Climate resilient management approaches for flood and drought: moving from theory to practice

It will examine the importance of integrating scientific knowledge, effective policies, international and local practices, and community engagement to increase resilience, with a focus on investments in early warning systems and nature-based solutions.

Moderator: Lance Gore, Principal Water Resources Specialist, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office, Sectors Group, Asian Development Bank  

Welcome remarks: 

• Bruno Carrasco, Director General – Climate Change and Sustainable Development, ADB
• Meike van Ginneken, Special Water Envoy, Government of Netherlands
• Lidia Brito, Assistant Director General of Natural Sciences, UNESCO 

Presentations:

• Sulton Rahimzoda, Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan to the Water and Climate Coalition Leaders / Chairman of EC IFAS, Government of the Republic of Tajikistan / Executive Committee of the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea (EC IFAS)  
• Aditi Mukherji, Director, CGIAR Climate Change Impacts 

Panelists:

• Qingfeng Zhang, Senior Director, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development, ADB 
• Koen Verbist, Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme, UNESCO
• Takahiro Konami, Director, International Affairs Office, Water and Disaster Management Bureau, MLIT, Japan
• Rachael McDonnell, Deputy Director General, Research for Development, IWMI, 
• Tjitunga Elijah Ngurare, Deputy Executive Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform of Namibia
• Kate Gibson, Global ESG Director, Diageo
• Kenzo Hiroki, Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies

Closing: Satoshi Ishii, Director, Water and Urban Development, ADB