UN Initiative Strengthens Ability To Anticipate, Absorb And “reshape” Climate Impacts
A new initiative has been launched to build climate resilience in the world’s most vulnerable countries by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and 13 members within the UN system. The “A2R” (anticipate, absorb, reshape) initiative is to strengthen the ability of countries to anticipate hazards, absorb shocks, and reshape development to reduce climate risks.
The new initiative is to address the needs of the nearly 634 million people, or one tenth of the global population, who live in risk-prone coastal areas just a few meters above existing sea levels, as well as those living in areas at risk from droughts and floods. It brings together private sector organizations, governments, UN agencies, research institutions and other stakeholders to scale up trans-formative solutions. It focuses on Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries, and African countries. “It is time to move from risk to resilience”, says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
“The initiative is a multi-stakeholder partnership that focuses on accelerating climate resilience before 2020 for the most vulnerable by strengthening three elements: First, the capacity to better anticipate and act on climate hazards through early warning and early action; second, the capacity to absorb shocks by increasing insurance and social protection coverage; third, the capacity to adapt development to reduce risks at the national and international levels,” he said. UN attempts to achieve the following goals at the end of COP 21
• Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI)
• Climate Risks and Early Warning Systems – CREWS
• G7 Insurance Resilience Initiative
• Food Security Climate Resilience Facility
• Rural Resilience Facility R4
• Global Resilience Partnership
• A2R Anticipate Absorb Reshape
It’s responsible for the Citizens and Heads of states to concern and work with UN on a global agreement to retain the resource of this Planet.