Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) concluded today the three-day 1st Annual Meeting of Community of Practice for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), attended by representatives of some National Societies and reference centers in Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
The meeting ended up with a set of recommendations and subsequent steps under the group's action plan, as follows:
- Complete and disseminate the group's DRR and community resilience roadmap/vision 2023-2025 in the MENA region.
- Enhance practical exchange of experience through complementary steps among National Societies, in coordination with IFRC.
- Strengthen the group's contributions to the strategic and technical mainstream, in coordination with IFRC, both regionally and internationally.
- Work jointly on and share technical capacity-building with other technical groups in the region.
- Participate effectively in the preparation for, and participation of National Societies in, the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) – Dubai, UAE.
Faisal Mohamed Al-Emadi, Acting Secretary-General of QRCS, stated, “This important meeting reflects the State of Qatar's role in strengthen global capacities to address climate change risks, as well as our commitment as National Societies and humanitarian organizations to ensuring livable environments for communities, helping to preserve their dignity in the teeth of conflict, natural disasters, and other climate change risks".
Dr. Hossam Faysal. Regional Head of Health, Disasters, Climate, and Crises (HDCC) Unit at the IFRC MENA Office, said, “The meeting sought an action plan for National Societies, IFRC, and supporting reference centers with regard to climate resilience and DRR for the coming two years, building on previous talks and online meetings"
Rana Al-Hajj, senior technical advisor for MENA Region at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center, explained: “We work to help National Societies to address climate change, by providing expertise and meteorological information, as well as creating applied mechanisms to integrate climate change issues into their national programs, thus reducing local risks".
Rita Marie Petralba, DRR Adviser at the German Red Cross Regional Office in Beirut, said, “The Community of Practice meeting, particularly on DRR and climate resilience, is a crucial platform for the different MENA National Societies, as well as the partners supporting them, because this platform serves as a way to share experiences, to learn from each other, and also to agree on specific outputs that can support different National Societies in terms of developing strategies on DRR, implementing programs on DRR and climate resilience, and achieving a collective purpose of how we can be more resilient against disasters and climate in the MENA region".