Side Meetings

SMB209

Overcoming Challenges and Harnessing Opportunities for Health at the Nexus of Biodiversity and Climate Change: Global Lessons from Cross Sectoral Population-Environment-Development (PED) Approaches.

24
Jan

  • 09:00 - 12:30 HRS. (BKK)

  • Venue : Lotus Suite 10

  • Contact Person : Clive Mutunga, clive.mutunga@afidep.org

Organizers
  • BUILD Project, African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP)
  • USAID Office of Population and Reproductive Health (PRH)

Biodiversity and ecosystems and human health and well-being are intricately linked.  Healthy ecosystem and biodiversity support life that human health and well-being depend on. Yet, they are being degraded by various pressures at unprecedent rates, posing potential risks to the health, livelihoods, and well-being of billions of people.

These complex and inter connected challenges that cut across sectoral, disciplinary, geographical and cultural boundaries require collaborative solutions through cross sectoral integrated approaches such as Population-Environment-Development (PED).

PED approaches take a holistic and integrated approach to health and the environment, recognizing the connections between the health and well-being of both people and the environment and natural resources that they depend on. Integrating health including voluntary family planning with initiatives that strengthen environmental sustainability and increase resilience to climate change can achieve health, environment and other development outcomes that are far greater than in individual single-sector interventions alone.

It is against this background that the Building Capacity for integrated Family Planning, Reproductive Health and Population, Environment & Development (PED) Action (BUILD) Project is being implemented by the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) and its partners. The partners include PATH Foundation Philippines Inc (PFPI), FHI 360, Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD), and the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA). The USAID-funded project seeks to address the interlinked PED and climate change challenges for sustainable development in LMICs to enable integrated PED action using a Systems Thinking approach.

The BUILD Project seeks to convene a side event at the PMAC to provide a platform for discussing and illustrating the role of PED approaches in addressing the interlinkages between health, biodiversity and climate change in LMICs.

  • Sensitize stakeholders on the interlinkages between health, biodiversity and climate change and development, including the vital role of empowering women and youth in PED cross sectoral integration efforts.
  • Foster dialogue on the policy and programatic challenges and opportunties for addressing health and the nexus of biodiversity and climate change
  • Advocate for cross sectoral inetgrated PED approaches that ensure multiple development outcomes such as improved health and human well being (including access to voluntary family planning and reproductive health), biodiversity conservation and climate change action in LMICs.