Fifty Governments Stand Firm on the Drive for Economic Resilience

Rotterdam, the Netherlands, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) today hosted an inaugural Ambassadors’ Forum galvanizing global support for accelerating adaptation at speed and at scale. The event, hosted at the GCA’s Rotterdam Headquarters, called on governments, industries and civil society to redouble efforts to build “resilient economies” as the growth engine for the 21^st century.

Ambassadors and senior diplomatic representatives from 50 nations gathered in a show of support and unity for the adaptation and resilience agenda. Delegates committed to spurring sustainable growth, fostering new industries, driving innovation, and unlocking private finance to ease mounting pressures on development aid and public climate finance. The global market for climate adaptation solutions—such as advanced weather analytics, parametric insurance, and water-efficient infrastructure— is projected to be worth USD 2 trillion annually by 2026.

Welcoming the attendees, Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen, President & CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation, lauded the diplomatic community for recognizing that adaptation is not merely a defensive measure but an essential component of global economic strategy: “We are already in the ‘Resilience Endgame’. We must prepare today for the 1.5-degree world. The devastating global impacts we see today need not define the society of tomorrow. The escape plan is to double down on adaptation and capture its incredible economic dividends.” He added that “the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program, our flagship initiative, the largest adaptation program in the world, has shown us that growth and building resilience are intrinsically linked. But we can do so much more – together. Adaptation is about future-proofing our economies, protecting critical infrastructure, safeguarding food supplies, and ensuring that new opportunities can thrive in changing conditions. By rallying together, we multiply the impact of innovative investments and encourage the ‘resilience dividend’—the powerful, compounding benefits that flow from forward-thinking action.”

Delivering remarks, Professor Jan Peter Balkenende, Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Minister of State, and Executive Board Member of the GCA, emphasized that genuine progress on climate resilience will unlock broad-based dividends: “What happens in the most vulnerable countries does not stay there. Climate change amplifies food insecurity, migration, and conflict. In fragile states, environmental stress can become a security threat. Europe and the world must take this seriously. Investing in resilience is not only right — it is wise.” He added that “This is why we need true global cooperation, based on shared interest and shared responsibility.”

Reflecting on adaptation efforts in Africa and beyond, H.E. Halima Mucheke, Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, spoke about the significance of GCA’s new headquarters in Nairobi: “Kenya is proud to host the GCA’s new headquarters in Nairobi which will intensify support for adaptation programs across Africa, leading these programs North-South. Around the world, resilient infrastructure is the hot new investment class. Climate adaptation is a framework for protecting infrastructure, securing food systems and creating new business and job opportunities. And it is being aided by a thriving market in climate solutions.” He added that “The continent’s leading initiative in this area – the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme (AAAP) – has already channelled more than $15bn to strengthen essential systems against climate shocks. These funds are helping to secure the adaptability and livelihoods of nearly 60 million vulnerable people in 40 countries. We need to keep scaling this up, working as a global community, North-South, South-South, South-North–all together.”

Following the opening remarks delegates also heard from the lead architect and founder of Powerhouse Company, Nanne de Ru, about how GCA’s European headquarters at the Floating Office Rotterdam is an award-winning sustainable building recognized worldwide as a model for climate-resilient infrastructure.
The reception forms part of GCA’s broader advocacy strategy to advance climate adaptation solutions worldwide—focusing on protecting infrastructure, securing food systems, catalysing economic growth, and fostering global collaboration. By bringing together high-level diplomats, GCA reinforced its role as a leading international organisation in developing and implementing adaptation strategies that bolster economies against intensifying climate shocks.

Participating Countries and Representatives
A wide cross-section of the diplomatic community participated in the reception:

1. Afghanistan: H.E. Mr. Mohammad Asif Rahimi (Ambassador)
2. Algeria: Ms. Ghalia Benziouche (Minister Counselor)
3. Australia: H.E. Dr. Greg French (Ambassador), Ms. Milena Arsic (First Secretary), Mr. Sybren Holt (Research Officer in Charge of Investment and Trade)
4. Austria: Mr. Oliver Crazzolara (Ambassador’s Assistant – Policy & Research Officer)
5. Azerbaijan: H.E. Mr. Mammad Ahmadzada (Ambassador)
6. Barbados: H.E. N. Simone Rudder (Ambassador)
7. Belarus: H.E. Andrei Yeudachenka (Ambassador)
8. Bolivia: H.E. Roberto Calzadilla Sarmiento (Ambassador)
9. Brazil: Mr. Gaétan Spielmann Moura (Secretary)
10. Burkina Faso: H.E. Mr. Léopold Tonguenoma Bonkoungou (Ambassador)
11. Burundi: H.E. Ms. Isabelle Ndahayo (Ambassador)
12. Cameroon: H.E. Mrs. Liguemoh Ondoua Madeleine (Ambassador)
13. Chile: H.E. Jorge Carvajal (Ambassador), Mrs. María Fernanda Vila (Minister Counselor)
14. China: Mr. Gu Yanbin (Second Secretary), Ms. Zhan Leilei (Second Secretary)
15. Comoros: H.E. Mohamed Chatur Badaoui (Ambassador)
16. Costa Rica: H.E. Arnoldo Brenes Castro (Ambassador)
17. Croatia: H.E. Dubravka Plejić Marković (Ambassador)
18. Cuba: H.E. Mrs. Eva Yelina Silva Walker (Ambassador)
19. Czech Republic: Mr. Stanislav Beneš (Minister Counsellor)
20. Denmark: Ms. Anniek Barnhoorn (Academic Officer)
21. El Salvador: H.E. Agustín Vásquez Gómez (Ambassador)
22. Ethiopia: H.E. Ambassador Eshete Tilahun (Ambassador)
23. Ghana: H.E. Francis Kotia (Ambassador)
24. Greece: Ms. Antigoni Bampi (Scientific Collaborator)
25. Guatemala: H.E. Mrs. Ana Cristina Rodríguez Pineda (Ambassador)
26. Hungary: Mr. Dániel Csonka (Deputy Head of Mission)
27. India: H.E. Mr. Kumar Tuhin (Ambassador)
28. Kenya: H.E. Halima Mucheke (Ambassador)
29. Lithuania: H.E. Neilas Tankevičius (Ambassador)
30. Malaysia: H.E. Roseli Abdul (Ambassador)
31. Malta: Mr. Matthew Grima (Deputy Head of Mission)
32. Montenegro: Mr. Milisav Raspopović (Charge d’Affaires)
33. Morocco: H.E. Mr. Mohamed Basri (Ambassador)
34. Nepal: H.E. Sewa Lamsal (Ambassador)
35. Nigeria: Mrs. Nnenne E. Ibekaku (Charge d’Affaires)
36. Pakistan: H.E. Ambassador Syed Haider (Ambassador)
37. Panama: H.E. Mrs. Sally LOO HUI (Ambassador)
38. Peru: Mr. Carlos Díaz (International Cooperation and Cultural Attaché)
39. Philippines: H.E. J. Eduardo Malaya (Ambassador)
40. Qatar: Mr. Saad Yousif Saad Al-Mana (First Secretary)
41. Rwanda: Mr. Jean Hugues Mukama (Charge d’Affaires)
42. Saudi Arabia: H.H. Prince Jalawi Al Saud (Ambassador)
43. Senegal: H.E. Madame Ramatoulaye Ba Faye (Ambassador), Mr. Henry Pierre Sarr (First Secretary)
44. Somalia: H.E. Khadija O. Ali (Ambassador)
45. South Africa: H.E. Mr. Vusimuzi Philemon Madonsela (Ambassador)
46. Türkiye: Mr. Bilal Köse (Consul)
47. Yemen: H.E. Sahar Ghanem (Ambassador)

Notes to Editors
About the Global Center on Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that promotes adaptation to the impacts of climate change. It works to climate-proof development by instigating policy reforms and influencing investments made by international financial institutions and the private sector. The goal is to bring climate adaptation to the forefront of the global fight against climate change and ensure that it remains prominent.

Founded in 2018, GCA embodies innovation in its approach to climate adaptation as well as in its physical presence. It operates from the largest floating office in the world, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. GCA has a worldwide network of regional offices in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Beijing, China. The Center will open a new office in Nairobi, Kenya in 2025.

Alexandra Gee Global Center on Adaptation +447887804594 alex.gee@gca.org