Paving the way to greener humanitarian responses in displacement settings
In a dynamic collaboration addressing the urgent challenges of forced displacement and environmental degradation, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and its partners took center stage at the first-ever Humanitarian hub set up by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) during the UN Climate Change Conference COP28, held from 30 November to 12 December.
On December 10, 2023, the session titled Greening the Humanitarian Response: A Sustainable, Resilient, and Accountable Approach in Displacement Settings, brought together a diverse panel of experts, including representatives from FAO, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Federation Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the Uganda Government Lead Negotiator on Adaptation.
Balancing humanitarian needs with sustainable management of natural resources
With over 100 million forcibly displaced people globally, the side event aimed to shed light on the challenges posed by overexploitation of natural resources, deforestation, and unsustainable livelihoods in displacement settings and potential solutions. In his insightful introductory remarks, Mr Zhimin Wu, Director of FAO Forestry Division, emphasized that “Forests are indispensable in our efforts to adapt to climate change” and that “managing natural resources sustainably is imperative for the humanitarian and development sectors”; especially, in an environment where the convergence of climate-related challenges and the increasing demand for resources have heightened the vulnerability of displaced and host communities.
The scale and protracted nature of displacement today, where the sudden and large-scale influx of displaced people is often putting high pressure on already fragile ecosystems, highlights more than ever the importance of adequately analyzing and planning the management of natural resources in a holistic and integrated manner.
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