Snapshot from the 18th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change (CBA18) in Arusha, Tanzania

Jambo!

I am elated to share that I was invited to participate in the 18th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change (CBA18), from 6th to 9th May 2024 in Arusha, Tanzania; organised and funded by the Adaptation Research Alliance, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CARE, the Climate Justice Resilience Fund, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the Global Resilience Partnership, the Green Africa Youth Organisation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and Practical Action, in collaboration with ACTADE, Africa Youth Initiative on Climate Change, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the National Adaptation Plan Global Network, Tebtebba Indigenous Peoples’ International Centre for Policy Research and Education, The Global Fund and VSO. The conference delved into aspects concerning ‘decolonise climate action’ and promoting ‘locally-led innovation and adaptation’.

Visual Description [Alt Text]: Collage of six pictures on a white background: 1. Picture of Adv. Abhishek Kumar of The Sangyan [India] standing in front of the program dashboard of the 18th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change (CBA18) took place from 6 May to 9 May 2024 in Arusha, Tanzania. On the program dashboard, there are notes stuck all over including three notes of Abhishek’s on the Intersectional Vulnerability of Climate Change, Traditional Knowledge, and Parampara: India’s Culture of Climate-Friendly Sustainable Practices; 2. Mount Kilimanjaro; 3. Group picture from the session at the Gran Meliá’s Baobab Ballroom; 4. Slide showing Principles for Locally Led Adaptation (LLA); 5. Group picture of the #CBA18 participants; 6. #CBA18 hoarding and flags outside the conference room; and. 7. CBA18 logo (along with the dates and place of the conference). Apart from that are the logos of The Sangyan and Build Forward Better Campaign and the following hashtags — #BuildForwardBetter, #CBA18, and #UnitedInAction.

I approach my effort for climate justice by integrating ‘Lifestyle For Environment’ in every aspect of my day-to-day life, be it the food that I eat, the clothes that I wear, the mode of my travel, and so on. For me, every action shall be environmentally conscious as we have a responsibility (Dharma) towards nature that sustains our very survival. Against that backdrop, when I got invited to attend the CBA18 in Arusha (Tanzania) and was entrusted with the opportunity to participate — it was my responsibility to make optimum use, not just for my personal growth and learning but also for what I bring to the table.

In order to ensure the logical conclusion of all the carbon footprint I have left behind in travelling to join the platform that enabled the coming together of a cohort of an insightful and diverse set of people that facilitated intersectional and intersectoral cross-learning that shall go a long way, I, to the best of my ability, tried engaging and learning about new perspectives and approaches to ‘decolonise climate action’ and promoting ‘locally-led innovation and adaptation’ and actively participated by sharing my lived experiences, research findings, and perspectives from the Indian context concerning Laws and Policies, Inclusive Climate Action and LLA, Universal Design and Accessibility, Traditional Knowledge and Vernacular Architecture, Universally Accessible Early Warning System and Technology for Climate Action, Human-Wildlife Conflicts, Strategic Approaches to Climate Justice [Four Order Impact Assessment], and Heatwave Action Plans, among other related pertinent matters.

The Breakout Rooms, Open Space Sessions, Dragons’ Den, and Marketplace were the highlights of the conference and provided an inclusive and discussion-friendly environment to share and learn about various aspects and perspectives. I would also like to thank all the people who contributed to my journey and for enhancing my horizon which enabled me to share the Indian perspective (Bharatiya Darshan) across themes at an international forum.

I am grateful to the CBA18 and especially, the IEED Team (especially, Katherine, Teresa, Sarah, Sushila, and Asma, among others involved) for their constant support throughout my participation in the conference. I appreciate the team’s commitment to making the conference inclusive and accessible by providing reasonable accommodation and accessibility to a great extent.

Last but not least, I would like to thank the people of Tanzania who gave me wonderful hospitality throughout my stay, both personally and professionally. The only sad part was not being able to explore the wildlife and trek to Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro (but let’s keep some reasons for coming back again).

I am optimistic that these discussions and learnings will go beyond the four walls of the auditoriums of the Gran Meliá. I am grateful to the IIED Team, for providing me with this platform to share my experiences as well as an opportunity to learn from the engagements with one and all. I look forward to integrating the learnings to a logical conclusion and creating meaningful changes.

Asante!

About the Conference: CBA18: local solutions inspiring global action [https://www.iied.org/cba18-local-solutions-inspiring-global-action]

About the Author

Adv. Abhishek Kumar

Founder and Curator — The Sangyan