ACFID National Conference 2022

HEALTHY PLANET, HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

Acting with evidence, equity and inclusion for a resilient future

“We are, after all, the greatest problem solvers to have ever existed on Earth. If working apart, we are a force powerful enough to destabalise our planet. Surely working together, we are powerful enough to save it.” – David Attenborough, COP26

Climate change and the state of our ecological systems is the defining challenge of our time. Estimated to push 100 million people into poverty by 2030[1], climate change will disrupt and reverse economic and human development, exacerbate natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies and destabilise security across our region. Over-exploitation of ecosystems will constrain already vulnerable communities to adapt to climate change and have a greater impact on the poorest and most marginalised people around the world, in particular women and girls; threatening food security, access to clean water, health and the homes and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people around the globe. These impacts come on top of the ongoing health and economic disruptions caused by COVID-19, which has the potential to affect the Pacific to a greater extent in 2022 than during previous stages of the pandemic.

These interconnected issues require deep listening, indigenous knowledge and a combination of local solutions and global action if we are to be effective in our actions. As the social and economic fallout of COVID-19 builds, the effects of a changing climate and restoring ecosystems around the world must remain at the forefront of global response efforts.

ACFID National Conference 2022 focused our attention on acting now for a healthy planet and a just and resilient future for all.

Cross Cutting Principles