The latest version of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released in late February notes that, despite global efforts to reduce risks, climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruptions and is adversely affecting the lives of billions of people around the world. In particular, the most vulnerable human and natural ecosystems, some of which are located in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region (a climate change hot-spot where the effects will be experienced much more intensely) have been gravely affected.

As mentioned in a relevant press-release, the report “explores future impacts at different levels of warming and the resulting risks and offers options to strengthen nature’s and society’s resilience to ongoing climate change, to fight hunger, poverty, and inequality, and keep Earth a place worth living on – for current as well as for future generations”. Unfortunately, different types of impact of climate change act synergistically and thus their effects are magnified. The report makes specific mentions to the effects of losses in the natural systems will have on human health, food and dwelling security as well as overall well-being. More specifically, it refers to the potential increase in rise in temperature and climate related migration which (if nothing changes) will result in food and dwellings insecurity. In order to prevent this from happening fundamental transitions in human behaviours are needed, i.e. changes in the energy systems used, changes in industry as well as serious urban and rural infrastructure rethinking.

The IPCC report is completely in line with the Cyprus Climate Change Initiative (CCI), a regional initiative initiated by the Cyprus Government in 2019. The CCI considers many of the same matters as the IPCC report at the regional level taking into consideration some of the important particularities of the region such as: climate change hotspot, densely populated region with big (and increasing rapidly) urbanization, volatile in terms of political issues area with many on-going conflicts, area with major production of fossil fuels, great disparity in financial resources between countries. Within the framework of the CCI, specific thematic reports have been prepared (on human health, migration, food security, urbanization, energy systems etc) which are focused specifically on the EMME region, assessing the current situation, identifying gaps in research and policy, and propose technologically mature and affordable solutions for addressing the impacts of climate change which will form the basis of a Regional Action Plan. The Cyprus Institute, which has coordinated the scientific component of the Initiative during the last two years, was recently assigned the role of Regional Secretariat of the CCI which will undertake the implementation of the Regional Action Plan.

These scientific reports highlight that timely action as well as sharing of knowledge, capacity building and enabling technologies, are desperately needed both in the region as well as worldwide to transform the current situation. As the IPCC policy-makers summary mentions “Enabling conditions are key for implementing, accelerating and sustaining adaptation in human systems and ecosystems. These include political commitment and follow-through, institutional frameworks, policies and instruments with clear goals and priorities, enhanced knowledge on impacts and solutions, mobilization of and access to adequate financial resources, monitoring and evaluation, and inclusive governance processes”.

Along the same lines, the CCI with its goal to create and implement a Regional Action Plan, seeks to establish a stronger regional cooperation which with the appropriate governance and funding will amplify the positive results of our actions. Financing from countries as well as international organizations is urgently needed so that a mechanism for knowledge and technology sharing as well as new and innovative technologies can be implemented. The Regional Action Plan will be discussed and finalized in a follow-up Ministerial Meeting on 7th of June 2022, (to be hosted in Cyprus) and approved by the Heads of States in a Regional Summit that will take place the following October.