Friendship will be co-hosting three sessions at this year’s CBA conference
By Friendship News Desk,
6 May, 2026
From 11 to 14 May 2026, Friendship will attend the 20th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change (CBA20) in Manila, Philippines and share lessons with a global group of adaptation practitioners.
Local solutions inspiring global action
Every year, the CBA conference brings together local, national, and international level community-based adaptation practitioners, representatives and researchers passionate about a climate-resilient future. The conference presents a dynamic and interactive space to discuss locally led adaptation measures and community empowerment for meaningful climate action.
The core themes of CBA20 are:
- Achieving just and equitable adaptation in urban areas, with a particular focus on building the climate resilience of informal settlement communities.
- Scaling local-level health investments as a critical adaptation response in the context of rising temperatures and escalating threats.
- Knowledge nexus—combining local, traditional and indigenous peoples’ knowledge systems with climate science to drive adaptation decision-making.
Friendship’s delegation and sessions
Friendship founder Runa Khan will be attending CBA20 alongside Kazi Amdadul Hoque, Senior Director of Strategic Planning and Head of Friendship Climate Action, Palash Kanti Halder, Deputy Director of Friendship Climate Action, Dr Farhana Jannat Mishu, Programme Specialist at Friendship Health, and Bilkis Begum, a Friendship Community Medic-aide from Shyamnagar, Satkhira. Stéphane Van Haute and Elsa Peclet from Friendship Luxembourg will accompany the Bangladesh team as well.
Join Friendship in these three thematic sessions to exchange knowledge and share lessons from Friendship’s Integrated Climate Adaptation model. A detailed exploration of the themes can be read in a related article.
Thematic Session 1
- 3B. Water and infrastructure governance in the urban continuum: local leadership driving adaptation shifts
- Co-hosts: Friendship, Huairou Commission – Women, Homes & Community (HC), Homeless People’s Federation Philippines (HPFPI), Ghana Water Ltd., Green Democracy Institute
- Date and time: 11 May 2026 (Day 1), 11:30 am – 12:30 pm (PST)
- Location: Monet ballroom 1 (Floor 2)
This session will highlight and discuss participatory approaches and decentralised systems in water infrastructure and governance across urban and peri-urban settings of the global South.
Thematic Session 2
- 4C. Community-led health systems adapt to better health outcomes in climate hotspot regions of Bangladesh
- Co-hosts: Friendship and Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program (OKUP)
- Date and time: 11 May 2026 (Day 1), 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm (PST)
- Location: Versailles tent (Floor 7)
This session centres around the growing crisis of climate change affecting maternal health outcomes among coastal communities in Bangladesh. It will highlight community-led solutions against salinity intrusion and improve access to safe drinking water.
Thematic Session 3
- 6C. Knowledge, technology and health
- Co-hosts: Friendship and Transitions Research
- Date and time: 12 May 2026 (Day 2), 9:00 am – 10:30 am (PST)
- Location: Versailles tent (Floor 7)
Friendship will present its flagship app, mHealth, used by Friendship Community Medic-aides to deliver essential healthcare to the most remote households in hard-to-reach communities. FCM Bilkis Begum will share her experience as a community member and as an FCM delivering healthcare to the last mile.
Friendship is also participating in a Visual Storytelling Exhibition at CBA20 to highlight community-based adaptation solutions against the climate-health nexus.
