Climate and health in the Indo-Pacific: Resilience, resources, and risks

Time

10:00 a.m. (GMT+5:30)

About

Multiple crises are plaguing the Indo-Pacific. Climate change, biodiversity loss and extreme weather events are exacerbating vulnerabilities in public health. Accounting for 70 per cent of global air pollution-related deaths, climate-sensitive diseases like malaria and dengue are expanding into new latitudes and altitudes due to shifting temperatures, flooding, and changing rainfall patterns (UNEP, 2023). These challenges are further intensified by large- scale displacement, forcing 32 million people to migrate (UNHCR, 2023). Besides, 70 per cent of the global population at risk from sea-level rise, resides in the Indo-Pacific where nearly one-third of jobs depend on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture and fisheries (UNDP, 2023). Despite the scale of these challenges, resilience financing remains critically inadequate. According to the Adaptation Gap Report 2024, regional countries in the Indo-Pacific require an estimated US $102 billion to US $431 billion annually to adapt to climate change. However, only about US $34 billion in adaptation finance was mobilized in the region between 2021 and 2022, highlighting a significant financing gap that hampers resilience- building efforts. In this context, the Sustainable Finance in the Indo-Pacific (SUFIP) Development Network (DN) is convening a half-day event with two panel discussions to bridge the disconnect between climate finance and public health imperatives. Bringing together policymakers, financial institutions, and health experts, the discussions will focus on mobilizing investments for climate-resilient health systems that are inclusive, sustainable, and responsive to the region's unique challenges.

This event is invite-only