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PhD researcher Arsenia Da Cruz from the Department of Geography contributed to Session: Partnering with SIDS for Resilience and Climate Action at the Meeting of EU Climate Ambassadors Network (ECAN), held at Iveagh House, Dublin, on 2 October 2026. Hosted as part of Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026, the meeting brought together climate ambassadors from EU Member States and external stakeholders to discuss priorities for climate diplomacy and international cooperation. The Marine Institute's Our Shared Ocean Programme, supported by Irish Aid, was invited to contribute to the discussion, with presentations from David O’Sullivan, Programme Manager of Our Shared Ocean Programme, and Arsenia, whose research focuses on localised climate adaptation in Timor-Leste and other Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Drawing on her doctoral research, Arsenia highlighted the importance of locally grounded adaptation and reciprocal learning between Ireland and Timor-Leste. Her work emphasises that partnerships are most effective when knowledge flows in both directions, combining Timor-Leste's experience of local knowledge, community stewardship, and adaptation in a SIDS context with Ireland's expertise in coastal adaptation, research, and institutional learning. This exchange helps inform adaptation approaches that can be tailored to local needs rather than relying on one-size-fits-all solutions. This work is funded through the Marine Institute’s Our Shared Ocean Programme, with support from Irish Aid.

The session explored how Ireland and the European Union can strengthen engagement with SIDS ahead of COP31 through long-term partnerships, capacity building, and climate resilience initiatives. Arsenia's participation underscores the Department's contribution to international climate policy discussions and the role of research in strengthening collaboration between Ireland, Timor-Leste, and other vulnerable island states to support locally led adaptation. Arsenia works on this localised adaptation project with Dr Kevin Lynch and Dr Kathy Reilly in Geography at the University of Galway.