Virtual Workshop on Climate-Resilient Agriculture to Address Poverty

24-25 February 2022

Background

One message that echoed strongly at UNFCCC COP26 was the urgency of climate adaptation as it had been put aside next to mitigation from the attention, resources or level of actions. CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation, Patrick Verkooijen said that “we are now living in the eye of the storm. Adapting the world to our climate emergency is essential for our safety, even as we tackle a global pandemic[i].” 

  Researchers found that the agricultural productivity would be negatively impacted as the global temperature rises[ii]. Some of the anticipated challenges that might follow in food production are:

• Water: Changes in rainfall patterns and precipitation leading to water scarcity in spring and fall

• Crop Migration: Farm and croplands move northward, which requires new decisions on crop planning and new agricultural technology that resist warming temperature

• Crop Yield: Changes in expected productivity as affected by abnormal weather events

• Threat of Pest: Introduction of invasive and alien pest and insect while lacking the ability to control them[iii]

Provided that the global population will continue to grow to around 9.7 billion by 2064[iv], any loss in the food production and the resultant failure to feed the world can be detrimental. At the same time, the global climate crisis would seriously hamper the livelihoods of people who depend on agriculture as a source of income to survive.[v] To prevent them from losing their crops to climate crisis, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) needs to be adapted and applied to local context. The already developed cutting-edge technologies, tools, and best practices also should be widely available and freely accessible for small-scale producers. To build a more resilient agricultural system against climate risks, a transformation at scale is called for.

Adapting to climate change impact can range from building higher flood defenses to growing more drought-tolerant crops and relocating coastal communities. In other words, a business-as-usual approach to agriculture will not meet the challenge facing the global climate system[vi]. With an aim of achieving the triple win of a) increased productivity, b) enhanced resilience, and c) reduced emissions, this workshop will offer an opportunity for participants to practice vulnerability assessment tool and discuss with experts on how to apply the tool in their local settings. This way, participants will be able to not only learn the critical issue of climate-smart agriculture but also develop the climate change adaptive capacity. 

                                         Program Agenda

*The above program is subject to change

Event Objectives

For the capacity building, this event will:

• Offer a venue for knowledge sharing and motivate participants to discuss climate adaptation, with a focus on agriculture and poverty;

• Promote best practices including those of Jeju and Korea;

• Encourage learning and applying a new policy tool that assists governments to improve their practices.

Learning Objectives

After the event, participants will be able to:

• Raise awareness on the Climate-Smart-Agriculture (CSA) practices;

• Understand the linkage between policy actions for climate adaptation in agriculture to reduce emissions, enhance resilience and increase productivity;

• Practice vulnerability assessment tool to be able to apply at work.

Target Audience

• Government officials and personnel from non-profit, civil, and private sectors in Asia and 
   the Pacific region who work on or are interested in climate adaptation and/or agriculture

• Government officials who are currently living and studying in Korea as exchange students
   who can prove their interest and linkage on their work with the workshop topic

Requirements

Selected applicants are required to complete the followings to be eligible for a Certificate of Completion:

• Attend and actively participate in all sessions

• Complete individual assignment

Application and deadline

Application: https://forms.gle/F1B1GtDK7EbALr8T6

※ Late application will NOT be accepted.

※ Only selected applicants will be notified individually.

Deadline: February 17 2022 (Thursday)