Manama: The Supreme Council for Environment (SCE) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) organised a joint workshop aimed at fortifying data systems to boost climate resilience across the GCC countries.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the workshop saw the involvement of relevant entities from across the GCC member states. Participants included national statistics offices, ministries of interior and environment, disaster risk reduction units, and academic institutions. The workshop further included the participation of international bodies such as the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the Regional Office of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS).
The workshop is part of ongoing efforts to build upon the outcomes of the Conference of the Parties (COP30) and to advance the implementation of regional priorities identified during the conference. These efforts are in line with strategic objectives and work programmes linked to climate readiness and associated budget allocations.
During the workshop, SCE emphasized the importance of developing modern data systems that align with risk-based planning needs. They highlighted the adoption of a multi-sectoral approach, which brings together national statistics offices, disaster risk reduction units within ministries of interior, entities concerned with environmental affairs and human mobility, as well as academic and research institutions. This approach aims to support effective integration in managing climate and mobility data and developing shared indicators for vulnerability and proactive action.
The IOM clarified that the technical programme of the workshop concentrated on improving the quality of climate and human mobility data. It also supports the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), while contributing to the preparation of regional indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA).
The IOM added that the workshop's outcomes include the development of national roadmaps for data coordination, enhancement of early warning mechanisms, and formulation of a unified GCC framework for climate-related mobility data, in support of the outcomes of COP30.