The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is organizing a four-day workshop from July 12 to 15.

The workshop will focus on National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to address climate change in the Asia-Pacific region, the ministry said.

Chaired by Tin Ponlok, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Environment, the workshop brings together leaders from the Ministry of Environment and relevant ministries, as well as representatives of the UNFCCC, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) , development partners and 17 LDCs. .

About sixty international observers are also present.

Ponlok said at the opening of the seminar that Cambodia was as exposed to climate change as any other country in the region, and that adaptation activities played an important role in reducing vulnerability to climate change and contributing to improving people’s livelihoods.

He said Cambodia has included 13 green and climate activities in its post-Covid development and economic recovery strategy.

The important outcomes of the 26th Summit of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) prioritized adaptation activities and mobilized funds from developed countries for their implementation, he added.

“LDCs need to do more activities to turn commitments of financial support into concrete actions via technical and budgetary assistance through adaptation programs,” Ponlok said.

He said the ongoing war in Ukraine has exacerbated the vulnerabilities of least developed countries.

The effects of climate change, Covid-19 and war hampered efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, while globalization and multilateralism changed, which was likely to affect how countries worked together to solve global problems such as climate change, he said.

“In this context, it is important for all of us to refine our development strategies towards a greener and more resilient approach to external economic or geopolitical shocks, in particular related to food security and energy,” Ponlok said. .

Paul Desanker, representative of the UNFCCC, thanked the Cambodian government, in particular the Ministry of Environment, for co-organizing this important workshop, despite the difficult circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The UNFCCC is supporting Cambodia and other least developed countries to develop adaptive action plans and related techniques to improve people’s livelihoods and respond to climate change,” Desanker said.

According to the Ministry of Environment, the four-day workshop aims to support the group of LDCs in developing and updating the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) roadmap.

Best practices and experiences will be shared to identify technical assistance in arranging project proposals to obtain financial support from the GCF and other climate funds.

The workshop will discuss these points, as well as LDC implementation of adaptation activities, appropriate technologies and improved knowledge.