By Carlos Méndez, John Kudrenecky and Tania Guillén

Sunday, April 27, officially opened the 8th instalment of the International Community Based Adaptation (CBA8), which is organised by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED ) and promoted by a group of more than 15 international organisations among which includes Southern Voices, ActionAid, United Nations Development Programme as well as UK- Aid, Christian Aid, CARE, UNICEF, Save the Children, USAID and others. The focus of the conference this year is on financing local adaptation and is held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The opening ceremony of the conference was attended by His Excellency the Prime Minister of the Government of Nepal Rt. Hon. Sushil Koirala and other distinguished members from both government and civil society organisations.

“CBA8 has lead to the encounter between different representatives of countries in the continents of Asia, Africa, Europe and Central America. The latter of which is represented by the Regional Facilitator for Latin America, the National Focal Point Alliance for  Nicaraguan Climate Change (ANACC – Nicaragua), in addition to the participation of a representative of the National Defence League Platform Environment (LIDEMA – Bolivia), who together take advantage of their participation in the conference, along with networks from Africa and Asia and will be developing activities that drives the Southern Voices Programme – third phase of international action, primarily related to Adaptation Principles,” said Tania Guillén from Nicaragua. She is also the Regional Facilitator for the Latin America.

The CBA8 comprises a total of 23 plenaries, including 15 parallel conferences whose importance lies in the content of topics namely financing, adaptation, vulnerability, capacity building, adaptation fund, micro finance for adaptation, disaster risk management among others.

The 8th International Conference on Community Based Adaptation began on April 24 with the field visits and will continue till Wednesday April 30.

Carlos Méndez, John Kudrenecky and Tania Guillén are affiliated to Climate Action Network Latin America (CAN LA) and also the Southern Voices Programme.