19 November: Food, Agriculture and Water Day
9 am – 10 am: Addressing Climate Loss and Damage in Agrifood Systems: EWS, AA and Humanitarian Action for Building Resilience; (Organizer) FAO with IFRC.
10.30 – 11.30 am: Harnessing Climate Solutions for People on the Move; (Organizer) UNDP.
12.00 – 1 pm: Managing Shocks and Stressors: Water-based adaptation for economic resilience; (Organizer) Alliance for Global Water Adaptation.
1.30 pm – 2.30 pm: Scaling Up Climate Action and Finance for Food Security in Fragile and Conflict-affected Settings; (Organizer) FAO, IFAD, WFP.
3.00 pm – 4 pm: Enhancing community resilience towards the hunger-climate-conflict nexus – Moving from programming examples to systematic policy changes; (Organizer) Action Against Hunger with ADRA.
4.30 pm – 5.30 pm: Locally-led Solutions for Resilience: Land Restoration and Drought Management to Protect Livelihood Zones in Climate-Impacted Regions (Organizer) Catholic Relief Services.
6 pm – 7 pm: How can humanitarian data be leveraged to inform climate action in crisis affected contexts? (Organizer) IOM with IMPACT Initiatives
Addressing Climate Loss and Damage in Agrifood Systems: Early Warning Systems, Anticipatory Action, and Humanitarian Action for Building Resilience
Organizer: FAO and IFRC
By Hafiz Kalandarov
This event, held at the Humanitarian Hub, was facilitated by Sylvie Wabbes, Agronomist in the Office of Emergencies and Resilience in FAO. Discussions at the event focused on the intersection of climate and food emergencies, highlighting how early warning systems, anticipatory action, and integrated humanitarian and climate actions for building resilience are essential to avert, minimize and address loss and damage in agrifood systems. The discussions provided insights into ongoing efforts under the Santiago Network and the new fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, linking humanitarian, development, climate, and finance actors.
The session opened with a presentation by Esther Lodu, Senior Field Staff at the Kastom Gaden Association, Solomon Islands, who set the scene by emphasizing field-level risks and impacts of climate shocks and stresses on agriculture and community resilience, through resilient farming solutions for reducing loss and damage. The subsequent fireside chat featured diverse speakers, including Savio Rozario from the International Centre for Climate Change and Development , who focused on policy approaches and capacity-building on climate risk and impact management; Mary Githinji from the Kenya Meteorological Services, who underscored the role of accurate weather forecasting for anticipatory action by at risk farmers to reduce loss and damage; and Pasha Carruthers, Loss and Damage Advisor for the Pacific Community (SPC), who shared perspectives on disaster and climate challenges faced by Pacific Island nations and innovation and financing instruments for resilience.
The discussion explored strategies for managing multiple climate risks and impacts, emphasizing the need for a suite of resilience-building measures in agrifood systems and livelihoods threatened by climate extremes and slow-onset events. Solutions included advancing climate risk monitoring with EWS, AA, and nature-based strategies, alongside resilient soil and seed good practices, social protection, insurance, and risk-proofing infrastructure. Panelists stressed the importance of operationalizing and accessing financial responses to loss and damage at grassroot level, through mechanisms like the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage and the technical support for agrifgood sectors in the context of the Santiago Network.
The session closed with remarks by Mary Friel, Senior Climate Policy Advisor at IFRC, who highlighted the need for better-informed, targeted and inclusive responses, emphasizing collaboration and engagement with local communities to ensure the effectiveness of emergency and resilience solutions and finance.
Discussions underscored the importance of aligning climate resilience and adaptation efforts with humanitarian action to address interconnected challenges of climate change and food insecurity. The event served as a platform for fostering practical dialogue, advancing coordinated humanitarian and climate action, for boosting agrifood system resilience to growing climate risks and impacts.
Scaling Up Climate Action and Finance for Food Security in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings
Organizer: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
By Irakli Malania
The event highlighted the urgent need to address food insecurity in fragile and conflict-affected areas by leveraging climate action and innovative financing mechanisms. This discussion followed up on a high-level panel held earlier in the year, emphasizing collaborative efforts to address the intersecting crises of climate change, conflict, and food insecurity.
Facilitated by Amelia Stewart, Climate Change & DRR Policy Engagement Lead at WFP, the session opened with remarks by Dina Saleh, IFAD’s Regional Director for Near East, North Africa, and Europe. Saleh emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration in scaling climate-sensitive solutions to address the rising food insecurity affecting over 282 million people globally.
Dr. Mohamed Abdi Farah, Senior Advisor for Food Systems, Nutrition, and Climate Change at the Office of the Prime Minister of Somalia, shared Somalia’s proactive strategies in addressing climate-driven food crises. He highlighted the critical role of national policy frameworks and international partnerships in mitigating risks to vulnerable people.
Violet Shivutse, Chair of the Huairou Commission and Founder of Shibuye Community Health Workers, underscored the indispensable role of grassroots women in leading community-based climate solutions. She provided compelling examples of how local initiatives are building resilience and protecting livelihoods in climate-affected areas.
Dr. Balqis Osman Elisha, Chief Climate Change and Green Growth Specialist at the African Development Bank (AfDB), discussed innovative climate financing mechanisms. She emphasized the need for robust and inclusive financial solutions that prioritize marginalized communities and foster long-term sustainability.
Safa Jayoussi, Regional Climate Justice Advisor for the MENA Region at Oxfam, addressed the importance of climate justice in ensuring equitable responses to food insecurity. She highlighted how regional advocacy and programmatic approaches are shaping inclusive policies.
Sylvie Wabbes, FAO Resilience Advisor, shared examples of practical, field-tested solutions for building resilience in agrifood systems, showcasing how integrated humanitarian-development-peace approaches can address climate and food crises effectively.
Throughout the discussion, panelists explored the integration of humanitarian, development, and peace efforts with climate action to create sustainable agrifood systems. They also emphasized the importance of engaging marginalized communities, particularly women, as key drivers of resilience and innovation.
The session concluded with an interactive Q&A, where audience members posed questions on scaling solutions and ensuring accessible climate finance. In her closing remarks, Wabbes called for increased global commitment and investment in conflict-sensitive climate solutions, emphasizing that urgent action is needed to safeguard food security for the most vulnerable populations.
This event highlighted the critical role of partnerships, innovative financing, and inclusive approaches in addressing the complex challenges posed by climate change and food insecurity in fragile settings. It provided a clear roadmap for leveraging global initiatives to build resilient agrifood systems and secure sustainable futures.
Managing Shocks and Stressors: Water-based Adaptation for Economic Resilience
Organizer: Alliance for Global Water Adaptation
By Hafiz Kalandarov
The event held at the Humanitarian Hub addressed the challenges posed by macroeconomic shocks over the past two decades, including financial crises, a global pandemic, and climate change, which exacerbated systemic risks across political borders and economic sectors. Traditional economic models were criticized for treating water as a fixed input, ignoring its role as a dynamic and shared resource central to resilience.
The session proposed "water-based adaptation" as a strategic solution to align resilience efforts across sectors. It emphasized the need to position water as a cornerstone of economic planning, highlighting its critical role in sustaining long-term economic resilience amid climate challenges.
The session included opening remarks by Jochen Renger from GIZ and an overview by John Matthews, Executive Director of AGWA. Speakers presented diverse perspectives: Gary White of Water.org addressed climate-resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services for developing economies; Chuck Chaitovitz from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce presented the economic rationale for investing in climate resilience. Chuck cited that every $1 invested in resilience and preparedness saves $13—$6 in damage and cleanup costs and $7 in economic savings; Danielle Gaillard-Picher of SIWI discussed policy integration of water in economic planning; and Asmita Tiwari of the World Bank shared insights on water resilience in climate change reports.
During the Q&A session, participants stressed the importance of involving women in the early design stages of water projects. A participant from Liberia's National Disaster Management Agency noted that water policy formulation often follows a top-down approach, excluding women from initial planning, which undermines intervention success.
The session offered actionable insights, including collaborative approaches, gender-responsive strategies, and prioritizing water in economic planning to ensure long-term resilience and sustainability.
Leveraging Crisis Data to Inform Climate Action
Organizer: IOM and IMPACT
By Hafiz Kalandarov
Moderated by Michele Yonetani, Senior Policy Adviser in the Office of the Special Advisor on Climate Action at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, session titled Leveraging Crisis Data to Inform Climate Action brought together global experts to explore how data generated in crisis contexts can drive effective and evidence-based climate action.
Opening the session, Yonetani emphasized the complex interplay between climate change, conflict, and fragility, highlighting how these overlapping challenges exacerbate vulnerabilities in communities on the frontlines of crises. She set the stage by stressing the importance of robust data to understand the drivers of humanitarian needs and disaster risks. To provide a community perspective, Rose Kobusinge, IOM Africa Youth Changemaker from Uganda, posed an incisive question: What gaps in data and evidence need to be addressed to support locally-led climate action? Her reflections framed the discussion by emphasizing the need for inclusive, community-centered data collection.
Catalina Jaime, Head of Climate and Conflict at the Red Cross Climate Centre, underscored the value of participatory approaches to data collection. She described how the Red Cross works with communities to generate reliable knowledge that informs local-level adaptation and disaster response.
Jeremy Wetterwald, Senior Advisor on Climate, Environment, and Migration at IMPACT Initiatives, shared how the REACH Initiative generates Multi-Sector Needs Assessments (MSNAs) to inform humanitarian response. Wetterwald highlighted how this vast repository of data could be leveraged to guide anticipatory climate action.
Chris Richter, Regional Migration, Climate Change, and Environment Specialist at IOM, detailed how the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) provides crucial insights into mobility patterns, which can be used to design more responsive climate resilience programs.
Irakli Malania, Humanitarian Affairs Officer at OCHA, reflected on how humanitarian data systems support anticipatory action and help align climate programming with immediate needs in crisis settings.
Lutfor Rahman, Research Officer at ICCCAD, spoke about the importance of community-level data in understanding loss and damage in Bangladesh. He emphasized that granular insights are critical for designing tailored adaptation strategies that address local realities.
The discussion then transitioned to collaboration, with panelists exploring how data ecosystems can be integrated to inform resilience-building efforts.
Wetterwald described experiences in South Sudan and Haiti, where area-based assessments supported risk analysis and planning. Jaime highlighted the Red Cross’s work in Mozambique and Burundi, where close collaboration with climate actors enhanced the integration of adaptation strategies into disaster response. Richter shared lessons from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), focusing on how data-driven insights could shape climate mobility solutions. Rahman stressed the importance of partnerships between researchers and humanitarian data actors to enhance the relevance of evidence for resilience planning.
Panelists emphasized the importance of bridging silos between humanitarian, climate, and development actors, advocating for integrated approaches that inform frameworks such as National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Humanitarian Needs Overviews (HNORPs).
In her closing remarks, Yonetani called for deeper collaboration to transform how data is used in crisis contexts. She highlighted the potential for crisis data to empower communities, improve climate resilience, and guide systemic change. The session concluded with a resounding call for stakeholders to work together to integrate data ecosystems, ensuring that they support vulnerable populations facing the compounded impacts of climate crises and displacement.
This session demonstrated how data can serve as a powerful tool to bridge humanitarian response and climate resilience, providing a roadmap for evidence-based action in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
Locally-led Solutions for Resilience – Land Restoration and Drought Management to Protect Livelihood Zones in Climate-Impacted Regions
Organizer: Catholic Relief Services
By Irakli Malania
This Southern Africa-focused side event at COP29 brought attention to the transformative potential of locally-led adaptation strategies in addressing climate-induced droughts and land degradation. Featuring success stories from Madagascar and other regions, the session highlighted how community-driven initiatives in land restoration, agroforestry, water system resilience, and disaster risk reduction are safeguarding livelihoods and reducing displacement pressures.
The event opened with a powerful five-minute video on dune stabilization efforts in Southern Madagascar, presented by non-governmental organization, UNGP MIONJO, setting the tone for a discussion on practical, scalable solutions. The video emphasized the visible impact of these initiatives in mitigating drought impacts and protecting agricultural land, drawing the audience into the theme of community resilience.
Rado Ravonjiarivelo, Chief of Party at Catholic Relief Services (CRS), welcomed participants and introduced the session’s objectives: showcasing community-led approaches that strengthen resilience, protect livelihoods, and foster cross-regional learning. Ravonjiarivelo emphasized the need for inclusive collaboration between local leaders, practitioners, and policymakers to replicate and scale such initiatives effectively.’
The first panelist, Serge Ranaivoarisoa from UNGP MIONJO, described the impact of the MIONJO 3D Project’s dune stabilization work. He highlighted how this initiative, using native plants and windbreaks, has reclaimed agricultural land and mitigated drought-related challenges, reducing the displacement of rural communities. Serge emphasized the adaptability of this model to other drought-prone areas across Southern Africa.
Elizabeth Moore, representing CRS, spoke about agroforestry’s role in building resilience. She outlined how integrating indigenous tree species with drought-resistant crops has not only improved soil health and water retention but also diversified income sources for farmers. Sharing a case study from Madagascar, she highlighted how these systems strengthen food security and stabilize rural economies.
Bringing a disaster risk perspective, Gal. Elack Andrianjaka, from Madagascar’s BNGRC, detailed strategies for disaster risk reduction and climate resilience. He emphasized how empowering local authorities and communities to co-develop and implement adaptive strategies enhances the effectiveness of drought and extreme weather responses. Andrianjaka called for stronger integration of local leadership in risk management.
Hanta Rabesandratana from WaterAid closed the panel presentations by showcasing efforts in locally-led planning and budgeting for resilient water systems. She highlighted how building community ownership in water resource management ensures sustainability, even in the face of funding challenges. Rabesandratana’s experience demonstrated the critical role of tailored WASH solutions in supporting drought management.
Following the presentations, the panelists engaged in a moderated discussion, responding to questions on scaling and replicating their respective initiatives across similar contexts. The conversation highlighted the shared challenges and opportunities in integrating land restoration, water management, and disaster risk reduction strategies to build community resilience.
The session ended with an open Q&A, where audience members shared their experiences and explored practical applications of the insights presented. In his closing remarks, Rado Ravonjiarivelo summarized the key takeaways, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, local leadership, and sustained funding to ensure the success of resilience-building efforts. He called on attendees to advocate for and invest in scalable, locally-driven solutions to combat the increasing challenges of climate change.
This event underscored the critical role of community-led approaches in fostering resilience and offered actionable models for adapting to and thriving amidst climate challenges. By connecting practitioners, policymakers, and donors, the session inspired collective action to protect livelihoods in climate-impacted regions.
Enhancing Community Resilience towards the Hunger-Climate-Conflict Nexus - Moving from programming examples to systematic policy changes
Organizer: Action Against Hunger with ADRA
By Hafiz Kalandarov
The panel discussion held at the OCHA Humanitarian Hub aimed to raise awareness of the intersection between climate shocks and conflict and their combined effects on food and nutrition security. It also presented evidence-based recommendations for improved humanitarian responses to these layered vulnerabilities, emphasizing how such practices could be integrated into UNFCCC processes, including increasing accessibility to climate finance.
The discussion focused on the growing intersection between conflict impacts and extreme weather events, which exacerbate hunger and malnutrition. Alvin Munyasia from Action Against Hunger Horn and East Africa, highlighted local and context-specific interactions between conflict, climate change, and food insecurity in the region. The session emphasized the importance of bridging short- and long-term interventions and fostering climate action in conflict-affected areas.
Speakers from different humanitarian institutions discussed how to improve humanitarian responses. They provided practical examples and policy recommendations, particularly on the accessibility of climate finance in conflict settings and best practices for humanitarian interventions. Audience engagement was facilitated through Slido, which also gathered experiences and insights from participants.
Nimo Hassan, Director of the Somalia NGO Consortium, emphasized the vital role of national NGOs in responding to hunger. She underlined the importance of integrating local evidence into humanitarian strategies. Carina Rolly, from ADRA Germany, stressed the importance of the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus and accessible climate finance streams to the local level for effective assistance. She highlighted the necessity of leveraging government-provided evidence to inform humanitarian interventions and ensuring international climate financing mechanisms address the needs of conflict-affected areas. Dr. Martin Frick, WFP Director in Germany, shared the drastic underfunding the humanitarian system faces and the importance of localization in humanitarian action.
These perspectives reinforced the event's focus on enhancing resilience through integrated, locally-informed, and peace-oriented approaches, ensuring that the voices of affected communities are central to policymaking and action.
Harnessing Climate Solutions for People on the Move
Organizer: UN Development Programme (UNDP)
By Irakli Malania
As climate change continues to accelerate, driving environmental degradation and severe weather events, its role as a leading driver of forced displacement has become undeniable. Against this urgent backdrop, the UNDP-hosted session, Harnessing Climate Solutions for People on the Move, convened policymakers, experts, and practitioners at COP29’s OCHA-IASC Humanitarian Hub to explore forward-looking strategies for addressing the complex and growing challenge of climate-induced migration.
The session was moderated by UNDP’s Eri Yamasumi, Policy Specialist on Climate and Security Risk from the Crisis Bureau/Climate Security Mechanism, who opened the discussion by emphasizing the interconnected challenges of climate change, forced displacement, and sustainable development. With projections suggesting that up to 1.2 billion people could face climate-induced migration by 2050, the moderator set the tone for a discussion focused on innovative solutions that integrate humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding approaches.
Marcos Neto, UNDP Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau of Policy and Programme Support, delivered the opening remarks, providing a comprehensive overview of the interplay between climate change, displacement, and sustainable development. He highlighted the urgent need to bridge climate adaptation and mitigation with humanitarian and development efforts to create more resilient communities and address the root causes of displacement.
The interactive panel discussion brought together global experts, each contributing unique insights to the conversation. Kanta Kumari Rigaud, Lead Climate Change Advisor at the World Bank, showcased how data-driven models are helping to anticipate displacement hotspots and guide proactive responses. She also discussed innovative financing solutions to support climate-resilient development in displacement-affected regions.
Michelle Yonetani, Senior Policy Advisor on Climate Action at UNHCR, drew attention to the findings of UNHCR’s report, No Escape – On the frontlines of climate change, conflict and forced displacement – highlighting the on-the-ground challenges faced by forcibly displaced populations and the need for solutions that address both immediate needs and long-term adaptation.
Christophe Assicot, Jordan Country Representative at the Global Green Growth Institute, shared successful initiatives from Jordan that demonstrate the impact of integrating climate and displacement solutions. His remarks underscored how innovative climate financing investments can contribute to inclusive green growth, benefiting both displaced populations and host communities.
Jonathan Stone, Manager for Climate, Environment, and Resilience at IFRC, focused on practical examples of building resilience in climate-vulnerable communities. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the participation of displaced populations and host communities in shaping climate resilience interventions.
The session concluded with a lively Q&A, during which audience members engaged with panelists on the challenges and opportunities of implementing climate solutions in displacement contexts. Discussions ranged from scaling up successful initiatives to aligning climate and development financing with local needs.
In her closing remarks, the moderator reflected on the session’s key takeaways, reiterating the urgent need for integrated, multisectoral approaches to address the growing challenge of climate change-induced displacement. She emphasized that solutions must bridge humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts while ensuring that the voices of displaced and vulnerable people are at the centre of decision-making. The event reinforced the critical importance of leveraging climate solutions to build a sustainable and secure future for people on the move.