From the exhilarating moment I discovered my selection as a CARP ambassador for COP 28, anticipation rippled through me. This was my golden ticket to participate in a world-renowned event, surrounded by a sea of researchers, policymakers, and activists. The prospect of representing CARP at such a monumental gathering fueled my excitement.

In the last week of January, 2024 the UA AIR Climate Adaptation Research Program (CARP) hosted a meeting with their partner institutions including visitors representing USAID, Stellenbosch University, Consejo Superior Universitario Centroamericano, Auckland University of Technology, and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP).

Recent years have been marked by near-constant record-breaking heat waves, floods, fires, and storms. These so-called “climate shocks” are so common they can hardly be called “shocks” any longer. Yet despite the regularity of these disasters, communities around the world are wholly unprepared to adapt to them, causing major disruptions to systems and destruction of infrastructure, crops, and livelihoods.