On Thursday, 22 March, a seminar on, “Analysing the relationship between climate change and poverty reduction policies”, will be attended by leading  researchers in social and environmental issues, as well as representatives of the Peruvian Government. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Minister of the Environment, and Luis Ginocchio, Minister of Agriculture, will take part in a round table discussion focusing on the analysis of public policies relating to climate change.

The researchers and experts taking part in the discussion will include: Manuel Ruiz-Muller (Director of the Biodiversity Program and International Affairs of the SPDA); Gerardo Damonte (GRADE); Javier González-Iwanciw (Nur University, Bolivia); María Paz-Cigarán (Libélula) and Juan Torres (specialist in climate change from Practical Solutions).

During the event, Dr. Simon Anderson, Head of the IIED (International Institute for Environment and Development) Climate Change Group and author of the CDKN briefing on “Climate change and poverty reduction” will present the latest thinking on linkages between poverty and climate change, and a panel of speakers will respond from a Latin American perspective. This document was developed in the framework of CDKN’s initiative, and contains valuable information on experiences in Africa and Asia.

The will also provide a basis for dialogue among researchers and decision makers, to kick off a process to identify knowledge gaps and the needs of the Government's different sectors, as well as opportunities to strengthen public policies, by taking climate change into account.

Among other points, Anderson’s research posits a direct relationship between poor people’s chances of emerging from poverty, and climate variability and change. It argues that  the design of poverty-reduction measures requires sounder evidence of how climate makes poverty eradication more difficult. Furthermore, the Government must develop skills to manage climate risks in public policies, stressing the importance of identifying the ways how climate mitigation strategies can reduce poverty and support adaptation.

This event is organized by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) and the Group for Development Analysis (GRADE), with the collaboration the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

This seminar will be livestreamed on www.cdkn.org/regions/lac and you can participate in the debate on:
Twitter: @cdkn_lac (Hashtag: #CCypobreza)