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Adaptation to climate change is vital: its impacts are already happening, and will worsen in the future.
Shortages of water and food, increased strength of tropical storms, coastal inundation and changing spread of
disease vectors will all lead to greater risks to health and life for billions of people, particularly in
developing countries. The Convention refers to adaptation in Article 2 and Article 4 (4.1(b,e,f), 4.8 and 4.9). The Bali action
plan recently identified the need for enhanced action on adaptation by Parties to the Convention.
There are many options and opportunities for countries to adapt, with adjustments and changes required at
every level: community, national and international. Appropriate adaptation strategies involve a synergy of
the correct assessment of current vulnerabilities to climate change impacts; use of appropriate technologies;
and information on traditional coping practices, diversified livelihoods and current government and local
interventions.
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Nairobi work programme
The Nairobi work programme
on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change is mandated by the Subsidiary Body
for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) (Decision 2/CP.11). The
five-year programme (2005-2010) aims to help all countries improve their understanding and assessment
of the impacts of climate change and to make informed decisions on practical adaptation actions and
measures. It is an international framework implemented by Parties, intergovernmental and
non-governmental organizations, the private sector, communities and other stakeholders.
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Implementing adaptation
Parties are elaborating, under the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), ways of implementing adaptation,
including through the Buenos Aires Programme of Work (Decision 1/CP.10), so as to respond
to the adverse effects of climate change and meet adaptation needs and concerns, especially
those of developing country Parties (Articles 4.8 and 4.9).
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The Bali Action Plan
The
Bali Action Plan has identified adaptation (paragrpah 1(c)) as one of the five key building
blocks (shared vision, mitigation, adaptation, technology and financial resources) for a strengthened
future response to climate change in order to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation
of the Convention through long-term cooperative action now, up to and beyond 2012.
During discussion within the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the
Convention (AWG-LCA), Parties have identified
four areas as important to progress implementation of adaptation: national planning for adaptation;
streamlining and scaling up financial and technological support; enhancing knowledge sharing; and
institutional arrangements (FCCC/AWGLCA/2008/11).
The Chair of the AWG-LCA has invited parties to submit
their ideas and proposals on the elements contained in paragraph 1of the Bali Action Plan, including
enhanced action on adaptation. Ongoing work under the AWG-LCA also includes in-session workshops adressing the elements of the Bali Action Plan.
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National Adaptation Programmes of Action
The National Adaptation Programmes of Action
(NAPAs) provide an important way to prioritise urgent adaptation needs for Least developed countries
(Article 4.9). They draw
on existing information and community-level input to identify adaptation projects required now in
order to enable these countries to cope with the immediate impacts of climate change.
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Local coping strategies database
Community-based adaptation can greatly benefit from knowledge of local coping strategies. The
secretariat has developed a local coping strategies database to facilitate the transfer of long-standing coping
strategies and knowledge from communities which have adapted to specific hazards or climatic
conditions, to communities which may just be starting to experience such conditions as a result of
climate change.
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Support for adaptation
Developing countries require international assistance to support adaptation (Articles 4.4, 4.8 and 4.9). This includes
funding, technology transfer and insurance as well as resources to reduce the risk of disasters and
raise the resilience of communities to increasing extreme events. Least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing
States (SIDS) need particular consideration due to their extreme vulnerability.
Funding for adaptation is provided through the financial mechanism of the Convention,
currently operated by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Funding opportunities include:
- the Trust Fund, including the Strategic Priority on Adaptation and support for national
communications including vulnerability and adaptation
assessments.
- the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) under the
Convention
- the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) under the
Convention
A further source of funding, not yet operational, will be the Adaptation Fund (AF) under the Kyoto Protocol
managed by an Adaptation Fund Board (AFB) and established at
COP13.
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