The presentation of the new book ‘After us the deluge’ by Kadir van Lohuizen is followed by a debate about the climate crisis and the rising sea level. In this debate, it will be discussed what the worst-case scenario could be and how we can prepare ourselves for this. What will be the consequences for island states like Kiribati and do we have enough time to fortify our coastal defences, or is adaptation the way to go? How predictable is the melting of the ice sheets and why are we still not able to bring the temperature down as a agreed at the climate summit in Paris?
Programme
In two rounds Henk and Kadir will take the panel and the audience on a world trip. How can we bridge the gap between the global south and north? Why can’t we overcome the political lock-in on “loss and damage”? What is the role of Europe in this? And will the Biden administration with former Secretary of State, now Climate Envoy John Kerry change the global dialogues? Is COP26 in the UK the last frontier before the world falls apart? And if so, how can that become a success? What is needed for that? And will that safe and safeguard the most vulnerable?
The first round is with Anote Tong, Saleem Huq and Diederik Samsom. With a focus on this dichotomy between north and south. Can Europe help bridge the gap? And what does it means when countries disappear? What are the humanitarian and multilateral consequences? What does it mean to have a hundred year plan for the most complex delta in the world, Bangladesh? And can others learn and replicate this approach or should we change course altogether?
The second round is with Marjan Minnesma, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen and Saleem Huq, and if Diederik Samsom and Anote Tong are still around they will be involved. Focus of the second round is our future: how to take action, science based, fact-informed and radically inclusive? What is the process and the approach we must take? And at what scales or at all scales together? And can a Paris Agreement indeed lead to a global action agenda that saves the world? What is the role of advocacy and science in this political debate? And will we be saved by private finance or a global carbon tax?
Speakers
- The programme will be moderator by Henk Ovink, international water envoy in the Netherlands.
- The author of the book is Kadir van Lohuizen, photographer and co-founder of NOOR Images.
- Anote Tong, former president of Kiribati.
- Saleem Huq is the Director of the Internationale Centre for Climate Change and Development, Bangladesh.
- Marjan Minnesma, the director and founder of the Foundation Urgenda, the Netherlands.
- Diederik Samson, head of cabinet for the First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans.
- Dorthe Dahl-Jensen is researcher at the Centre for Ice and Climate at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
