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EU-Canada Session 2. A Diversity of Needs, A Diversity of Platforms: Linking Platforms to Facilitate Users’ Adaptation Journeys

This event explored why platform connections are important, how they can be made, and how they add value to a user’s adaptation journey.
Multiple Authors
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Introduction

This session, held on May 13th 2021 (10am EDT) explored the importance of connections, how connections across platforms can add value to a user’s journey, and reviewed the essential elements and attributes of positive connections.

Participants reflected on the value of meaningful connections across adaptation platforms by exploring examples of productive collaborations. They then strategized on how connections have been, and/or could be implemented to facilitate users’ adaptation journeys.

This event was part of the wider series of knowledge exchange events hosted by Canadian colleagues onEnhancing Connections Across Platforms.

The Final Report from this event is available to download (also on the main event page). The final report is also available in French.

The agenda, key messages and presentations from this event can be found below.

Agenda

  • 10:00-10:15 Introductions – Lo Cheng (CCCS)
    • Introductory remarks
  • 10:15-10:30 Context-Setting – Julia Barrott (SEI) & Lo Cheng (CCCS)
    • An overview of how connections and linkages across platforms can enhance their offerings
  • 10:30-11:05 Examples – Lo Cheng (CCCS) & Climate Adaptation Providers: Examples of how platforms have fostered connections from across the globe and how they are implemented:
    • Alain Bourque, Executive Director, Ouranos
    • Robin Cox, Program Head Climate Action Leadership, Royal Roads University
    • Kim van Nieuwaal, Strategic Advisor/Director, Climate Adaptation Services/Delta Alliance International
    • Sukaina Bharwani, Senior Research Fellow and co-lead of climate services, Stockholm Environmental Institute
  • 11:05-11:10 Break
  • 11:10-12:05 Break-Out Group Discussions. Topics:
    • 1. Data-related products and tools (i.e. datasets, indices, decision-support tools)
      • Facilitated by David Huard, Science Advisor, Ouranos
    • 2. Resources (i.e. case studies, guidelines, best practices, standards)
      • Facilitated by Al Douglas, President, Climate Risk Institute
    • 3. Capacity services (i.e. training, client support, communities of practice)
      • Facilitated by Ewa Jackson, Managing Director, ICLEI Canada
  • 12:05 -12:20 Lessons Learned – Lo Cheng (CCCS) & Break-Out Group Facilitators
    • Report back on group discussions and key messages
  • 12:20-12:30 Concluding Remarks – Lo Cheng (CCCS)
    • Closing remarks and information on the next session

Key messages

The presentations and discussion in this session distilled a number of challenges and key features of successful connections between platforms, highlighted below. International knowledge exchange events that support international networks, such as this weADAPT event, play an important role in identifying these common issues and identifying solutions.

  • Data interoperability is currently a barrier to enhanced platform connections but also presents enormous opportunities to maximize outcomes given the quantity data currently available.
  • Networks of people are critical to establishing platform connections. This is especially true for connections between regions and scales. Networks of people also underlie efforts to standardize information, further deepening connections across platforms.
  • Taxonomy standardization and the lack thereof is a barrier to platform connectivity. In addition, the different uses of key terms across platforms, for example, in tagging content, prevents users from accessing relevant information.

Presentations

Climate change science and adaptation at a regional scale

Presentation by Alain Bourque, Executive Director of Ouranos – Consortium on Regional Climatology andAdaptation to Climate Change. This presentation provides and overview of the connections and collaborations nurtured by Ouranos to deliver quality climate services to Canada.

View on SlideShare: EU-Canada Session 2. Pres 1: Alain Bourque

Experience from the Climate Adaptation Service (CAS)

Presentation by Kim van Nieuwaal, director of CAS. This presentation draws on lessons and experience from the Climate Adaptation Service (CAS), an online platform that maps the effects of climate change for many councils, water boards and provinces throughout the Netherlands. It explores avenues to link platforms and facilitate users’ adaptation journeys.

The Netherlands’ national adaptation documents can be found on Climate-ADAPT (EU).

View on SlideShare: EU-Canada session 2: Kim Van Nieuwaal

The PLACARD Connectivity Hub

Presentation by Sukaina Bharwani, Stockholm Environment Institute. This describes the functionality and motivation behind the PLACARD Connectivity Hub, a “search and discovery” tool linking climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) communities and platforms.

Find out more about the Connectivity Hub (includes a video) and related work on CCA & DRR taxonomies.

View on SlideShare: EU-Canada sessions 2: Sukaina_Bharwani_

ResiliencebyDesign lab

Video presentation by Dr. Robin Cox from Royal Roads University. This presentation describes the work done by the ResiliencebyDesign Lab, which leverages the power of the arts, storytelling, and social innovation and works alongside youth and adults as change makers and leaders to imagine new possibilities for climate action. This includes the development of the Adaptation Learning Network.

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