Mainstreaming Adaptation into Agriculture
In its contribution to the TAR, Working Group II of the IPCC states that successful adaptation to climate change depends, inter alia, on3:· “Development of climate change policy that is specifically geared toward more vulnerable sectors in the country, with an emphasis on poverty reduction”
· “Establishment of public policy that encourages and supports adaptation at local or community levels and in the private sector”
Realizing this goal will require the integration of adaptation concerns into existing or planned policies and development efforts. This measure also termed mainstreaming results into a shifting of responsibility to implement adaptation to climate change from individual governmental institutions to all administrative sectors and bodies of civil society[1].
The UNFCCC reporting system
The necessity of mainstreaming adaptation strategies into national developmemt plans has also been recognized in the UNFCCC. The reporting system established under the convention in the articles 4.1 and 12 commit all parties to publish and periodically update reports including a description of policies and programmes to implement their commitments on, inter alia, adaptation, mitigation and capacity building. These National Communications (NCs) shall be communicated to the Conference of the Parties (COP). LDC parties are free to make their initial NC at their discretion and are encouraged to formulate their needs to ensure future implementation. Article 12.7 of the UNFCCC also appoints the COP to arrange technical and financial assistance in compiling and communicating the required information.
National Communications from Deve-loping Country Parties
National Communications (NCs) from parties not listed in Annex I should include primarily an inventory of anthropogenic GHG emissions, a description of steps undertaken to implement the UNFCCC, and a characterization of the relevant national circumstances (Decision 10/CP.2). The latter include development priorities and fundamental socioeconomic, geographic, and climatic information which is significant with regard to climate change and the countries ability to deal with mitigation and adaptation. Furthermore, specific technical and financial needs for implementation measures and concrete projects should be identified[2].
The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) provides financial and technical assistance to developing country parties through its implementing agencies UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank (Decision 11/CP.2[3]). This assistance should enable endogenous capacity building, facilitate implementation measures as described in article 4.1 and 4.3 of the UNFCCC and ensure the timely preparation and communication of initial and subsequent National Communications.
National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs)
At its 7th session in 2001, the COP recognized once more, with reference to article 4.9 of the UNFCCC, the special situation and needs of many LDCs and that they “do not have the capacity to prepare and submit national communications in the foreseeable future” (Decision 28/CP.7[4]). Therefore, the COP decided to adopt guidelines for the preparation of National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs), which shall constitute the first step to prepare the initial NCs. Furthermore, the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) has been established to give, on request, support and advise on the preparation of NAPAs (Decision 29/CP.7) as well as other implementing bodies of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). Also the LDC Fund has been installed “to support the work programme for the least developed countries, including, inter alia, the preparation and implementation of … NAPAs” (Decisions 5/CP.7 and 7/CP.7).
The COP describes the rationale of preparing NAPAs as following:
“NAPAs will serve as simplified and direct channels of communication information relating to the urgent and immediate adaptation needs of the LDCs. The rationale for developing NAPAs rests on the low adaptive capacity of LDCs, which renders them in need of immediate and urgent support to start adapting to current and projected adverse effects of climate change. Activities proposed through NAPAs would be those whose further delay could increase vulnerability, or lead to increased costs at a later stage.”
The preparation of NAPAs is guided by a holistic, multidisciplinary and cross sectoral approach through the participation of a wide range of stakeholders. Key elements of the preparation process are synthesizing available information on adverse climate change effects, the identification of key climate change adaptation measures and strategies based on vulnerability and adaptation (V&A) assessment3,[5]. The development of proposals for priority activities based on agreed country-driven criteria is essential in the preparation process. A consultative process involving the public should select and profile potential activities, which may include capacity building and policy reform, in order to facilitate the translation of these ideas into action.
Key adaptation measures to climate change have also synergistic potentials relating to response strategies in other relevant processes, such as the implementation of National Action Programmes (NAPs) under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) or strategies and action plans under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Understanding and exploiting those synergies would be relevant in the preparation of sound development strategies in the agricultural sector of African countries.
[1] Schipper, L. S. Huq and M. Khan: An Exploration of “Mainstreaming” Adaptation to Climate Change; Research/issue brief presented at the Adaptation Research Workshop, 9-12 November 2003, New Delhi, India.
[2] Report of the Conference of Parties on its forth session, held in Buenos Aires, 1998 (FCCC/CP/1996/15/Add.1): Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention: guidelines, facilitation and process for consideration and Annex: Guidelines for the preparation of initial communications by parties not included in Annex I to the convention. See also Decisions of the 8th COP: Guidelines for the preparation of national communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention
[3] Guidance to the Global Environment Facility, FCCC/CP/2001/13/Add.4; and Decision 32/CP.7: Other matters relating to communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention
[4] Report of the Conference of Parties on its Seventh Session, held in Marrakesh, Marroco in 2001: Addendum Part Two: Action Taken by the Conference of the Parties, Volume IV (FCCC/CP/2001/13/Add.4); Annex to decision28/CP.7 [bold letters inserted]
[5] Global Environmental Facility (2002): Operational Guidelines for Expedited Funding For the Preparation of National Adaptation Programs of Actions by Least Developed Countries