Transcript Adaptation in the UNFCCC Process Olga Pilifosova, UNFCCC Secretariat An International Workshop on Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change: From Practice to Policy New Delhi May 11-12,

Adaptation in the UNFCCC
Process
Olga Pilifosova,
UNFCCC Secretariat
An International Workshop on Vulnerability
and Adaptation to Climate Change: From
Practice to Policy
New Delhi May 11-12, 2006
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Outline
• Adaptation in the UNFCCC and KP
• Adaptation- evolving focus
• Montreal and beyond
– Developing technical advice – SBSTA 5 year
programme of work
– Advancing funding arrangements
– Other
• Emerging issues
Adaptation in the UNFCCC and KP
Ultimate objective
• The ultimate objective of this Convention …is to
achieve … stabilization of greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would
prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with
the climate system. Such a level should be achieved
within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to
adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food
production is not threatened and to enable economic
development to proceed in a sustainable manner.
– Article 2
Adaptation in the UNFCCC and KP cont.
Measures to facilitate adaptation
• “ All Parties shall “Formulate, implement, publish and
regularly update national and, where appropriate,
regional programmes containing … measures to
facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change”
– Article 4.1(b) UNFCCC
– Article 10(b) KP
Adaptation in the UNFCCC and KP cont.
Cooperative adaptation
• All Parties shall “Cooperate in preparing for
adaptation to the impacts of climate change; develop
and elaborate appropriate and integrated plans for
coastal zone management, water resources and
agriculture, and for the protection and rehabilitation of
areas, particularly in Africa, affected by drought and
desertification, as well as floods.”
– Article 4.1 (e) UNFCCC
Adaptation in the UNFCCC and KP cont.
Assistance
• “The developed country Parties … shall also assist the
developing country Parties that are particularly vulnerable to
the adverse effects of climate change in meeting costs of
adaptation to those adverse effects.”
– Article 4.4 UNFCCC
• Conference of Parties ensure share of proceeds from certified
project activities used “…to assist developing country Parties
that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate
change to meet the costs of adaptation.”
– Article 12.8 KP
Adaptation in the UNFCCC and KP cont.
Specific needs and concerns
• small islands and low-lying coastal areas
• arid and semi-arid areas, forested areas and areas liable to forest
decay
• areas prone to natural disasters
• areas liable to drought and desertification
• areas of high urban atmospheric pollution
• areas with fragile ecosystems, including mountainous
ecosystems
• land-locked and transit countries
– Article 4.8 UNFCCC
Adaptation in the UNFCCC and KP cont.
Least developed countries
• The Parties shall take full account of the specific needs
and special situations of the least developed countries
in their actions with regard to funding and transfer of
technology.
– Article 4.9 UNFCCC
Adaptation- evolving focus
Identifying impacts
• 1995-1998 IPCC FAR, SAR: Climate
change detected. Two questions:
(1) what are the impacts of climate change, how “dangerous” they are?
(2) how to adapt to climate change?
• UNFCCC/COP1: identified “3 stages” of adaptation
• Up to 2000 Focus on stage I and II addressing “
studies of possible impacts of climate change, to
identify particularly vulnerable countries or regions
and policy options for adaptation and appropriate
capacity building”
Adaptation- evolving focus
cont.
Identifying impacts and Preparing for
adaptation
• 2001:
– IPCC TAR: adaptation in the context of SD and equity
– COP 7 Marrakech accords:
• 3 new funds
• Decision 5/CP7 identifies 18 areas of assistance on adaptation
• Process of development NAPAs in LDCs
• 2002: Delhi Ministerial Declaration
• 2003: SBSTA work on scientific, technical and socioeconomic aspects on adaptation
• 2004: Decision 1/CP.10 Buenos Aires Programme of
Work on Adaptation and Response Measures
Montreal and beyond
• 2005
– SBSTA five-year programme on impacts, vulnerability and
adaptation to climate change
– Advancing funding arrangements
– Technologies for adaptation
• 2006
– 5 year programme of work: from negotiations to
implementation
Developing technical advice:
SBSTA 5 year programme of work on impacts,
vulnerability and adaptation – 2/CP.11
• Objective
– to assist all Parties… to improve their understanding and assessment of
impacts, vulnerability and adaptation, and to make informed decisions on
practical adaptation actions
• Expected outcomes
– Enhanced capacity, cooperation and integration at the “international,
regional, national, sectoral and local levels”, targeting “Parties, relevant
organizations, business, civil society, and decision makers”
– Improved information and advice to COP
• Scope
– 2 themes: impacts and vulnerability, adaptation planning meassures and
actions
– 10 action oriented sub-themes
– Cross-cutting aspects: and methods and integration to SD
• List of modalities
• Process for implementation
– Start immediately with implementation of initial activities defined by
SBSTA23
– Review the Programme at SBSTA28 (June 2008) based on their results and
IPCC AR4
– Involve relevant organizations and stakeholders
Developing technical advice:
SBSTA 5 year programme of work on impacts,
vulnerability and adaptation – SBSTA23
• Draft indicative list of specific activities: 24 activities,
modalities, timing and possible partners
• Requested to organize informal meeting of the
representatives of Parties to further develop the
indicative list – Vienna, 13-15 March
• Agreed to consider the outcome of this meeting at its
twenty-fourth session, with a view to identifying the
activities starting as of 2006
• Requested the secretariat to develop an initial list of
organizations active in areas relevant to the programme
of work
SBSTA 5 year programme of work on impacts,
vulnerability and adaptation: Vienna meeting
• Developed a streamlined list of initial activities
which:
– Strike a balance between the continuation and
enhancement of ongoing activities and new
activities
– Maximize involvement of stakeholders and
organizations
– Take into account the need to target a range of
audiences (not only SBSTA itself)
– Take into account practical constraints (time,
availability of human and financial resources)
SBSTA 5 year programme of work on impacts,
vulnerability and adaptation: Vienna meeting
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9 Initial activities
Data and observations: builds on work on systematic
observations focusing on target audience and IVA needs
Methods and tools : extends the work on methods and tools
Climate modeling and downscaling: promotes applications,
applicability, availability
Climate related risks and extreme events: promotes understanding
of climate variability and CC risks and adaptation to these
Socio-economic information: availability and applicability for data
for vulnerability assessments
Adaptation planning and practices: draws upon work of practitioners
and experts, includes sharing of knowledge and information
between stakeholders, brining different communities together
Economic diversification: considers increasing economic resilience
on vulnerable economic sectors
Research: builds on SBSTA work on research
Technologies for adaptation: builds on work of the EGTT
Next steps, SBSTA24
• Completing negotiations and start
implementation i,.e. agree on modalities (expert
group(s) -?), timing, target audience, partners,
deliverables, role of the SBSTA…
THE CHALLENGE:
• High expectations for delivery
• SBSTA needs to make a strategic choice and plan
useful initial activities to maintain the
momentum from Buenos Aires and Montreal
Advancing funding: Adaptation Fund
• 28/CMP.1 adopted initial guidance to the AF:
– To fund concrete adaptation projects and programmes in
developing country Parties that are Parties to the Kyoto Protocol,
and activities identified in decision 5/CP.7
– The operation to be guided by a country-driven and learning-bydoing approach, sound financial management and transparency,
and separation from other funding sources
• One year process to identify:
– Specific policies, programme priorities and eligibility criteria
– How the AF will be managed (GEF or not GEF)
– Workshop to exchange views on further guidance – Canada, May
2006
• Expectations for SB24:
– Draft decision for COP/MOP2 - Cross-linked with review of FM and MOU
with GEF under Kyoto Protocol
Advancing funding: LDC Fund
• COP/MOP (3/CP.11) gave further guidance on
operation of LDC Fund:
– provision of full-cost funding for adaptation increment as
identified and prioritized in the NAPAs,
– request to GEF to develop a co-financing scale and flexible
modalities
• COP/MOP (4/CP.11) requested the LEG to develop
work programme which includes the implementation
of national adaptation programmes
• Meeting between LDCs and GEF held in Dhaka,
Bangladesh, from 6 to 8 April 2006
• Funds are currently available through the LDC fund to start
implementation of specific projects. Several NAPAs developed.
Several projects are identified.
Other developments
• Regional workshops under 1/CP.10 to reflect
regional priorities. First workshop – Latin
American regional workshop in Lima, April
• Technologies for adaptation
– EGTT considered a technical paper on applications of
environmentally sound technologies for adaptation to
climate change in 2005 and in Brussels, March 2006
– Special side event of the EGTT on technologies for
adaptation will be held at SBSTA25
• On-hand V&A regional trainings for AI NCs
Emerging issues
• How to promote international cooperation on
adaptation?
– International partnership on adaptation?
• How the international political process can
promote actions on the ground?
– UNFCCC/SBSTA work/deliverables target not only (or not at all)
negotiators but to practitioners (e.g. relevant national and sectoral
institutions /organizations, projects,planners, development assistance,
etc.)
– Bring together sectoral communities (water, agriculture, DRR, etc.) to
discuss additional CC risks and possible adaptations in specific sectors
– Encourage incorporation of CC adaptation into national planning
– Promote bottom-up approaches under NCs, TT, etc. work
– More close work with IAs?
• How “ground” experiences can contribute to the
international policy?
• Mainstreaming (attribution): how to help to adapt
to CLIMATE CHANGE without duplicating work of
development agencies?
• OTHER???
Thank You!
[email protected]
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change