Experts push for locally driven adaptation and improved climate risk management

Experts have urged for locally-driven adaptation strategies and enhanced climate risk management at a high-level policy dialogue during COP31 in Antalya, Turkey. The Director for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction at Ghana's NADMO, Charlotte Norman, emphasized that the increasing frequency of storms, floods, and droughts highlight the urgent need for countries to bolster their approaches to managing climate risks.

Norman pointed out that flooding remains a persistent hazard in Ghana, particularly for farming communities and urban areas, underscoring the importance of investing in climate resilience. Comprehensive risk management, she argued, is crucial to anticipate climate-related disasters, enhance preparedness, and minimize losses from extreme weather events.

Norman stressed the necessity of treating climate risk management as an integral part of development planning, rather than merely reacting to disasters post-occurrence.

Alexandra Mussino, from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, offered an international viewpoint, stressing that robust institutions equipped with technical expertise and the capability to gather reliable climate data from the source are fundamental for effective climate adaptation. Mussino identified several key institutions in Kazakhstan – the Ministry of Water, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, hydrometeorological services, and Ministry of Emergency Situations – as crucial for identifying climate risks and facilitating appropriate responses.

Kazakhstan is currently developing a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) with a cascading approach, aimed at ensuring that adaptation priorities are communicated from national to local and sectoral levels, turning an abstract policy document into actionable plans for agencies and communities directly impacted by climate disasters.

Mussino stressed that climate risk management requires collaboration not only within the institution responsible for climate policy but also with neighboring countries. She cited Kazakhstan’s cooperation with Kyrgyzstan through a joint emergency centre focused on disaster prevention as a successful example of regional partnerships and information exchange.

The dialogue underscored the necessity for countries to enhance institutional capacity, improve access to climate information, and ensure that adaptation plans translate into practical actions at the level where climate risks are most directly experienced. These discussions formed part of the broader COP31 deliberations on fortifying comprehensive risk management as the bedrock for climate-resilient development.