KAGAWONG—Al Douglas, a leading climate scientist from Manitoulin Island, is preparing to lend his expertise on climate resilience at one of the most significant international conferences on disaster risk reduction. From October 14-18, Mr. Douglas will attend the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) in Manila, Philippines. This United Nations-sanctioned event brings together governments, scientists, and key organizations from across the globe to address disaster preparedness in the world’s most disaster-prone region.
Mr. Douglas, who has spent years studying the effects of climate change on communities and infrastructure, will share his work on climate adaptation and resilience. His team has been pioneering efforts to create training programs that build the capacity of communities to better handle climate-related disasters. These include engineering protocols to strengthen infrastructure, preparing for climate emergencies, and ensuring long-term resilience in the face of growing environmental threats.
“The goal is to create training protocols for capacity building, allowing communities to adapt and become more resilient to climate change impacts,” Mr. Douglas told The Expositor. His work focuses on integrating local knowledge with scientific solutions, empowering communities to take charge of their future in an increasingly unstable climate.
The APMCDRR 2024, hosted by the Government of the Philippines in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center. The conference is the primary platform for countries in the Asia-Pacific region to assess and accelerate their progress under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. The framework is a global blueprint for reducing disaster risks and strengthening resilience, adopted by the UN in 2015.
The 2024 conference will be held under the working theme, “Surge to 2030: Enhancing Ambition in Asia-Pacific to Accelerate Disaster Risk Reduction,” reflecting the urgency of action needed to tackle escalating climate threats.
The conference will focus on three thematic pillars: practical solutions to enhance disaster risk reduction financing, strategies for securing the financial resources necessary to support disaster preparedness and recover; leaving no one behind, gender-responsive and inclusive disaster risk governance, ensuring that vulnerable groups, including women, persons with disabilities, and marginalized communities, are not left behind in resilience-building efforts; localization and urban-rural resilience – enhancing the ability of both urban and rural areas to withstand and recover from disasters, with a focus on localizing solutions.
The event will also prioritize cross-cutting themes such as science and technology, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and private sector engagement. Mr. Douglas’ work will be particularly valuable in the “science, technology, and knowledge” category, as his climate adaptation research provides practical, evidence-based solutions that can be implemented across different regions.
As the first regional platform since the adoption of the Sendai Framework Midterm Review, APMCDRR 2024 will review how well countries are reducing disaster risks and will encourage bold new commitments to meet the 2030 goals. With over 4.5 billion people living in the Asia-Pacific region—many in vulnerable areas—this event represents a critical opportunity to shape a safer, more resilient future.
Mr. Douglas’ participation places Manitoulin Island on the world stage. His contributions could influence international efforts to build stronger, more resilient communities in the face of intensifying climate emergencies. “The risks are growing, but so is our ability to respond,” Mr. Douglas emphasized. “Now is the time to scale up our efforts and ensure every community has the tools to withstand what’s coming.”
The conference’s outcomes are expected to drive global disaster risk reduction strategies for years to come, with Mr. Douglas’ insights offering valuable guidance on how communities can adapt to the rapidly changing climate.
Mr. Douglas is the Sudbury-based Climate Risk Institute. He also owns and operates, with his family, Hide Away Lodge on Kagawong.
