Challenge 1: Environmental Resilience

How can the public and private sector use innovation and collaboration to protect the natural environment and better join up data and technology to help inform decision making on the repurposing of land and protecting the natural environment?

Background

Climate-related disasters are affecting communities around the world, and the devastating effects of these disasters are only getting worse. Resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, and green buildings are needed to better protect nations from climate-related disasters. This will require international collaboration across industries like development and construction, environment and parks, private companies, governments and public entities, urban and rural planning organizations, and the communities affected by these challenges.

Weather, water, and climate (hydromet) information and services can play a critical role in aiding adaptation decision-making at regional, national and community levels by providing key information to help anticipate, prepare for and respond effectively to many climatic and environmental changes. The World Bank estimates that globally improved hydromet observation and forecasting could lead up to USD 2 billion/year in reduced asset losses. To be effective, these services rely on both climate and non-climate data to contextualise decisions, feedback mechanisms to evaluate their effectiveness and aid in their future development as well as appropriate stakeholder capacities to translate these services into effective actions.

Why this is important 

This challenge combined key elements of COP26’s key aims: to promote the adaptation to protect communities and natural habitats through protecting and restoring ecosystems and building defences, warning systems and resilient infrastructure and agriculture to avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and even lives; to secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach and encouraging investment in renewables.

Target audience/end user

Governments, public sector organizations, and communities need direct access to platforms, products, or technologies that can better enable them to prepare for climate-related disasters.

Goals

The GovTech Global Alliance Scale-up Programme has looked for products and solutions for governments and public bodies so that they can better support frontline communities to build resilience and adapt to the impacts of climate change. We have looked for scale-up products and services that will help governments:

  • Support infrastructure and land developers to better protect the natural environment and build more resilient infrastructure

  • Collaborate across various industries and sectors to improve environmental resilience of buildings, infrastructure, and communities

  • Use Environmental Management Information Systems to help protect communities and businesses against climate shocks

We were also particularly interested in solutions that meet the objectives of the UNDP’s Adaptation Innovation Marketplace.

Sources: World Health Organization, World Green Building Council, IPCC Special Report on Global Warming, UN Sustainable Development Goal #13, UN Sustainable Development Goal #9, COP26 Goals