UNITAR and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a three day training workshop on climate change for the Arab states that opened, Monday September 27th 2010, in the presence of the Jordanian Minister of Environment Hazem Malhas. The three-day workshop took place at the Royal Hotel in Jordan and was attended by around 70 representatives from different Arab and foreign countries.
Some of the country representatives taking place in the workshop are from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Speaking on behalf of the organizers, Ms Jacinta Barrins, UNDP Country Director in Jordan in her opening statement mentioned that the workshop it was anticipated would develop the participants’ knowledge about climate change adaptation and will allow them to address priorities in order to achieve adaptation in their countries, at the national and regional levels.
The three-day workshop that ends today 29 September 2010 focused on five major themes:
1- Climate change science
2- UNFCC negotiation process and legal aspects
3- Climate change adaptation
4- Mainstreaming climate change adaptation into development plans and policies in the Arab countries
5- Climate change mitigation
These themes were chosen to deepen participants’ knowledge about the main measures needed for achieving adaptation, such as mainstreaming climate change science and promoting dialogue at the local and global levels as well as integrating the adaptation process into the development objectives of the countries.
The importance of the workshop stems from the fact that it adopts an integrated scientific method based on scientific studies and on the environmental and climate priorities of the region and works on linking them to the development and economic specificities.
This workshop is expected to establish a common knowledge background about the needs related to climate change and the challenges faced by the countries of the region.
For more information please contact sharon.oseku@unitar.org