SIWIs Karin Lexén to speak at two side events at "Holland Climate House" during COP-15

Adaptive management – merging top-down and bottom-up

Thursday 10 December 2009, 10.00 – 11.30 hrs
Holland Climate House, Hall C7, Bella Center, UN Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen
Organized by: Co-operative Programme on Water and Climate
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A large part of the global population live in deltas, and in much of the world, especially in developing countries, food production is dependent on fresh water availability. Climate change adds to already existing risks: global mean temperature and sea levels are rising, extreme weather events are increasing, and precipitation patterns and river discharges are changing. How can vulnerable deltas be protected, and how can food production be maintained in vulnerable areas? These questions are not only of a technical nature, but are also economic: what are the costs and the advantages and disadvantages of the various solutions?

Chair: Henk van Schaik, Co-operative Programme on Water and Climate (CPWC)
Presentation by: Willem Ligtvoet, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Panelists:
Mike Muller – World Water Development Programme/Global Water Partnership (WWDR and GWP)
Jian Liu – United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Chris Severin – Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Karin Lexén – Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)
Maria Netto – Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
John Matthews – WWF
Shalini Vajjhala – Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USA; tbc

Water and Climate – From Dialogue to Action

Wednesday 16 December 2009, 9.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.
Holland Climate House, Hall C7, Bella Center, UN Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen
Organized by: Co-operative Programme on Water and Climate, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), World Water Council (WWC), International Water Association (IWA), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
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Water is the primary medium through which climate change will manifest itself on livelihoods, economies and ecosystems. In recent years a global dialogue among water professionals and politicians has resulted in a set of guiding principles laid down in statements from Nairobi, Stockholm, UN Water and Cairo. These messages are foremost in guiding the water community, but have also been forwarded to the climate community assembled at the COP-15.

The side event will present and discuss the principles, including follow-up actions on climate information, planning, building with nature and capacity development.

Moderator: Dr Ger Bergkamp, Director General, World Water Council
Speakers:
Henk van Schaik, Co-operative Programme on Water and Climate (CPWC)
Karin Lexén, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)
Birgitte Markussen, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (tbc)
Hannah Stoddart, Global Public Policy Network (GPPN)
Panelists:
Hon. Tineke Huizinga, Vice Minister for Transport, Public Works and Water Management, The Netherlands
Hon. Hasan Mahmud, Minister of Environment and Forest, Bangladesh
Dr Mannava Sivakumar, Director Climate Prediction and Adaptation Branch, World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Dr Ania Grobicki, Executive Secretary, Global Water Partnership (GWP)
Dr William Jackson, Deputy Director General, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Dr András Szöllösi-Nagy, Rector, UNESCOIHE Institute for Water Education

SIWI Side Event at COP-15