Being climate resilient

[Autry Haynes]

The ‘climate crisis’ is real my friends! If you feel the micro-climate temperate is hotter than usual, that is happening all over the world. Not only in your neighborhood! Your micro-level experience is supported in a broader sense by the evidence of science. 

Climate resilience is the capacity for a socio-ecological system to: [1] absorb stresses and maintain function in the face of external stresses imposed upon it by climate change and [2] adapt, reorganize, and evolve into more desirable configurations that improve the sustainability of the system, leaving it better prepared for future climate change impacts

Inherent in the conversation about climate resilience  are the concepts of adaptation, vulnerability, and climate change. If the definition of resiliency is the ability to recover from a negative event, in this case climate change. Then talking about preparations beforehand and strategies for recovery (aka adaptations), as well as populations that are less capable of developing and implementing a resiliency strategy (aka vulnerable populations) are essential. 

We are appreciative of the effort by advocates of the climate crisis to make us more AWARE. We, in general terms re-Act. But my friends, more than just being aware and reactionary is needed. The very advocates are taking conscious action and that is the level at which we ALL need to be. Making a conscious decision to do OUR part. The fate of future generations is under threat.

We are very fortunate that at the global level, the international and many national bodies are in the forefront in this conversation about climate change impacts and building climate resilience. There is a framework that includes climate resilience efforts to address the vulnerability that communities, states, and countries currently have with regard to the many consequences of climate change. Different resilience strategies include the social, economic, technological, and political elements. 

What is needed is a more conscious Local Response geared towards building and improving climate resilience. During September 2019, there was a hype of global events that helped us to be more aware and surely there has been Re-Action. Can we now move to the next level, making conscious decisions about our efforts / actions?

We need to understand that the Climate Crisis is not a problem of tomorrow, but of TODAY, as crisis events are happening with more intensity, frequency and consequence. Therefore Local Response  including early warning systems to mitigate threats such as tropical diseases which have significant consequences.

Local Response would effectively contribute to changing public opinion, and when this is more evident, this can change actions by government. Governments usually response to public opinion. Therefore Local Response needs to be more proactive.

Who should be involved in this Local Response ? All and Sundry: politicians, civil society, the business community, regulators, indigenous communities, media, families, all have a responsibility.  

One of the most influential leaders of the Climate Crisis is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which was created to achieve the “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.

When it comes to the stabilization of greenhouse gases, forests play an important role in regulating carbon across the globe.  This encourages countries to “explore a range of actions, identify options and undertake efforts, including demonstration activities, to address the drivers of deforestation,” encouraging developing countries to contribute to mitigation in the forest sector by undertaking the following activities (known as REDD+):

(a) Reducing emissions from deforestation; 

(b) Reducing emissions from forest degradation; 

(c) Conservation of forest carbon stocks; 

(d) Sustainable management of forests; 

(e) Enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

At the forefront of a resilient climate crisis are  the people who are integrally involved and or impacted. 

Developing countries willing to participate in REDD+ should prepare four elements: a national strategy or action plan; a national forest reference emission levels and/or forest reference level; a robust and transparent national forest monitoring system; and a system for providing information on how the safeguards are being addressed and respected throughout the implementation of the REDD+ activities.

How safeguards are addressed and respected throughout the implementation of the REDD+ activities is dependent on the extent of community conversations. The conversations need not be about forests contribution to climate crisis alone. 

We know that communities in general have a whole host of things to consider but attaining to respons-ability to continue along the path of a process, of an engagement until reaching the preferred conditions as set in the goal setting or dreams build, is important. Thereby, Local Response will be contributing to [1] absorbing stresses and maintain function in the face of external stresses imposed upon it by climate change and [2] adapt, reorganize, and evolve into more desirable configurations that improve the sustainability of the system, leaving it better prepared for future climate change impacts.

Local Response is the ability to respond; how to create a response? how to increase respons-ability? And keeping track of the progress and conditions.

It implies the continuation of work in terms of addressing issues by themselves; same issue and continue to work on/life go on and addressing issues as they emerge. Life is not perfect, but we build competence to cope with the challenges.

A life competent community is sustainable. Sustainability is also opportunities that arise;  a system where people give and take. If you contribute by your talent, you feel energy to contribute on the long term.  The community mission is also to support the individual in the expression of it’s talent.

Having a holistic view and understanding of the complexities and becoming competent so that they can cope with life’s challenges will significantly contribute to communities becoming climate crisis resilient competent.

[Autry Haynes]

Great response Rituu, truly powerful statement and nice posts from blogs (^_^)

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Your blog prompted this album https://aidscompetence.ning.com/photo/albums/community-action-for-b...

[Rituu B. Nanda]

I found this statement very powerful- A life competent community is sustainable. Thanks Autry.