NEW YORK, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "A focus on 'resilience,' on climate adaptation, must be at the center of any realistic approach to climate change.  That is why we're here on this first day of Climate Week NYC," commented Global Adaptation Institute CEO Dr. Juan Jose Daboub to reporters after the keynote panel discussion on "Risk and Resilience," co-sponsored by Swiss Re and the Climate Group.

"The need for urgent action on adaptation measures is supported by the study Swiss Re released today that finds cost-effective adaptation measures can mitigate potential loss by 90 percent in some cases.  Global Adaptation Institute (www.GlobalAdaptationInstitute.org) endorses this important focus on climate resilience," affirmed Daboub at the climate gathering.

One participant termed today's Climate Week NYC event on resilience/adaptation "an excellent follow-on" to last week's high-level session in Washington where Global Adaptation Institute hosted 30 top people for a one and a half day strategy session on this key environmental topic of climate adaptation.  

"Global Adaptation Institute, last week, brought together representatives from the United States, Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia and Australia to work on real climate solutions, projects and metrics.  The group included two former presidents (heads of government), a former president of the World Bank, corporate leaders, philanthropists, and experts from top universities, think tanks, and foundations," Daboub explained.

"Private investment is absolutely vital. Our Institute will directly fund initiatives that build resilience to climate change ('global warming').  It will be positive if the UN Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC) increases its focus on Adaptation, but vulnerable populations can't wait for the Kyoto Protocol or other global treaties on carbon and greenhouse gases to save them," Daboub emphasized at today's New York event against the backdrop of the annual UN General Assembly, amid preparations for the Cancun Climate Summit/COP-16 meeting in December.  

Daboub, former managing director of the World Bank, also noted that although Global Adaptation Institute has recently hosted high-level participants at two adaptation strategy meetings in Washington, its official launch will come later this year.

Last week, Ken Hersh, CEO of NGP Energy Capital Management, a $9.5 billion natural resources investment firm based in Irving, Texas, pledged a $10M unrestricted donation to the Institute. Daboub, founding CEO of Global Adaptation Institute and a former Finance Minister of El Salvador, also teaches at Princeton University.  

SOURCE Global Adaptation Institute

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