IISD at Adaptation Canada 2020

Adaptation experts from different sectors, disciplines and regions of Canada will meet in Vancouver, British Columbia, for Adaptation Canada 2020. This national conference on climate change adaptation will take place from February 19 to 21, fostering debate on how Canada should face the critical challenges brought by the rise in global temperatures, as well as how the country is adapting to the already unavoidable impacts of climate change.

Adaptation experts from IISD’s Resilience Program will take part in discussions, share research and convene events at the conference, with a focus on gender and climate change on the Canadian Prairies. They will be involved in the two workshop sessions listed below.

Sharing Knowledge, Building Networks to Address a Changing Prairie Climate | Prairies Regional Adaptation Collaborative

February 20 | 10:30 am–12 pm  | Pavilion Ballroom C

As the Prairie provinces experience more frequent and intense extreme events such as flooding, drought and wildfire, practitioners are responding by developing and implementing measures to manage and adapt to our changing climate.

The session will be organized by the Prairies Regional Adaptation Collaborative (PRAC), a partnership between Natural Resources Canada and the governments of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta that helps people, communities and businesses within the Prairie provinces prepare for the impacts of climate change. The IISD serves as its Secretariat.

This session will describe how interprovincial collaboration is building a community of adaptation practitioners on the Prairies. It will also provide an opportunity for practitioners engaged in these efforts to share their experiences and learn from one another as they work to ensure that their communities and businesses are better prepared.

Exploring the Gender Dimensions of Adaptation: Sharing Insights from Canadian and International Research

February 20 | 2–3:30 pm | Pavilion Ballroom D

The impacts of climate change will affect people in different ways, depending on their location and how they sustain their livelihoods, as well as a range of other factors including gender, class and ethnicity. If these issues are not considered in planning and decision making, there is a risk that adaptation investments will be ineffective, particularly in reaching the most vulnerable communities and groups.

This session will draw on empirical research and practical experience in Canada and Sub-Saharan Africa to explore how gender and other social factors influence experiences of climate change and the capacity to adapt.

IISD associate Angie Dazé will share her experience on the social and gender dimensions of climate change adaptation. Angie leads the gender theme of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Global Network, whose Secretariat is hosted by IISD, supporting developing countries in working towards gender-responsive NAP processes.