Date: Wednesday, 30 March 2022 Time: 14:00 to 15:30 pm GMT+4 (UAE local time) Languages: English and Arabic
Organised by: UN Environment Programme in partnership with C40 Cities, Cool Coalition, Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction
Location: Atlantis the Palm Resort in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Microsoft Teams Duration: 75 minutes
Background
The Middle East and North Africa region is already the hottest and driest on the planet, but the current level of emissions and expected climate impacts are set to make some areas uninhabitable. Without bold action, by 2100 50% of the population in the region will be exposed to “super-extreme” weather events. Cities will be most impacted by the rising heat, with maximum temperature reaching or even exceeding 60°C in MENA urban centers and megacities. In the Middle East, most capital cities could face four months of exceedingly hot days every year.
As the heat rises, access to thermal comfort in and around buildings is key to protecting the health and prosperity of communities in the Middle East and North Africa, and the livability of urban centers. However, today, the process of cooling down buildings is a key driver of energy use and emissions.
About this Thematic Session
As part of the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week (MENACW 2022), the session “Beating the Rising Heat: Cool Solutions for Resilient Communities” will be an opportunity to hear from other leaders and a regional audience what is needed to scale up implementation of sustainable cooling solutions in the region, to deliver increased resilience to extreme heat, and do so without causing increased energy use and emissions.
The event will also mark the regional launch of Beating the Heat: A Sustainable Cooling Handbook for Cities, a new tool that provides actionable guidance for cities to organize action towards sustainable and equitable urban cooling.
About the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week 2022
The first-ever edition of the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week, MENACW 2022, will be held from March 28 to March 31 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The event is hosted by the Government of the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the World Green Economy Organization, and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. MENWCW 2022 is jointly co-organized by core partners UN Climate Change, UN Development Programme, UN Environment Programme, and the World Bank Group, with partners based in MENA – the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, the International Renewable Energy Agency, and the League of Arab States Secretariat. MENA Climate Week 2022 will provide a platform for governments, cities, private sector leaders, financial institutions, and civil society to discuss opportunities to build forward from the pandemic by identifying opportunities to enhance climate action. The event will bring together key stakeholders to take the pulse of climate action in the region, explore climate challenges and opportunities, and showcase ambitious solutions. https://unfccc.int/MENA-CW2022
Speakers:
- Giorgia Rambelli, Coordinator, Climate Policy & Energy Governance, ICLEI
- Abdullah Taibah on behalf of His Excellency Fahd Alrasheed, CEO, Royal Commission for Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia
- Ahmad Bin Shafar, Chief Executive Officer, Empower
- Ilyas Essabai on behalf of Majida El Ouardirhi, Secretary General of Housing and City Policy Department, Ministry for National Territory Planning, Land Planning, Housing and City Policy, Kingdom of Morocco (
- Abdullah Taibah, Senior Advisor to the CEO, Royal Commission for Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia
- Omnia El Omrani, Youth Climate Representative, Egypt
- Eng. Sawsan Bawaresh, Clean Energy and Climate Specialist, Royal Jordan Scientific Society
- Gareth Philips, Head of the Climate and Environmental Finance Division, African Development Bank Group
- Shruti Narayan, Regional Director for South and West Asia, C40 Cities
