#Recover_Better_Together

Capacity-building stories from members of the PCCB Network community

As asserted by UN Secretary General António Guterres, the recovery from the coronavirus crisis must lead to a better world. Solutions for economic recovery should be responsive to the climate emergency and enable a transition to a global new normal: a greener, fairer, and more sustainable state of the world.
The magnitude of the action needed to make this happen is beyond the power of one, some, or even all the national governments around the world. Much like the response to the pandemic, a green recovery from this global shock requires joint efforts, commitments, and resources of multiple actors at all levels; governments, businesses, academic communities, the civil society, and local communities.
The COVID-19 outbreak has not diminished the need for climate-related capacity-building efforts; quite the contrary, it has brought to light its significance more than ever before. Higher capacities of various state and non-state actors can lead to better informed decisions, impactful skills, and fit-for-purpose tools for greater climate action. Given multiple realities on the ground, building and strengthening climate capacities at the national, sub-national, and local levels is key to ensure the ability of relevant actors to assess, plan, and act effectively in the face of global crises.
In an effort to do its part to keep the momentum on capacity-building for climate action, the Paris Committee on Capacity-building (PCCB) asked members of its network to share their stories and efforts on how to #Recover_Better_Together.
#Recover_Better_Together is the story of climate actors that have strived to ensure safe and uninterrupted enhancement of capacity-building efforts during the time of crisis, while devising new ways to contribute to a fair and green recovery.
Nine members of the PCCB Network joined this effort, aiming to add a capacity-building perspective to the ongoing debates. Here are seven ways members of the PCCB Network continue their capacity-building efforts to help the world #Recover_Better_Together:

1-Community-level resilience building

- International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) has continued its work on locally-led adaptation, with a greater focus on empowering communities in the process of decision making for the COVID-19 recovery, as well as different stages of adaptation planning, budgeting, and implementation.
- Arise Africa Research and Consultancy Hub (AARCH) has continued its tree-planting project at the household level, and is exploring ways to continue their efforts at the community level in a safe and consistent manner.
- National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Global Network shared some of the opportunities that the NAP process brings out for countries to build higher adaptive capacity in the face of current and future crises.

2-Learning and sharing

- The Adaptation Fund accreditation team has continued to engage with entities pursuing accreditation and re-accreditation. The launch of the e-learning course on ‘Direct Access’ in French has particularly been helpful in improving applicant entities’ understanding of the accreditation process, and continuity of work during the outbreak.
- Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) has utilized its knowledge platform to share lessons learned and success stories of Indian cities’ responses to the COVID-19 outbreak, and highlighting the linkages of these actions with cities’ underlying resilience.

3-Empowering youth to raise awareness

- ICCCAD has mobilized its network of university students to be agents of information sharing and awareness raising in their communities.
- AARCH has called for youth volunteers to support their planting initiative and work in their contexts.

4-Advocating and calling for action

- World Future Council released a statement, emphasizing the need for a strong and efficient multilateral system, global leadership, collective action and shared responsibilities in support of current and future generations. They urge governments, multilateral organizations, leaders and policy-makers to act now, to both respond to the health crisis and to build a just and sustainable future.
- The Climate Group, the secretariat of the Under2 Coalition, released a statement that urges decision-makers at all levels to place the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals at the core of economic recovery measures, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Coalition members have also reaffirmed their commitment to playing their full role in this endeavor.

5-Informing sustainable solutions

- Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN) has started a podcast to discuss ten solutions for a feminist climate resilient recovery.
- Our Future Water has published a series of white papers on the need for and means to make the post-COVID-19 world a water-secure one.

6-Adapting to different means of communication

- CDKN has shared their experiences of virtual conferencing, ways to get the most out of such events, and how to continue utilizing digital platforms effectively, even after lockdown measures are eased.
- The Adaptation Fund held a webinar for its accredited National Implementing Entities, where adaptive management was the key focus of discussions. Participants discussed the risks and reasons for project delays and how they can be addressed using adaptive management tools.
- ICCCAD has started a weekly vlog series to share thoughts and visit issues pertinent to climate-related capacity-building, particularly in the context of least developed countries.

7-Seeking partnerships and mobilizing resources

- ICCCAD has mobilized its network of universities in more than 20 least-developed countries to continue working with vulnerable communities, tell their stories, and amplify their voices to ensure recovery plans are inclusive, fair, and responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable.

We at the PCCB Network will continue to listen, learn, and share. If you have inspiring stories to tell about your capacity-building efforts in the face of current crisis and solutions for a green and fair recovery, join the #Recover_Better_Together thread and keep the conversation going!

ICCCAD

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Professor Saleemul Huq OBE (1952-2023)

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