The UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, organised a roundtable to identify gaps in policy and understanding and discuss solutions to ongoing climate change and displacement crises.
Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and CEO of UICCA, opened the roundtable, followed by Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor and UNHCR’s Regional Representative in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and Houssam Chahine, UNHCR’s Chief of Climate Financing Section, who delivered the opening remarks.
The roundtable was attended by senior representatives from the private and humanitarian sectors, including Masdar, Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, and the International Renewable Energy Agency, among others. The roundtable was moderated by journalist and business news anchor Maya Hojjeij.
The discussion highlighted several initiatives that have been successful in enhancing the adaptation and resilience of people forcibly displaced by climate change, as well as the challenges faced by their host communities, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, including Yemen, Jordan, and Iraq.
Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and CEO of UICCA, said: “As we confront the escalating challenges of climate change, addressing climate displacement is of paramount importance. Annually, climate disasters displace seven million people in the MENA region, and with temperatures in this area rising faster than global averages, these figures underscore the urgent need for innovative adaptation strategies and robust multi-stakeholder collaboration. By uniting our efforts, we can protect our most vulnerable communities, build resilience, and safeguard livelihoods for the future.”
Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor and UNHCR’s Regional Representative in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, said: “In recent years, millions of displaced people and families have been on the frontlines of the climate emergency. The hostile and extreme weather events, such as floods, drought, and scarcity of natural resources, are driving displacement and exacerbating the suffering for those who were forced to flee. It impacts their ability to secure their basic needs and threatens their livelihoods. International solidarity and collective collaborative efforts are needed more than ever to invest in sustainable solutions and renewable energy initiatives.”
UNHCR, in line with its protection mandate and its wide operational presence, launched its Climate Resilience Fund earlier this year, which aims to support a range of activities to ensure that forcibly displaced people fleeing from climate-fuelled crises, or living in climate hotspots, are protected, have access to sustainable resources, and are resilient to the impacts of climate change.
