Adaptation in the UNFCCC Process United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Olga Pilifosova, UNFCCC Secretariat An International Workshop on.

Adaptation in the UNFCCC Process

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Olga Pilifosova, UNFCCC Secretariat

An International Workshop on Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change: From

Practice to PolicyNew Delhi May 11-12, 2006

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 socio-

economic 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

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 Climate related risks and extreme events: promotes understanding

of climate variability and CC risks and adaptation to these of climate variability and CC risks and adaptation to these • Socio-economic information: availability and applicability for Socio-economic information: availability and applicability for data for data for

vulnerability assessments vulnerability assessments • Adaptation planning and practices: Adaptation planning and practices: draws upon work of practitioners draws upon work of practitioners

and experts, includes sharing of knowledge and information and experts, includes sharing of knowledge and information between stakeholders, brining different communities together between stakeholders, brining different communities together

• Economic diversification: considers increasing economic resilience Economic diversification: considers increasing economic resilience on vulnerable economic sectorson 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-by-doing 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