Enhancing Food and Water Security in the Arab States: Challenges & Opportunities
Climate Change is increasingly recognized as a threat multiplier with amplified impacts on food and water security across the globe. In the Arab States, climate change has become a wider debate, particularly for vulnerable countries, connecting climate with discussions about regional stability, water and food security.
The 90-minute side-event at the UNDP Pavilion will bring together leading global and regional institutions to discuss the role of food and water security in the Arab region. Panelists will highlight the role of food and water nexus agenda in Arab States by addressing questions linked to scaling up innovative and collaborative efforts, importance of water and food security in the region, while highlighting successful initiatives and programmes that has contributed to multiple benefits for social cohesion, peace and stability, the climate action agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The panel will present concrete and tangible examples of climate-security nexus pilot projects in Arab States to inform policy making and programming at scale.
Agenda
- Introduction and Setting the Scene
- Opening Remarks
Håkan Emsgård, Swedish Ambassador to Egypt, and Kishan Khoday, Regional Team Leader, Nature Climate and Energy - Presentation – Launch of regional Climate and Migration Report
- Panel discussion
Moderator: Oscar Ekdahl, Head of Resilience and Livelihoods, WFP Regional Bureau for MENA
Panelists:
– Frans Schapendonk, Climate Security Specialist, CGIAR
– Ruth Mathews, Senior Manager/Coordinator, Action Platform for Source-to-Sea, SIWI
– Kaushik Barua, Advisor Strategic Initiative, UNDP RBAS HQ
– Samer Abdeljaber, Country Director, World Food Programme, Palestine
– Arzaq Al-Najjar, CEO Mocha Valley, Yemen - Summary and Closing
