Regional Hubs Virtual Summit

The Opening Session is expected to set the stage for the two day summit with some inspirational performances, an opening keynote, and the current policy context of the Regional Resilience Hub Virtual Summit. Why do we need regional engagement? How do we take the COP to the people? And how do we devolve and localise collaboration so that we continue to learn from each other, inform regional policy and exercise our agency to act?

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Local actions, global impact in addressing climate change: Stories from the LLA initiative

11:00–12:00, 7 October

Adiba Bintey Kamal – Programme Coordinator, ICCCAD

Dr. Rajvi Joshipura – Senior Coordinator, Self-Employed Women’s Association

Afsara Bintey Mirza – Research Officer, ICCCAD

Dr Ahmad Salahuddin – Senior Associate Scientist, Climate & Livelihoods Resilience (AMD) Program

Dr. Golam Rabbani – Head of Climate Bridge Fund, BRAC

This session will showcase different resilience stories and adaptation strategies, providing an opportunity for those on the frontlines of climate impacts to influence global dialogues on resilience and adaptation. This session aims to present examples of sharing the responsibility and enhancing local capacity through collaborative initiatives, along with spotlight on regional initiatives by communities in the South Asia.

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Strengthening climate change, biodiversity and land restoration cross-linkages for just and sustainable futures: what are the key issues for Africa to take into the COPs?

12:00–13:00, 7 October

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Nadia Sitas – EbA Thematic lead, CDKN

Leitoro Adrian – Co-founder, Nature and People as One (NaPO)

Maïmouna Diouf – ENDA ENERGIE

Eva Maria Okoth – Acting Africa Regional Coordinator, International Land Coalition

Fatema Rajabali – CDKN Africa lead, SouthSouthNorth

This session seeks to address the critical intersections of climate change, land degradation and biodiversity loss as they emerge across scales, aiming to identify effective strategies and foster collaborative actions to boost resilience, equity and sustainability. By bringing together leading experts, the dialogue will focus on key considerations and approaches to enhance the management of issues related to both climate change and biodiversity. This forum will provide a platform for discussing and aligning Africa’s priorities, and for crafting key messages to guide and inform discussions at the subsequent COPs of the CBD, UNFCCC and UNCCD.

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The role of climate evidence: busting myths

14:00–15:00, 7 October

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Victoria Matusevich – BASE

Pamela Olmedo – BASE

Mike Keraf – Rainbow Consortium Indonesia

Raimundo Alves – ACESA Brazil

Bianca Angelique – Indonesia

Fabian Wiropranoto – Indonesia

Eduardo Chacón – Costa Rica

Locally led projects face significant challenges in accessing climate funds. One such obstacle involves the requirement of developing a “climate rationale”. To tackle this challenge, BASE (Building Approaches to fund local Solutions with climate Evidence) was launched to promote more and better access to climate finance for local communities.

In this session we want to share the main lessons learned ater implementing the first grant scheme, where eight locally led solutions in the Global South received a 40,000 USD grant and the support of a dedicated researcher to work closely with the recients to advance the transformation of their territories while generating evidence of how the proposed intervention contributes to climate mitigation and/or adaptation.

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Intersectionality in Climate Change: Exploring Impacts of Extreme Weather Events, Health and Gender on Young People

15:00–16:00, 7 October

Stanley Mburu – Moderator

Zizipho Royi – SouthSouthNorth Project Manager, CDKN

Patricia Bamanyaki – GESI Lead, CDKN

Aida Namukose – CDKN Youth

Silivia Hagan – CDKN Youth and Mental Health Champion

Nancy Barisoa – Ecoshe

This session will focus on the integration of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) in climate policies and practices, a key outcome area of CDKN 3. This session is designed to advance this outcome while building on insights from the Regional Conference of Youth (RCOY 2024), which emphasised the inclusion of GESI and Planetary Health and Healthcare Systems in Adaptation and Resilience Strategies for Local Communities.

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Financing Resilience in the Global South: Innovation, Challenges and Opportunities linked to the Just Transition

09:00–10:00, 8 October

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Phatsimo Rahman – SouthSouthNorth

Ameil Harikushun – Finance Lead, CDKN

Lwandle Mqadi – Responsible Investments and Sustainability Specialist, Industrial Development Cooperation (IDC)

Basani Baloyi – Co-Author “Advocating for Rights-Based Climate Investment Plans in Developing Nations to Realise a Just Transition”, Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ)

Pauline Makutsa – Climate Finance and Governance Expert, ADA Consortium, Kenya

Constance Okolett – Osukuru United Women’s Network

This session aims to highlight the synergies in the just transition and building resilience, from cross-regional, national and local perspectives.

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South Asia Policy Dialogue: Advancing Regional Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategies

10:00–11:00, 8 October

Saqib Huq – ICCCAD

Ajaya Dixit – Water resources and climate change expert, Nepal

Suruchi Bhadwal – Senior Fellow and Director, Earth Science and Climate Change Division, The Energy and Resources Institute(TERI)

Dr Hameed Jamali – Adaptation Expert, Pakistan

Mr Golam Rabbani – Head, Climate Bridge Fund Secretariat, BRAC (Bangladesh)

Dr Bimal Raj Regmi

This session is designed to foster a high-level discussion aimed at advancing climate adaptation and resilience strategies in South Asia. The session will address regional priorities, challenges, and actionable solutions by bringing together policymakers, practitioners, researchers and experts representing both government and non-government sectors. The dialogue will focus on identifying effective policy interventions and promoting collaboration across South Asian countries, ensuring these efforts contribute meaningfully to global climate discussions such as COP29.

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Community Resilience Building & Advocacy and Policy Engagement Workshop

11:00–12:00, 8 October

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Joseph Maniragena – SDI Secretariat

Richard Bockarie – Centre of Dialogue on Human Settlement and Poverty Alleviation (CODOHSAPA) Sierre Leone

Nolwando Mayongo – Federation of the Urban Poor (FEDUP) South Africa

Dr Paul Mulindwa – CIVICUS as Advocacy and Campaign

Local communities are on the frontlines of climate change impacts, yet they and other local actors rarely have a voice in the decisions that most affect them. There is a critical need to shift from current top-down approaches to one where local actors have greater opportunity, power, and resources to build resilience to climate change.

This workshop will provide training on advocacy strategies, community organizing, and engagement with local government authorities and policymakers.

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How to co-create for more inclusive adaptation and resilience research: lessons from practice

12:00–13:30, 8 October

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Shehnaaz Moosa – Director, SouthSouthNorth

Suzane Carter – Programme Manager, SouthSouthNorth

Grace Oloukoi – Professor, Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria (PALMTREES project)

Liz Stephens – Science Lead, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre (INFLOW project)

Mac Tavish – Youth Representative, Slum Dwellers International

Mzingo Botha – Women’s Life Wellness Foundation (Zambia)

This session will highlight the role of co-creation approaches in adaptation research and building resilience. Co-creation approaches can significantly strengthen the inclusiveness of adaptation research, ensuring local needs are better integrated and that research results can lead to useful and lasting changes or solutions.

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Unpacking the Resilience and Care Nexus: Why is it important?

14:00–15:00, 8 October

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Maria Gracia Aguilar – Coordinator, Fundacion Avina

Ana Moreno – Technical Secretary, Global Alliance for Care

Francisco Cos Montiel – Senior Research Coordinator, UNRISD

Ankita Panda – Senior Program Officer, Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality, The Asia Foundation

Sonia Phalatse – Researcher of the Climate and Inequality programme at SCIS, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits)

Anne Barre – Policy & Programmes Coordinator, WECF

Violet Shivutse – Chair and Regional Representative for Africa, Huairou Commission

Jeannette Gurung – Executive Director, WOCAN

Luana Simoes Pinheiro – Director of Care Economy at Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger Brazil

Erin Tansey – Director, Sustainable Inclusive Economies, Canada’s International Development Research Centre – IDRC

This session will unpack the care and climate intersections to strengthen climate resilience through recognising and addressing the unequal distribution of care work. The session will also discuss how to integrate care into climate resilience policy and projects; highlighting the importance of care as a climate resilience measure. It will also share information on a new catalytic fund that will finance grassroots organisations that are implementing initiatives addressing the climate & care nexus in Latin America and the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa.

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Wrap Up: Looking towards COP30

15:00–16:00, 8 October

Ameil Harikishun – Finance Lead, CDKN

Joe Muturi – President, Slum Dwellers International (SDI)

Phatsimo Rehman – SouthSouthNorth

Paz Gonzalez – Avina

Joseph Maniragena – Slum Dwellers International

Saqib Huq – International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)

Jesper Hörnberg – CEO, Global Resilience Partnership

The closing session will bring together everything discussed over the two days across the different sessions. Through the moderated fireside chat format, the Regional Hub leads will reflect on the key messages and regional priorities from COP29 and CBD COP16. Finally, they will discuss the road to COP30.

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