• Scott Morris, Vice-President for East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, Asian Development Bank
• Bertrand Walckenaer, Deputy CEO, Agence française de développement (AFD)

By 2050, 80% of the population in the Indo-Pacific will be directly impacted by climate change. Exposure to sea-level rise, extreme events of heat and precipitation, and tropical cyclone winds will put lives, capital and critical infrastructure at risk. Coping capacities in the region must be increased to build up climate resilience. While global climate adaptation finance reached an all-time high of $63 billion in 2021/2022 according to the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), this amount still falls far short of estimated needs of USD 212 billion per year by 2030 for developing countries alone. This panel will discuss how to best leverage and accelerate the pace of climate adaption financing in the Indo-Pacific

• Dulciana Somare-Brash, Director, DevCom Pacific (PNG)

Out of 20 most vulnerable countries in the world that are most vulnerable to climate changes, 14 are located in the Indo-Pacific. The region is also home to 17 out of 36 world biodiversity hotspots. The UNEP State of Finance on Nature assesses that approximatively $133 bn/year (2020) is needed per year to address these vulnerabilities through naturebased solutions. To meet biodiversity, climate change and land restoration ambitions as set out in the three Rio Conventions, current levels of investments in nature-based solutions must be tripled by 2030 with prioritization given to forest-based solutions, as well as silvopasture, peatland and mangrove restoration. This panel will explore ways to bridge the gap between biodiversity conservation and financing needs.

Disasters induced by climate change pose an increasingly serious threat to the Indo-Pacific region, while climate-related losses are already enormous. In 2022 alone, over 140 disasters struck the region, leading to over 7,500 deaths, affecting 64 million people, and causing economic damage estimated at $57 billion. The potential consequences of inaction are even greater. The United Nations ESCAP's Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2023 assessed that annual losses will approach $1 trillion, or 3% of the region’s gross domestic product, under a 2°C warming scenario. This panel will discuss how to increase resilience and co-construct longterm solutions across the Indo-Pacific

Assistant Foreign Minister and Director General at Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam

Given the Indo-Pacific’s environmental vulnerabilities, domestic and international policymakers and stakeholders should work to alleviate the drivers of climate crises and make preparations to adapt to and recover from complex shocks. This implies building resilient governance—from climate budgeting and contingency planning, to increased preparedness and enhanced emergency management. To achieve this, more evidence-based research and the scaling up of grass-roots experimentation is required. Knowledge sharing within the region about various climate vulnerabilities also needs to be expanded. Currently, gaps exist with regard to knowledge management and dissemination, the development of institutional and governance frameworks, and the mobilization of needed financial resources. This panel will consider the following questions: How can we co-construct solutions for climate resilience? How can the Indo-Pacific become a laboratory for experiments in resilient governance? What is the role of technical assistance in these matters?