Resilience: The Global Adaptation Podcast

From predicting floods before they happen to reforesting landscapes at lightning speed, AI is expected to revolutionize how we adapt to climate change. But with great power comes great responsibility. And can we really tackle climate change with machines that produce titanic quantities of carbon emissions and waste? Himanshu Gupta, CEO of ClimateAI, shares his journey from rural India to Silicon Valley, revealing how AI is helping farmers grow climate-resilient crops. Plus, Eleonore Fournier-Tombs from the UN University shares some groundbreaking uses of AI and how to balance innovation with ethics. Find out more:· Report: Navigating New Horizons· Artificial Intelligence End-to-end· Climate AI· United Nations University Centre for Policy Research

In this episode of RESILIENCE, we look at the growing threat of extreme heat. What does it feel like to live in a city that regularly hits 50°C? How do we adapt when our traditional air-conditioning systems pump out even more planet-heating gases? We explore some bold insights with Professor Toby Peters, a global expert in sustainable cooling, and Shahzad Qureshi, the visionary behind the Urban Forest movement in Pakistan.Find out more:Cool CoalitionUN Secretary General’s Call to Action on Extreme HeatGlobal Cooling PledgeCooler Finance: Mobilizing Investment for the Developing World’s Sustainable Cooling Needs

Lis and Marcus pose what could be one of the most important questions of the 21st century – to what extent can restoring nature tackle the climate crisis? The award-winning restoration hero Constantino Aucca Chutas explains what drove him to plant ten million trees to protect his indigenous community from the impacts of melting glaciers. Plus, Mirey Atallah from UNEP tells us why a grand restoration project in Africa is generating hope for the future. Find out more:UN Decade on Ecosystem RestorationThe Great Green Wall of AfricaGlobal Fund for Ecosystem-based AdaptationWhat Is Ecosystem-based Adaptation?Acción Andina

Can we innovate our way out of the climate crisis? How did the Netherlands become the world’s greatest innovators for flood control? How do we finance the best climate solutions? Nadege Trocellier from the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network sheds light on what innovation looks like in the world of climate adaptation. And leading expert Omar Saleh talks about a fascinating adaptation solution called SLAMDAM – a flexible, portable flood barrier designed to rapidly protect communities from flooding.Find Out More:· Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator· The Climate Technology Centre and Network· Can this portable dam help Africa counter rising waters?· Global Fund for Ecosystem-based Adaptation· UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub

Lis and Marcus consider one of the most critical issues in adaptation: how to build more climate-resilient food supplies. Eduardo Mansur, the FAO’s Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, talks about drought-resilient food production, biotechnology, and insect farming. And Louise Mabulo talks about how she founded the Cacao Project in the Philippines to help farmers carve out sustainable, shockproof livelihoods. Find out more about: - The UN's Global Adaptation Network: unep.org/gan- Climate adaptation resources and multimedia: bit.ly/2Y8SavL- The Cacao Project: louisemabulo.com/the-cacao-project- The Food and Agriculture Organization: fao.orgReferences:- Half the world to face severe water stress by 2030 unless water use is "decoupled", says International Resource Panel: bit.ly/3uJSflZ- Climate-smart agriculture: bit.ly/3mokx1n- Climate-resilient farming practices: Typology and guiding material for climate risk screening: bit.ly/2WHX1Ui

Lis and Marcus are joined by Koko Warner, from the UN Climate Change Secretariat, to discuss the parallels between tackling the Covid pandemic and building resilience to climate change. But also, what can we expect at the upcoming COP26 climate summit in Glasgow? Kobie Brand, the Africa regional director of the global cities network ICLEI, shares her lessons on the speed and power of collective action from living through ‘Day Zero’ - the time when Cape Town nearly ran out of water. Find out more about:- The UN's Global Adaptation Network: unep.org/gan- Climate adaptation resources and multimedia: bit.ly/2Y8SavL- The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: unfccc.int- The ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability: africa.iclei.orgReferences:- Call to Action for a Climate-resilient Recovery from Covid-19: bit.ly/3AdDAjR- Adaptation Gap Report 2020: bit.ly/3Bhby8o- National Adaptation Plans: bit.ly/3abjBaW

Lis and Marcus explore how investing in adaptation makes both economic sense and helps save the lives of millions of people faced with climate catastrophes. Professor Patrick Verkooijen joins from the Rotterdam-based Global Center on Adaptation which, as the largest floating office in the world, is a potent example of adaptation. And Rohey Ceesay, a forestry officer in the Gambia, talks about how she uses drama and music to spread crucial messages and early warnings about deadly storms. Find out more about:- The UN's Global Adaptation Network: unep.org/gan- Climate adaptation resources and multimedia: bit.ly/2Y8SavL- The Global Center on Adaptation: gca.org- The Global Environment Facility: thegef.orgReferences:- António Guterres: 50% of All Climate Finance Needed for Adaptation: bit.ly/2Yh8JWo- Reduced death rates from cyclones in Bangladesh: what more needs to be done?: bit.ly/3oEhyEP- Adaptation Gap Report 2020: bit.ly/2YkgRWI- Project Factsheet: Early Warning Climate Services in Gambia: bit.ly/3ldcDIV