Expert Group Meeting on Population Dynamics and Climate Change

24 - 25 June 2009

New Connaught Rooms, London

Population Dynamics and Climate Change Key Messages

This meeting, sponsored by UNFPA and the International Institute of Environment and Development (IIED) in collaboration with the UN Population Division and UN-HABITAT, brought together experts on population and climate change for analysis of the policy implications for the United Nations’ response to climate change. The papers presented at the meeting elucidated particular aspects of the linkages between population and climate change, focusing on both mitigation and adaptation, and helped clarify policy options and necessary actions at the regional and country levels. The meeting concluded with an inter-agency panel discussion on how to integrate population issues into UN Delivering as One on climate change at the global and country levels.

This meeting was held as part of UNFPA's celebration of ICPD 15. The ICPD Programme of Action makes reference to the environment and climate change. As more attention has been focused on issues like climate change and the recent food crisis, and as we commemorate the 15th anniversary of ICPD and prepare for the last five year leg of the 20 year Programme of Action, UNFPA is committed to developing the technical basis for a common understanding of linkages between population dynamics and climate change, and to informing discussions on actions at the global and country levels.

Conveners:

Jose Miguel Guzman, Chief Population and Development Branch, UNFPA

Gordon McGranahan, head of the Human Settlements Division, IIED

 

UPDATE:

Please see the key messages, with contributions from and support of meeting attendees.

Papers and presentations from the meeting have been attached to the agenda below. These materials are posted in working form, and do not necessarily reflect the perspective of UNFPA. Please contact the authors for additional information.

 

AGENDA

DAY 1

24 JUNE 2009

8:30-9:00 REGISTRATION AND COFFEE
9:00-9:30 WELCOMING REMARKS
  Gordon McGranahan, Head, Human Settlements Group, IIED
  Werner Haug, Director, Technical Division, UNFPA
9:30-10:30 INTRODUCTION
  Chair: Jose Miguel Guzman, UNFPA
  Papers:
  1. Population Dynamics and Climate Change: Linkages and Challenges
  George Martine, UNFPA (abstract: pdf) (paper: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  2. The United Nations Approach to Climate Change: Does Population Matter?
  Hania Zlotnik, Population Division, UN/DESA (presentation: pdf)
  Discussion
10:30-10:45 BREAK
PART I: CONCEPTUAL LINKS BETWEEN POPULATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE
10:45-12:45 SESSION 1: Population Dynamics and Mitigation
  Chair: Ronald Skeldon, Sussex University
  Papers:
  1. Implications of Population Dynamics and Size for Mitigation
  Brian O'Neill, IIASA (abstract: pdf)
  2. Household Structure Changes, Urbanization and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  Michael Dalton, NOAA, Alaska Fisheries Science Center [Note: delivered by Brian O'Neill]
  3. Population Issues in IPCC Climate Change Modeling
  Leiwen Jiang, Population Action International (abstract: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  4. Population Dynamics and Deforestation
  William Pan, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (abstract: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  Discussion
12:45-13:45 LUNCH
13:45-15:15 SESSION 2: Population Dynamics and Adaptation
  Chair: Mamadou Diakhite, UNITAR
  Papers:
  1. Gender and Climate Change Adaptation
  Karen Newman, Population and Sustainability Network (presentation: pdf)
  2. Population, Climate and Health
  Sari Kovats, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (abstract: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  3. Climate Change Adaptation and Urban Children
  Sheridan Bartlett, IIED (abstract: pdf) (paper: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  Discussion
15:15-15:30 BREAK
15:30-17:30 SESSION 3: Climate Induced Migration
  Chair: Diego Palacios, UNFPA
  Papers:
  1. Climate Change, Long Term Environmental Degradation and migration
  Cecilia Tacoli, IIED (abstract: pdf) (paper: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  2. Climate-Related Disasters and Displacement
  Scott Leckie, Displacement Solution (abstract: pdf) (paper: pdf)
  3. Climate Change and Migration in Nairobi, Kenya
  Cecilia Njenga, UN-HABITAT (abstract: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  4. Climate Induced Migration
  Philippe Boncour, IOM (abstract: pdf)
  Discussion
17:30-18:00 WRAP UP
18:00 RECEPTION

DAY 2

25 JUNE 2009

9:00-11:00 SESSION 4: Urbanization and Climate Change
  Chair: Cecilia Njenga, UN-HABITAT
  Papers:
  1. Overview of Climate Change and Urbanization
  David Satterthwaite, IIED (abstract: pdf) (paper: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  2. Urban Emissions and Vulnerability
  David Dodman, IIED (abstract: pdf) (paper: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  3. Spatial Distribution and Risk for Urban Populations -- an International Overview
  Mark Montgomery, Population Council; Deborah Balk, Baruch CUNY; Gordon McGranahan, IIED (abstract: pdf) (paper: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  4. The Urban Poor's Vulnerability to the Impacts of Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean
  Lucy Winchester and Raquel Szalachman, UN ECLAC, Chile (abstract: pdf) (paper:pdf)
  Discussion
11:00-11:15 BREAK
11:15-12:45 SESSION 5: Data Needs for Climate Change Analysis and Policy Formation at the International, National and Local Levels
  Chair: Cecilia Tacoli, IIED
  Papers:
  1. Linking Satellite and Population Data for Climate Change Analysis
  Deborah Balk, Baruch CUNY; Mark Montgomery, Population Council; Gordon McGranahan, IIED (abstract: pdf) (paper: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  2. Population Data for Climate Change Analysis
  Hy Dao, UNEP (abstract: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  3. Use of National Census Data for Environmental Analysis
  Jose Miguel Guzman, UNFPA (abstract: pdf) (paper: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  Discussion
12:45-13:45 LUNCH
PART II: UN DELIVERY-AS-ONE AT THE GLOBAL AND COUNTRY LEVELS
13:45-15:45 SESSION 6: Population Issues in Climate Change Strategies
  Chair: TBD
  Papers:
  1. Population Issues in International Climate Change Negotiations
  Youssef Nassef, UNFCCC (abstract: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  2. Population Issues and National Adaptation Programmes of Action
  Karen Hardee and Clive Mutunga, Population Action International (abstract: pdf) (paper: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  3. Population and Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change: Bangladesh Experiences
  Mozaharul Alam, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (abstract: pdf) (presentation: pdf)
  4. Climate Change and UN Delivery As One in Viet Nam: Recent Developments and Challenges
  Veronique Marx, UNFPA (presentation: pdf)
  Discussion
15:45-16:00 BREAK
16:00-17:45 SESSION 7: Panel -- UN Delivery-As-One at the Global and Country Levels
  Chair: Werner Haug, UNFPA
  Panelists:
  Cecilia Njenga, UN-HABITAT
  Mahir Aliyev, UNEP
  Achim Halpaap, UNITAR
  Philippe Boncour, IOM
  Jenty Kirsch-Wood, OCHA
  Jose Miguel Guzman, UNFPA
17:45-18:00 CLOSING CEREMONY
  Gordon McGranahan, IIED
  Jose Miguel Guzman, UNFPA

 

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