Churches bring knowledge of resilience to COP31, says Takeshi Komino

Churches bring knowledge of resilience to COP31, says Takeshi Komino

valter

Tue, 11/10/2026 - 16:19

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is taking part in COP31, the 31st UN climate conference, in Antalya, Türkiye. It works there alongside the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance, and advocacy. Takeshi Komino of Church World Service, a member of the ACT Alliance delegation, says that churches bring to the negotiations knowledge of how to turn climate money into climate resilience in communities. The WCC spoke with him about disasters, the work of churches, and why local voices belong in international climate talks.

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Photo: Valter Hugo Muniz/WCC

Komino is general secretary of Church World Service Japan, which opened after the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster. His work in countries across Asia covers disaster management and disaster risk reduction: work to prevent and reduce disaster risks and to prepare communities to respond and recover after a disaster.

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