Background Climate change is the resultant effect of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide methane and nitrous oxide in the earth's atmosphere preventing heat escaping from the atmosphere. Human induced greenhouse gas emissions account for much of the problem. Research has shown that climate and ecosystems are already changing as a result of human activities, and projected warming of 2 to 2.5 degrees centigrade and significant impacts on global agriculture and food prices by 2050. Around the world, the climate is changing. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Third Assessment Report 2001 concluded that global warming has accelerated in recent decades and there is new stronger evidence that most of the warming over the last 50 years is attributable to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions associated with human activities. For this cause therefore, the United Nations is convening all world leaders in Copenhagen, Denmark from 7th-18th December 2009 to deliberate on the climate change challenge to come up with a new international policy regime on climate change. Despite this, recent process negotiations held in September in Barcelona were grim and collapsed. It's now common knowledge that no legal deal is possible in Copenhagen in Denmark. Most likely is hopeful fudge in which all parties remain on speaking terms and seal the deal in 2010. A total collapse would leave 20 years' of negotiations in tatters and the world unprotected against the ravages of global warming. What Environmental Alert is doing to support climate change adaptation: Environmental Alert (EA) a Ugandan NGO founded in 1988 has a vision of a poverty and hunger-free society that, is able to manage and sustain its natural resources base for attainment of sustainable livelihoods including addressing climate change. EA's new program, titled, 'Harnessing the Environment for Inclusive and Sustained Development,' 2009-2011,' has 3 program areas and 1 institutional component including addressing natural resource degrada- tion and action on Climate Change; enhancing food and malnutrition security; promotion of environmentally sound community environ- ment and Natural Resource based enterprises; and organizational capacity to address devel- opment issues. EA implements her development program in geographical areas which were identified as hotspots for high rate of natural resources degradation, high poverty levels and food insecurity for livelihoods for purposes of leveraging but may occasionally be an entry point to area-wide ecosys- tem based interventions. i.e. West Nile Region in the districts of Adjumani, Moyo and Yumbe, Eastern Region in the districts of Tororo and Sironko; Central region in the districts of Wakiso and Kampala; Western region in the districts of Kyenjojo, Mubende and Kamwenge. Specific to natural resources management, in the new program EA has evolved an ecosystems approach to planning and development which is holistic and involves area wide ecosystem based interventions. EA in her current program portfolio, 2009-2011 enhances capacities of rural poor communities to attain sustainable livelihoods and adapt to climate change through natural resources enterprises. In order to achieve this, EA is facilitating climate change actions and initiatives for mainstreaming cli- mate change adaptation actions in planning and development programs implementation at vari- ous levels including community, local and national. This is achieved through creating awareness for actions among key stakeholders; capacity enhancement of knowledge and skills for key stake- holders; supporting community and local climate change adaptation capacity in agriculture and natural resources management. At the com- munity and local level these interventions have been implemented in the West Nile region specifically Moyo, Adjumani and Yumbe districts in the River Nile basin. Key issues on climate change for consideration ahead of the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit: Climate change has far reaching impacts on livelihoods and economic development, which calls for immediate action. The climate change summit in Copenhagen scheduled for 7-18th December 2009 is expected to be a fundamental platform for shaping future global actions on climate change through dialogue and discussions. From the perspec- tive of a developing economy like Uganda, our delegates should keen on the following key issues during the negotiations: The very low response, levels of aware- ness and prioritization of inevitable response to situations like hunger arising from floods and drought; The low responsive planning and budgeting, piloting and capacity building for adapta- tion; Lack of a clear African position on climate change ahead of the climate change sum- mit; Agreement on two legally binding instru- ments i.e. the Bali Action Plan and Kyoto Protocol to ensure committed actions are met by the parties; Get reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD ++) on the agenda for the negotiations to provide for a more inclusive arrangement covering the scope of least developing countries concerns in particular land use; Industrialized developed nations will need to pay billions in reparations for damage to the earth's climate; The cost to build the global clean energy infrastructure essential to staunch the car- bon from coal and gas power stations, which are responsible for a large part of global emissions should to met by the industrialized developed nations; Practical means of promoting and support- ing appropriate technology transfer to enhance climate change adaption in developing countries like Uganda. Conclusions and recommendations: In Uganda, emerging initiatives are largely fragmented with slow and latent coordina- tion of efforts in a context of declining opportunities for arresting the situation or leverage engagement in negotiating equi- table global engagements to address global climate change and support the less devel- oped communities to adapt. Climate change threatens to undo many decades of devel- opment efforts thereby frustrating and undermining the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals of eradication of extreme poverty and hunger and integrating the principles of sustainable develop- ment into country policies and policies and programmes and reverse loss of the environment. Climate change affects everybody's responsibility but in Uganda citizens are carrying on business as usual. The cost in terms of damage to life, property, ecosystems and reversal of current out- comes of investments in poverty reduction is huge. Therefore, the following key actions as spear- headed by key stakeholders are critical towards building resilience of the most vulnerable commu- nities against the impacts of climate change: Push and Pull at Climate Change Negotiations, What should the new Climate Change regime look like after the Copenhagen Summit in December 2009? ENVIRONMENTAL ALERT ADVERTORIAL The New Vision, Monday, November 30, 2009 59 Some facts about climate change Average global temperatures are rising, making the 20th century the world has ever seen in 1,000 years, since the 1980s were the warmest decades on record. Climate change and the threat of related extreme conditions like flood and droughts have major implications for development particularly in poor countries like Uganda. Already, countries like Uganda have borne the effects of climate with clear changes in precipitation (rain- fall), water availability, length of seasons, incidents of extreme weather patterns, floods, desertification, distribution and prevalence of pests and diseases. Areas like Kabaale that used to have cold weather are now warming up which has increased incidents of malaria than previously reported. About 40% of all the carbon emitted by human activity has come from cutting forests. Stopping deforestation is, in principle, cheap and simple. Some facts about climate change Average global temperatures are rising, making the 20th century the world has ever seen in 1,000 years, since the 1980s were the warmest decades on record. Climate change and the threat of related extreme con- ditions like flood and droughts have major implications for development particularly in poor countries like Uganda. Already, countries like Uganda have borne the effects of climate with clear changes in precipitation (rainfall), water availability, length of seasons, incidents of extreme weather patterns, floods, desertification, distri- bution and prevalence of pests and diseases. Areas like Kabaale that used to have cold weather are now warming up which has increased incidents of malaria than previously reported. About 40% of all the carbon emitted by human activity has come from cutting forests. Stopping deforestation is, in principle, cheap and simple. Climate change discourse and key milestones at international level 1979 - First World Climate Conference held 1985 - United Nations Environmental Program/ World Metrological Organization held the conference on green house emissions especially carbondioxide 1988 - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change established by United Nations Environmental Program/ World Metrological Organization (www.ipcc.ch) 1994 - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change came into force 1997 - Kyoto Protocol drawn up and came into force in 2005. The United States of America, one of the leading polluters refused to sign it 2006 - Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development which comprises of USA, Australia, China, India, South.Korea and Japan 2006 - Stern report highlighting the economic rationale and implication for Climate change published 2007 - Thirteeth conference of parties in Bali, which drew a roadmap towards Copenhagen 2009" inter alia agrees adaptation fund for developing countries 2009 - Climate Change Summit scheduled on 8-17th December 2009 during which a new climate change poli- cy regime will be developed. Key action Key stakeholder Spearheading, coordinating and funding implementation of the Ugandan National Adaptation Programs of Action on climate change Climate Change Unit under the Ministry of water and environment, Civil Society organizations, Development Partners Developing a national policy and institutional framework to guide effective responses to climate change impacts in Uganda at community, local and national levels Uganda Cabinet, Climate Change Unit under the Ministry of Water and Environment, Development Partners Strengthening human resources and logistical capacity at the climate change unit and local government levels Government of Uganda through Ministry of Water and Environment and the Mi nistry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Ministry of Local Government, Metrology Department Mainstreaming climate change adaptation actions in development planning, programs and implementation informed by the anticipated climate variability National Planning Authority, All Ministries, All Government parastatals, Local Governments, Civil Society Organizations, Academia, Research Institutions, Strengthening the generation and dissemination of accurate climate change information and early war ning systems Metrology department, Ministry of Water and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries Deepening awareness for adaptations actions on climate change impacts at the local and community levels Civil Society Organiza tions, media, Religious and cultural institutions Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change among others Strengthening disaster preparedness and risk management at community level Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of disaster preparedness, Civil Socie ty Organizations, Development Partners Environmental Alert, P . O. Box 11259, Kampala, Uganda; Tel.: 0414510547 or 510215; Email: [email protected] Website: www.envalert.org Climate change discourse and key milestones at international level 1979 - First World Climate Conference held 1985 - United Nations Environmental Program/ World Metrological Organization held the conference on green house emissions especially carbondioxide 1988 - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change established by United Nations Environmental Program/ World Metrological Organization (www.ipcc.ch) 1994 - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change came into force 1997 - Kyoto Protocol drawn up and came into force in 2005. The United States of America, one of the leading polluters refused to sign it 2006 - Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development which comprises of USA, Australia, China, India, South.Korea and Japan 2006 - Stern report highlighting the economic rationale and implication for Climate change published 2007 - Thirteeth conference of parties in Bali, which drew a roadmap towards Copenhagen 2009" inter alia agrees adaptation fund for developing countries 2009 - Climate Change Summit scheduled on 8-17th December 2009 during which a new climate change policy regime will be developed Key focus on Uganda's Negotiations position Reduction in green house gas emissions Access to substantial financial resources for climate change adaptation Enhancing existing technologies for climate change adaptation People walking through a flooded area in Teso