【COP30 Side-Event】Resilience Now: Closing the Adaptation Gap in Latin America and the Caribbean
Day：2025.12.05
event ｜
Person in charge
| Name | Organization | Position |
| Ryosuke Takahashi | Operations Strategy Department | Deputy Director |
Overview
Date：2025/11/10
Host：Inter-American Developmet Bank (IDB)
Location（Pavilion Name)：IDB Group Pavilion
Moderators and panelists
| Name | Organization | Position |
| Kyosuke Inada | JICA | Director General for Sustainability Management |
| Alfred Grünwaldt, | IDB | Climate Change Solutions Acting Division Chief |
| Dr. Swenja Surminski | Marsh McLennan | Managing Director Climate and Sustainability |
| Aloisio Lopes Pereira de Melo | Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Brazi | Secretary |
| Edalmi Pinelo | Chief Climate Change Office, Belize |
Primary objectives and outcomes
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group held a launch event for its latest report, "Resilience Now: Closing the Adaptation Gap in Latin America and the Caribbean." The event highlighted the diverse climate solutions the IDB Group has implemented and discussed progress toward meeting adaptation and resilience needs and goals.
Content of the discussions
Dr. Svenja Sarminski opened the session by explaining the contents of the new report, followed by a panel discussion.
Edalmi Pinero of Belize stated that due to its location in a hurricane-prone region, the country faces a high risk of disasters, making adaptation a priority. She noted that major challenges include a lack of funding, weak institutional structures, and human resources due to liquidity. She stressed that transparent data and reporting systems are essential for utilizing climate finance.
Aloysio Lopes Pereira de Mello from Brazil stated that the biggest hurdle is a shif of mindset to prioritize adaptation at a national level. He noted that while there has been progress in the development of climate risk data, capacity constraints in local areas make it difficult to formulate investment plans. Furthermore, he emphasized the need to prioritize under limited fiscal resources, and shared an example of how 600 regions have been designated as priority areas based on vulnerability, and support is being provided in three areas: planning, capacity building, and access to funding.
JICA's Director General for Sustainability Management Inada pointed out that adaptation finance faces several challenges: (1) it is considered difficult to generate revenue, resulting in limited investment; (2) investment decisions are difficult due to definitions and standards; and (3) adaptation requires consideration of regional specificities, making standardization difficult. Based on this, JICA aims to (1) mainstream adaptation, (2) attract private capital through a variety of financing methods, and (3) promote the combined use of technical cooperation and financing for partner country governments.
At the end of the event, Dr. Svenja Sáminski noted that within the private sector, large corporations and startups have different roles, and that a movement toward the formation of an "adaptation economy" is currently underway, with an increasing number of startups providing technologies and services for climate risk management. She concluded by mentioning that this reflects a growing trend toward viewing adaptation as a "business" rather than a "cost," and that it is important to create an investment environment in which such startups can thrive.
Group Photo
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