ARA launches Statement Of Intent with REAP

In a step forward in strengthening action-oriented research for resilience, the Adaptation Research Alliance launched a statement of intent with the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP) on 6 August 2021.

The alignment aims to support collaboration on REAP’s Early Warning Early Action (EWEA) programme, which acts to strengthen the evidence base around early action approaches to reduce the impacts of climate-related disasters.

“The ARA will act as a connector between its members and networks and REAP partners to support better research planning and cooperation in results-orientated adaptation research, including early action,” says ARA Secretariat Head, Jesse DeMaria-Kinney.

“Our goal is to help strengthen research initiatives and programmes that result in long-term, sustainable adaptation solutions.”

The ARA is a global coalition seeking to increase investment and opportunities for action research around effective climate adaptation. Its membership includes research and action funders, researchers and practitioners who co-create, innovate and identify solutions that have tangible effects on people’s everyday lives.

ARA’s agenda aligns with REAP’s aims to make 1 billion people safer from climate disasters by 2025. By driving a shift towards early action that reduces the impacts of disasters, mobilises commitments and inspires action, the programme has already identified evidence supporting anticipatory approaches.

Specifically, REAP has identified relatively good knowledge resources on financing instruments, and robust evidence to support the benefit of early warning systems. Currently, it seeks to gain more evidence to support and inform early action approaches.

This is where ARA complements their efforts, says Ben Webster, head of REAP’s secretariat. “For effective early action, partners need to draw on learnings from the past, robust research and emerging information,” he says.

“By working collectively, REAP partners and the ARA can better identify knowledge gaps and areas of need, and ensure research programme design is people-centred so that we can make effective gains in early action in the communities that need it the most.”

Among the research topics that could be addressed are behavioural, social and institutional barriers to action across the value chain, including hazard triggers, through to social and economic benefits of EWEA. Also how knowledge generation and information flows can enable action by communities and decision-makers.

“By linking partners and aligning their research efforts under our Results-Orientated Action Research (ROAR) Principles, the ARA hopes to instigate a systemic change in action research that leads to effective actions for climate adaptation that put at its centre the needs of the most vulnerable,” says DeMaria-Kinney.

Download the full Statement of Intent here.