An enriched landscape of climate change adaptation was revealed on the second day of the Climate Change Adaptation Forum. Building on the first two plenary sessions which focused on adaptation in practice, the third plenary session focused on governance and adaptation. Three key messages emerged from UNDP, the Secretariat of Pacific Community, World Resources Institute, the UN Capital Development Fund, and the Australian Agency for International Development. First, speakers urged the participants to "build on what we already have". Existing institutions, systems, and expertise, they said, should be integrated and coordinated when addressing climate change adaptation. Second, speakers called for "adapting what we've got", or to modify and transform systems according to the context. Third, speakers said there must be a readiness to "change our mindsets" especially in the face of changing environmental conditions. Climate change adaptation practitioners must begin to think long-term. Thomas Beloe, Aid Effectiveness Specialist at the UNDP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, reminded everyone that as human beings "we adapt based on what we know, but we must continue to learn". In doing so, we innovate ways of adapting to the challenges thrown up by climate change.

Participants continued the rich knowledge sharing at twelve more panel sessions that discussed examples of governance and linking climate adaptation knowledge to action.

The fourth and last panel session focused on putting climate change adaptation into practice. Saleemul Haq, Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Environment and Development, remarked that Asia-Pacific is at the forefront of climate change adaptation, and is equipped with adequate knowledge and experience to invest in placing people at the heart of adaptation efforts. Kazuya Yasuhara, Professor Emeritus at Ibaraki University, explained how technology solutions, such as coastal engineering, can contribute to effective adaptation. Vic Aquitania, Regional Director, Southeast Asia Secretariat of the ICLEI, shared how local governments in the Philippines are using the Twinning Cities scheme, or the "Big Brother" approach, for matching strong adaptive cities to beginners in the adaptation field.

The Forum's closing ceremony acknowledged all the themes identified throughout the two days of vibrant knowledge sharing. Said Irandoust, President of the Asian Institute of Technology, commended participants for joining a forum that "generated opportunities for us to familiarise ourselves with our innate adaptation ability." AnnaMaria Oltorp, Counsellor, Head of Development Cooperation Section, Embassy of Sweden in Thailand, concluded the Forum by emphasizing the importance of regional coordination and knowledge sharing for climate change adaptation.