 bit.ly/1518ISUTR Foundation'We can't develop adaptation plans in air-conditioned offices far away from #women who make living off land' #CBA7 ow.ly/jT0Q4alertnetclimatePromoting greater gender equality was a theme running through much of the discussion. AlertNet's Laurie Goering called for "More women at all levels." But Agnes Otzelberger, from CARE said it was "important not to assume that the presence of more women in high level decision-making bodies automatically leads to more gender-equitable decisions being made." They agreed that while it wouldn't solve all problems it was a: "very very good start." Gender equity not the whole answer to better climate adaption, but a start bit.ly/10BcVFH #CBA7alertnetclimateYvette Abrahams reminded people that adaptation, justice and gender are interlinked: "In Africa...women work the land they do not own, in order to feed the families they did not make alone. So when we talk about adaptation issues we shall never be able to run away from issues of justice."Building up the evidence base for what works, and what doesn't
We need to get better at collecting evidence to show investing in adaptation>more effective than reconstruction bit.ly/Ya56ei #cba7IIEDAbsolutely! RT @IIED: We need to get better at collecting evidence to show investing in adaptation>more effective than reconstruction #cba7Giordano CossuClimate Crisis: How can the poorest and most vulnerable act to adapt?Megan, good point. As you know, there are many factors. One problem is that I feel too many people working in this field feel that it is ...Climate Finance
#CBA7 40% of #carboncredit funds go into admin work. The rest divided among 700 farmer groups. Sensible? #climatechange.Geoffrey Kamadi"Climate finance is no charity, its obligation under the UN Convention on Climate Change" Quamrul Chowdhury bit.ly/10BcVFH #CBA7alertnetclimate#Climate #adaptation finance must not be diverted from development #aid budgets - #CAREClimate expert #CBA7 ow.ly/jT3ycCARE Climate ChangeMassive ramp up of support for #climate #adaptation is urgent - Bangladesh negotiator #CBA7 ow.ly/jT2Z0alertnetclimate"The figures for for adaptation funding need to be revised upwards" says @IIED 's @saleemulhuq. Join debate bit.ly/Ya56ei #cba7IIEDClimate Crisis: How can the poorest and most vulnerable act to adapt?But Kit and Saleem: I agree that we may need more funding, but so far very little is "new and additional" -- much of it comes from regula...Differing views on whether #climate finance should be inside or outside development #aid budgets #CBA7 ow.ly/jT3TCalertnetclimateExperts see limited role for private finance in #climate adaptation because limited profit opportunities #CBA7 ow.ly/jT2PLalertnetclimateClimate adaptation in conflict zones: can it work?
Can adaptation in conflict zones work? bit.ly/10BcVFH #CBA7 #climatealertnetclimate@alertnetclimate: But for conflict areas, banks seem to differ. Donald Kaberuka,president of African Development Bank said so in delhi #CBA7Stella PaulClimate Crisis: How can the poorest and most vulnerable act to adapt?Hi Stella, Good question. You can find some answers on pp.91-97 of www.ecbproject.org One example is to explicitly identify linkages betw...The importance of communicating about climate change — and even including it as a form of adaptation to climate change — was a key topic. Soraya Agaoglu, a journalist with Al Jazeera English said that while it's still hard to publish stories that don't sit neatly within the 'catastrophe' genre she is increasingly finding good community-based climate change stories (full quote below).
'Better communication is a form of adaptation to #climate change' but media coverage lacking - IIED #CBA7 ow.ly/jT1OX @IIEDTR Foundation"I think people like to hear or see climate stories to which they can relate" #CBA7 bit.ly/10BcVFHTR FoundationGood communication key to #adaptation & working w/ editors as they're key story decision makers. Join live chat bit.ly/10LdEpC #cba7IIEDRe: media, is there one outlet specialised in "climate change stories" as a tool to demonstrate what it means for communities? #CBA7Giordano CossuClimate Crisis: How can the poorest and most vulnerable act to adapt?Hi all - from the Southern Voices on Climate Change! A programme coordinated by Care DK supporting climate policy networks in the South. ...Climate Crisis: How can the poorest and most vulnerable act to adapt?Hi Peter -- great to see you here. Anyone interested in the Southern Voices programme -- which IIED is proud to support -- can also check...Did you know that games, song, dance, theatre and poetry can help people adapt climate change? Find out more ow.ly/jT1p8 #CBA7alertnetclimateClimate Crisis: How can the poorest and most vulnerable act to adapt?I work for Al Jazeera English and thankfully we've done some decent community-based CC stories outside of the 'catastrophe' genre but I a...Education and playing games to experience consequences, cross cultural divides and experience the tough choices facing others was also discussed. Laurie Goering suggested that combinging games and education could work in schools..."Seems to me this desire to pull in students, and to educate using games, should go together, no? How about getting these climate games into schools at all levels?"
Education needs to change to provide skills to adapt and to innovative using traditional knowledge bit.ly/10BcVFH #CBA7alertnetclimateClimate Crisis: How can the poorest and most vulnerable act to adapt?@ornacejoy and @charlottesterrett: one way we connect realities across scales is to play the same games (mentioned earlier) in different ...Climate Crisis: How can the poorest and most vulnerable act to adapt?Games were mentioned as a way of crossing divides and experiencing the touch choices facing others. As a last (fun) post, this blog explo...Innovative idea: Crowdsourcing to track climate change in partnership with local communities. Is it being done? Only one example was cited during the debate, but this is very much anecdotal and needs to be looked at. Are there any other examples out there?
Anybody with direct experience of #crowdsourcing projects to track climate change in partnership with local communities? #CBA7Giordano Cossu@Agashya Interests me too! There's one org I know in eastern #India, works with forest tribes, using traditional early warning system .#CBA7Stella Paul@stellasglobe Thanks Stella, would you have more info on the Indian project you mentioned? #CBA7Giordano Cossu@Agashya The org's Living Farms. The tribe's Kondaria Gond -lives around #Niyamgiri hills, was in news recently for Bauxite mining #CBA7Stella Paul@Agashya I'm gonna visit the area soon. More details then. For now, they use signs - birds, insects behavior etc - to predict changes #CBA7Stella PaulThe live #climate discussion’s over but don’t despair. Read all the comments and questions here: bit.ly/Ya56ei Enjoy! #cba7IIEDAre you keen to find out more? Read more about IIED's work in this field, or sign up to be a virtual participant at our upcoming community-based adaptation to climate change conference in Bangladesh in a few weeks. We will have a live blog where you can take part of the discussion. We look forward to hearing from you again there.