As the dust settles from COP26, we take one last look back at the recent global climate conference that was held in Glasgow, Scotland in early November. Spanning two weeks and including hundreds of official events on top of high-level negotiations, it’s not easy to digest all that took place. What were the major topics covered? What was achieved? And what opportunities were missed? We’re here to help put things into context. On this episode of ClimateReady, we interview two colleagues from the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA) representing different ends of the COP spectrum. John Matthews, AGWA’s Exec. Director, has been attending these events for over a decade. We also hear from Pan Ei Ei Phyoe, a young water professional who participated in her first one this year. Both share honest and insightful feedback from their days on the ground driving the water-climate agenda. This episode is part of a four-part miniseries focusing on COP26 and international climate policy. If you’d like to support ClimateReady in creating more content in 2022, please consider donating (https://www.alliance4water.org/donate).

As climate change continues to dominate the current headlines thanks to COP26, we at ClimateReady wanted to take a look into the essential adaptation work that takes place between the annual conferences. Countries regularly develop commitments and implement programs to build climate resilience. Often, the development and shaping of country-level activities comes down to a small number of individuals such as national adaptation focal points. Who are these people working on national climate commitments? And what efforts are underway to support them? On this episode of ClimateReady, we hear from participants in the first ever Adaptation Academy — a capacity building program under the leadership of the UNFCCC to provide technical training and peer to peer connections among those individuals responsible for national adaptation planning, implementation, and reporting (https://unfccc.int/castt-adaptation-academy). The first courses wrapped up last month, with more planned for 2022. We hear from a range of voices coming from Panama, Jamaica, Cameroon, and the Philippines about their experience in the Adaptation Academy, and how this nascent program is bringing together academia, NGOs, and government institutions to build the technical capacity needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. This episode is part of a four-part miniseries focusing on COP26 and international climate policy.

As world leaders gather in Glasgow for COP26, it is clear that countries face serious strategic choices in how they address mitigation and build adaptation and resilience. Often undervalued in this dialogue is the critical role of water for successful climate change mitigation and adaptation actions. But some countries are beginning to demonstrate leadership on this front, with this simple message: For climate action to be effective, the role of water must be recognised. On this episode of ClimateReady, we feature interviews with representatives of countries leading the effort to feature water resilience as key to their national climate plans. Egypt and Costa Rica are two of the first countries to pilot a new tool called the Water Tracker for National Climate Planning, indicative of their commitment towards a cross-sectoral, water-centric approach to addressing climate risks. Dr. Eman Soliman, Head of Planning Sector for Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, and Cynthia Barzuna Gutiérrez, Costa Rican Vice Minister for Water and Ocean Affairs, joined Ingrid Timboe to discuss their countries’ adaptation initiatives and COP26 priorities. This episode is part of a four-part miniseries focusing on COP26 and work being done around national climate planning.

Delayed for a full year due to the pandemic, the next major climate conference of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) begins later this month. Leaders from governments, civil society, and the private sector will converge in Glasgow and virtually to determine the next major steps to address the climate crisis. Can Glasgow deliver on the promises made in Paris in 2015? On this episode of ClimateReady, we’re joined by Vel Gnanendran, Climate and Environment Advisor for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, or FCDO. With the UK as host of this year’s conference of the parties, or COP, we take the opportunity to ask Vel about the major priorities and aspirations being worked towards, and why the average person should be paying attention. Vel talks about encouraging work being done to bridge the gap between climate risks and adaptation, and the need for more locally led adaptation and access to climate finance. This episode is the first in a four-part miniseries focused on COP26 coming out over the next month. COP26 takes place from 31 October through 12 November.

ClimateReady is coming back with a four-part miniseries focused around the UN’s climate change conference, or COP26, starting at the end of October, where world leaders will gather in Glasgow and virtually to try and deliver on the promise of the Paris Agreement. In this special ClimateReady miniseries, we'll try to put things into context around COP26 priorities, existing efforts around national climate planning, and major takeaways after the global conference.

Regardless of whether or not you realize it, the climate crisis may be taking a toll on your mental well-being. Combine that with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, economic downturns, and social distancing measures, and it’s easy to see that mental health may be more important now than ever. But for these pervasive problems with no simple solutions, how are we supposed to move past our anxiety or grief? In this episode of ClimateReady, we are joined by clinical social worker and psychotherapist, Andrew Bryant. Andrew sat down to discuss the work he’s been doing for nearly a decade to help people understand the psychological impacts of climate change and develop strategies to regain their sense of agency. He explains the idea of “radical acceptance” and lays out a four-step approach for empowering ourselves to respond to the complex emotions resulting from the climate crisis, and highlights tools available through his Climate and Mind website (www.climateandmind.org). Many of the lessons he shares can also be applied to dealing with anxiety relating to the current pandemic as well. Following the interview, we continue the ongoing “Climate of Hope” segment in partnership with the World Youth Parliament for Water. Lynn Porta of the North American Youth Parliament for Water discusses her graduate research in transboundary water management and international treaties, and how the trends she sees around cooperation and adaptability give her room for hope.

Modern hydrology and engineering have solved some tremendous problems, allowing societies to expand and thrive in regions once considered too difficult to inhabit. With more people, more complicated economies, and more variability and extremes from climate impacts, engineering our way out of water challenges seems harder, more expensive, and less reliable. Maybe solutions from the past can become new again? In this episode of ClimateReady, we examine how traditional, indigenous knowledge and nature-based solutions (NbS) can complement modern approaches. Dr. Boris Ochoa-Tocachi of Imperial College London joins the show to discuss the work he is doing with rural communities in the Andes of Peru, using pre-Columbian technology such as amunas and NbS like bofedales alongside modern water storage and conveyance methods, to help provide water security for local communities as well as Greater Lima and its nearly 10 million inhabitants, all while avoiding the traps of “parachute science.” Following the interview, we hear a different perspective from Peru in our “Climate of Hope” segment. María Angélica Villasante Villafuerte and Hernan Tello, both members of Peruvian Youth Against Climate Change, discuss their work to increase youth involvement in local and national decision making around climate change to achieve an intergenerational transfer of good practices and lessons learned.

With our daily lives inundated with news and anxiety around the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, it’s easy to forget another major story from just a few months ago. The Australian bushfire season of 2019-2020 has garnered global attention. People all around the world were shocked by stories of massive wildlife loss, charred landscapes, destroyed homes and businesses, and displaced communities. But now that the fires have gone out, what have we learned? To hear how these fires impacted the country’s ecosystems, people, and politics, we turn to two colleagues from southeastern Australia. Dr. Jamie Pittock is a professor at Australian National University (www.anu.edu.au/), while Dr. Emma Carmody — a previous guest on ClimateReady — works at the Environmental Defenders Office (www.edo.org.au/). Jamie and Emma talk us through the wide-ranging impacts of this season’s bushfires. We hear how climate change, ongoing drought, and specific governance and management policies all worked in conjunction to feed the conditions for such devastating fires. We pay particular attention to the short- and long-term impacts on freshwater ecosystems and wildlife before turning to ways in which the tragedy may lead to positive behavioral and policy changes. For listeners interested in helping the ecosystems and people harmed by Australia’s bushfires, we are including a list of some great organizations recommended by Jamie and Emma. You can make donations and find out more about their work using the links below: - For strategic and science-based wildlife conservation projects – WWF Australia (http://bit.ly/3bdXjnF) - For a particular freshwater wildlife conservation – Aussie Ark Turtle Project (http://bit.ly/392BaqW) - For people, for short term relief – Country Women’s Association (http://bit.ly/3a7epTV) - For other strategic projects – Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (http://bit.ly/33At9sa)

We count on public utilities to provide services integral to everyday life. When we turn on the tap or flip a light switch, the assumption is that water will run and rooms will light up. But as the climate changes and cities continue to grow at a breakneck pace, what can utilities do to continue to provide these essential services? Is there a way to avoid overexploiting natural resources while keeping ratepayers happy? For insight into climate-smart development, we look to the pioneering efforts of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) in the U.S. state of California. On this episode of ClimateReady, we’ll hear from three SFPUC representatives: Mike Brown, Sarah Minick, and Karri Ving. They describe the ways in which SFPUC is utilizing — and financing — nature-based “green” infrastructure to reinforce and supplement their existing systems in order to provide water, wastewater, and power services to millions of customers in a region highly vulnerable to climate change. In the second part of the discussion, we hear how SFPUC is financing these innovative projects - totaling over US$1.4 billion - through the use of the world’s first certified climate bonds dedicated to water infrastructure. Following the interview, we wrap up with another installment of “Climate of Hope” in partnership with the World Youth Parliament for Water. Karan Gajare, a civil engineer from India pursuing a Masters Degree in Environmental Engineering through an Erasmus Mundus program, shares a success story of a small village taking big steps to adapt to and mitigate climate change in his native India (full story at http://bit.ly/38tc9F7).

What happens when climate change renders our homes and communities uninhabitable? Can we maintain our deep place-based connections from afar? As climate change and sea level rise threaten coastal communities, we’re forced to grapple with the fact that not all places will be livable in the not-so-distant future. Following extreme weather events, conversations tend to focus on how to build back. But should we always build back? Who decides? The concept of strategic managed retreat — although controversial — is slowly making its way into the mainstream as a viable, and necessary, adaptation option for many communities threatened by mounting climate impacts. In this episode of ClimateReady, we hear from Dr. A.R. Siders as she makes the case for strategic and managed retreat as an opportunity to focus on the long-term well-being of coastal and floodplain communities and the lands they call home (http://bit.ly/2RIqRBC). Retreat is not an adaptation solution for every context. But when done in a purposeful, coordinated manner coupled with community involvement, it offers the potential for minimizing risks while avoiding the pitfalls of ad hoc displacement following disasters - a fate that often disproportionately affects poor and marginalized communities with the fewest resources to rebuild or relocate. We discuss the cultural barriers and social justice implications of the approach, and lots more, in this wide-ranging interview. The show concludes with a “Climate of Hope” story as we hear from our youngest guest ever. Austin Matthews, the son of ClimateReady’s producer, describes what it’s like to be a ten-year-old facing the looming threat of climate change and some of the reasons for his optimism facing the challenge.

Environmental change is not occurring in isolation, especially for communities and groups who may live close to and depend very directly on local ecosystems for their livelihoods and economic wellbeing. Climate change in most places is occurring in conjunction with cultural shifts, political reorganization, and globalizing economic impacts. While economic, environmental, and social change tended to happen gradually in the past, many regions are now struggling with managing a bewildering array of forces, many of which they have little control over, forcing difficult decisions whose implications may be hard to manage much less foresee. Governance — especially around management of natural resources — must evolve in order to better address the interests of a growing number of stakeholders in increasingly complex socio-environmental systems. In this episode of ClimateReady, we bring in environmental anthropologist Dr. Sarah Ebel to discuss an ongoing example of transformative governance in Chile. Drawing on nearly a decade of work with coastal fishing communities, Dr. Ebel describes how legislative changes to Chile’s fisheries management plans and a rare shift towards “polycentric governance” have impacted local fishermen, indigenous groups, the aquaculture industry, and the environment — topics she further covers in the book "Chiloé" (http://bit.ly/chiloe-book). We also discuss the role of “individual agency” in our quest towards resilience and much more. The show concludes with another “Climate of Hope” story as part of an ongoing collaboration with the World Youth Parliament for Water, where Alex Whitebrook highlights encouraging trends from China’s industrial and agricultural sectors.

The story of water management in the Western United States is epitomized by the Colorado River. Water managers in the early twentieth century set up structures and policies that would have implications for tens of millions of users across multiple states and countries — and all based upon faulty math. How have the systems and infrastructure along the Colorado River impacted development? How is climate change coming into play? And are there reasons for hope that the story of conflict and mismanagement can become a story of cooperation? In this episode of ClimateReady we are joined by John Fleck, a renowned author, science journalist, and Director of the University of New Mexico’s Water Resources Program. We cover a range of topics relating to the Colorado River from transboundary management, to balancing competing water demands, to the role of storytelling in developing good water governance. All of this and more can be found in his new book “Science Be Dammed: How Ignoring Inconvenient Science Drained the Colorado River” (https://uapress.arizona.edu/book/science-be-dammed). We wrap up with another “Climate of Hope” story as part of an ongoing collaboration with the World Youth Parliament for Water. Juliane Schillinger talks about the growing voice of scientists in political movements as a result of the climate crisis and the benefits of stepping out of the “ivory tower.”

This special episode of ClimateReady was taped live at the ongoing UNFCCC COP25 in Madrid, Spain. Ingrid and a special co-host, the Executive Director of AGWA, have a conversation with colleagues from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). The four of them talk about the integral role of water in climate change solutions and actions as well as a newly launched background paper on water prepared for the Global Commission on Adaptation (www.adaptationsthirst.org). To watch the Facebook Live video interview, visit http://bit.ly/CR-COP25. The episode concludes with our “Climate of Hope” segment in partnership with the World Youth Parliament for Water. Stephanie Woodworth highlights the impact that climate change is having on the environment and communities where she lives, and the work being done with local youth that gives her hope.

As cities continue to grow, increasing demands are being placed on urban water systems. Climate change and other unprecedented stressors will exacerbate the challenges related to cities' climate security in the decades to come. How can cities learn to build resilience, and do so in an equitable manner involving a wide range of stakeholders? For this episode of ClimateReady, we hit the road to conduct live interviews during World Water Week in Stockholm in 2019. Keeping in line with the conference’s theme of “Water for Society: Including All,” we spoke with representatives of the ongoing City Water Resilience Approach (CWRA) project. The approach is designed to coordinate policies, investments, and operations by using water as the connective tissue for resilient action, often across a number of cities that form a single urban landscape. We were joined by two members of the CWRA team from the global engineering firm Arup, Mr. Martin Shouler and Ms. Louise Ellis. Then to hear how the resilience approach is being put into practice in one of its pilot cities, we spoke with Mr. Hardeep Anand of the Miami Dade Water & Sewer Department in the US state of Florida, a city which is seeing quite significant climate impacts already. We wrap up with another “Climate of Hope” story as part of an ongoing collaboration with the World Youth Parliament for Water. Joyce Mendez of the Climate Reality Project in Brazil and the Center for United Nations Constitutional Research covers the ways in which climate change can serve as an opportunity for significant global governance changes as part of a more inclusive future. Links: https://www.resilienceshift.org/campaign/city-water-resilience-approach/ https://www.arup.com/perspectives/city-water-resilience-approach

Climate change is the preeminent problem of the 21st century. Why not address it with 21st century solutions? While still in development, advances in data science — specifically around big data and AI — offer new and valuable tools for climate adaptation. How is this being deployed and who is leading the charge? In the Season 3 premiere of ClimateReady, we are joined by Paul Fleming, Corporate Water Program Manager for Microsoft (microsoft.com/environment). We discuss some of the reasons why a company known primarily for computer software is leading groundbreaking developments for water management related to climate change. Paul discusses the potential for big data and AI with respect to utilities and smarter water management. We also hear about the CEO Water Mandate initiative (ceowatermandate.org) and the expanding role of the private sector in addressing the century’s greatest environmental and sustainable development challenges. Following our main interview, we introduce a new segment to the show. Underlying all of our work around climate adaptation is a sense of optimism. We can (and must!) create more resilient systems and societies. To support this idea, we are featuring short personal reflections about a “Climate of Hope.” The episode closes out with a story from Nureen Anisha, an AGWA Research Fellow and graduate student, speaking of efforts in her native Bangladesh that give her hope for the future.

In this special episode of ClimateReady, we take a look back at last season’s “Postcards from the Future.” In these segments, we ask what the world may look like in the face of a changing climate. Guests offer up a range of possibilities, each providing a different take on the problems and — more importantly — the solutions we as a society can take to become more ClimateReady. Whether you’re new to the show or an avid listener, we think you’ll enjoy hearing from all of the insightful “Postcard” contributors: John Matthews (1:30), Stephanie Lyons (9:04), Kathryn Pharr (13:39), Ingrid Timboe (16:22), Al Meghji (21:27), Elizabeth Rush (25:24), Alan Hesse (27:57), Danielle Neighbour (32:00), and Dr. Raha Hakimdavar (37:15). Season 3 of ClimateReady is coming soon. Make sure to subscribe to stay up to date as new episodes are released!

Sustainable development has been the guiding principle for meeting today’s needs without compromising the future of our planet. But what happens when the pace of change outpaces sustainable development practices? And how can we adequately plan for development when the future is increasingly uncertain? Often we use the term “resilience” in the context of climate adaptation but, perhaps artfully, we also often leave the word undefined. Resilience is a value, a goal, an ethic, and a principle intended to lead to action. Resilience-based approaches to adaptation and sustainable development are gaining more traction in recent years as ways to help communities, governments, and development organizations adapt, transform, and thrive in the face of change. In this episode of ClimateReady—the final one of Season 2—we finally take a deep dive into this resilience thread that runs through almost all of our stories around climate and water. Dr. Nate Matthews of the Global Resilience Partnership (http://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/) joins the show to discuss the principles behind the concept, the systemic changes involved, and the evolving relationships between donors, practitioners, and the private sector. Following our main interview, we close out with a poetic story as our “Postcard from the Future.” Dr. Raha Hakimdavar, a Hydrologist at the US Forest Service, reflects on the cultural and personal significance of water, and an important but often forgotten impact of climate change. A full version of her poem is available at https://unfccc.int/documents/184122.

Each year climate negotiators gather for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties, or COP, to discuss how to address climate change. But how does science inform climate policy? Is climate policy actually based in science? Should technical professionals become involved in climate policy? If so, how? In this episode of ClimateReady, we bring in two people neck deep in climate and water policy despite having largely technical backgrounds. AGWA’s Coordinator, Dr. John Matthews, interviews the Director of IUCN’s Global Water Program, Dr. James Dalton, about the need for technical perspectives in the world of policy. Together, a biologist and an engineer discuss the challenges of entering a fast-paced arena that sometimes requires compromise and generalizations and the means by which interested (especially young) professionals can enter the fray. Following their conversation, we hear a “Postcard from the Future” that takes us to Beijing in 2050. Danielle Neighbour of the China Environment Forum at the Wilson Center highlights the benefits of coordinated water recycling for addressing water security in urban and rural settings. You can learn more about IUCN's Global Water Program at https://www.iucn.org/theme/water and the China Environment Forum at https://www.wilsoncenter.org/program/china-environment-forum.

Civilizations have always depended on water. It’s no surprise, then, that laws pertaining to water and water governance have been around for thousands of years. All of that experience shows how difficult it is to govern water well. Climate change compounds these challenges. In this episode of ClimateReady, we look at multiple scales of water law through the example of a single river basin — from local allocation issues to national policies to international conventions. We are joined by Dr. Emma Carmody, an environmental lawyer for the Environmental Defenders Office of New South Wales and an expert in governance for the Murray-Darling Basin in Australia. Emma also lends her expertise as a legal advisor for the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. We discuss Australia’s influential Water Act, the need to adapt policies in light of climate change, and the role of broader international agreements in driving local and national environmental policy. Following the main interview, we have a “Postcard from the Future” sent by Alan Hesse, a cartoonist, freelance conservationist, and creator of the upcoming “Polo the Bear” comic on climate change. Alan draws attention to the important and often undervalued relationship between science and the arts. You can find out more about Emma’s work with EDO in the Murray-Darling at http://bit.ly/edo-nsw or https://www.edonsw.org.au. For information on Alan’s upcoming comic book due early 2019, visit www.millgatehouse.co.uk.

Nobody has data from the future - it hasn’t happened yet. But for centuries we’ve assumed that the past can predict the future. What if it can’t anymore? Will engineers and planners become consumed by inaction and climate uncertainty? Climate Risk Informed Decision Analysis (CRIDA) is a new five-step water resources planning framework that helps address deep uncertainties associated with climatic, demographic and land-use change. CRIDA tackles the hardest part of climate adaptation: those times we need a hard number as engineers and economists, especially in parts of the world where may not have access to much data. In this episode of ClimateReady, we are joined by three of the lead authors behind the recently-released publication. Drs. Guillermo Mendoza, Ad Jeuken, and John Matthews each lend their perspectives on how an engineer, a climate scientist, and an ecologist (respectively) came together to create a new vision of resilience in water management planning and decision making. The CRIDA publication and additional resources are available at http://agwaguide.org/CRIDA. The guidebook is a co-publication of UNESCO IHP and the Integrated Center for International Water Resources Management (ICIWaRM), a UNESCO center in the United States.