Ahmed Hussen, Canadian Minister of International Development joins GCA Advisory Board
Following the invitation of the Chairman of the board of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, the Canadian Minister of International Development has agreed to join the Advisory Board of the Global Center on Adaptation.
C
anada co-led with Mexico the Nature Based Solutions Action Track of the Global Commission on Adaptation, a two-year initiative managed by GCA to catalyze a global movement to accelerate climate adaptation solutions. Canada’s International Development Research Centre also supported the 20/20 Young Adaptation Professionals Programme – a 24-month capacity-building initiative that brought together 20 emerging research voices from across the global South. In October 2021, the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau visited the floating global office of the Global Center on Adaptation to discuss how climate innovation can be used to build a green and resilient recovery in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
GCA is currently working in partnership with Canada to scale up investments in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate resilience in Bangladesh with a budget amounting to CA$9.85 million over three years.
The partnership will look to strengthen national, regional and global knowledge and capacity to scale NbS to build climate-resilient and gender-responsive infrastructure through inclusive multi-stakeholder approaches. In addition, the project will help private and public organizations to access existing climate adaptation funding through the strengthened integration of gender-responsive NbS for climate change adaptation in large-scale infrastructure investments and services in selected secondary cities with biodiversity co-benefits; and the increased adoption of locally led adaptation approaches that engage women, youth and vulnerable communities in climate change adaptation plans in selected secondary cities with biodiversity co-benefits. At its core, the partnership project is structured around bringing NbS and locally led adaptation interventions into the design of up to 12 investment projects with a combined investment value of $1 billion, and using these projects to embed capacity within the government through a learning-by-doing approach.
GCA and Canada will also be partnering on the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) to address the lack of funding to adapt to climate change and respond to the urgent need to scale up adaptation efforts at speed to ensure people on the continent can be more resilient to the impact a changing climate in the future.
On the announcement of his appointment to the board, Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development of Canada said:
“Canada greatly values the strong collaboration and partnership with the GCA. I look forward to engaging with fellow board members on global adaptation efforts to better protect people from the costs and risks of climate change, particularly women and girls, and those who are living in the most vulnerable regions of the world. Working together will help build a more sustainable future for all.”
Co-Chairman of the board of the Global Center on Adaptation, and 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon said:
“I am pleased that the Minister has agreed to become part of the advisory board of the Global Center on Adaptation. Canada has supported GCA from the very beginning and we will benefit greatly from the Minister’s knowledge and experience in elevating the visibility and political importance of climate adaptation and how we can facilitate solutions, such as smarter investments, new technologies and better planning to become more resilient to climate-related threats.”
Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation said:
“I am thrilled that Minister Hussen has accepted our invitation to join the Board of the Global Center on Adaptation. He has demonstrated bold leadership in supporting efforts to promote better governance, human rights, diversity and social inclusion. We look forward to continuing our work together and benefitting from his support for the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program as a tested platform that combines knowledge, programs, and advocacy to support country and regional priorities around the world.”
