RECCOMENDATIONS

SOUTH ASIA CONSULTATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

Impacts of Climate Change on South Asia and India

Combination of environmental and development issues:◦ increased frequency and severity of floods (six times from 1950 – 2000)◦ shrinking of Himalayan glaciers ◦ rapid desertification process (deserts growing by 20,000 Km3 / year)◦ increasing food insecurity => massive displacement (jobs and livelihoods)◦ increased incidence in wild forest fire

Þ global economic losses from extreme weather events increased from below US$ 10 billion in the 1950s to US$ 60 billion in 1998

Þ disaster related losses in India increased from US$ 5.5 billion (36,000 Rs crore) in 1981 to US$ 27 billion (176,900 Rs crore) in 2005

Þ annual human impact - 30 million people and 2.34 houses lostÞ annual financial losses of 12% of the Central Revenue

Impacts of Climate Change

Will continue to have devastating impact if: * inaction from stakeholders and governments and * continuing with unchecked development with little or no concern for the environment

Impacts of disasters Natural or man-made -> increasing vulnerability

Key weakness - narrow approach to response:◦ focused on reactive, post disaster relief action; ◦ food and medical aid distribution; ◦ physical and economic damages and losses addressed through

reconstruction; rehabilitation typically focused on the building sector◦ limited resettlement (if any) ◦ not taking into account poverty and vulnerability issues -> can lead to

increased poverty rather than improving the situation of impacted communities

Þ Stronger focus on Resilience, Risk Mitigation and Vulnerability Reduction along with efficient relief, reconstruction, resettlement and rehabilitation

Recommendations - Policy

Develop relevant targets for DRR and CCA to be incorporated in National Frameworks for Action creating enabling environment for local action.

DRR and CCA consideration integrated within SDGs

National Adaptation Plans to include both Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction measures and strategies for higher resilience (focus on governance, demography, infrastructure, renewable energy, climate resilient farming practices, natural resource management (afforestation, water and land management), new insurance products through assessment of vulnerability)

Integrate CCA/DRR measures in development planning for all sectors (ecosystem based planning) and build the capacity of planners.

Recommendations - Policy

National legal and regulatory frameworks for relevant budgetary allocation of dedicated DRR/CCA thematic funds (currently funds mostly for mitigation). Lack of scientific data should not be a barrier for allocation of finance (used as an excuse). DRR financing (beyond rescue and relief)as important as climate financing (currently not available hence compromising adaptation and resilience).

Mechanism for monitoring and evaluation of the South Asia Climate Change declarations’ implementation.

Climate Change Adaptation policies to adopt interventions addressing critical aspects of child rights, particularly child protection and education

Ensure enhanced agency of children and young people in climate change adaptation efforts

Prevent catastrophic climate change through a legally binding treaty for climate mitigation

Recommendations - Policy

Diversification of economy, including in developing adequate, diversified Food Security Strategies

Remodel existing Climate Change Frameworks to focus on risk reduction, reduced vulnerability and resilience (current efforts focused on post-facto/response action).

Climate Change policy and plans to include special consideration for marginalized groups (e.g. tribal communities)

Establish platforms for policy deliberations and discussions between various stakeholders, such as Government and NGO partners for improved governance

Reinforce regional and international cooperation. Agencies as SAARC can play significant role. More and robust intergovernmental institutions are needed.

Greater involvement of private sector in Adaptation efforts.

Recommendations - Implementation

Regional Fund for Climate Change Action

SAARC Intergovernmental Expert Group on Climate Change and relevant SAARC mechanisms to promote low carbon development.

South Asian Institute for Research and Development and various regional and national knowledge sharing platforms

Efficient intergovernmental coordination mechanism on Climate Change or strengthen existing ones.

Mainstream DRR and Resilience in Sustainable Development and Poverty eradication plans supported by relevant and clear budgetary allocation for DRR and CCA

Strengthen/ develop national and regional Early Warning Systems and institutionalize comprehensive Hazard Risk Vulnerability Assessments

Recommendations - Implementation

Build capacity of all stakeholders - community, authorities, elected representatives and others – by involving them in planning and implementation of Climate Resilient Development and enhance their preparedness and response skills

Disaster management to move beyond rescue and relief and focus on improved capacity and action in prevention, mitigation and preparedness and evidence based (assessment based) response, reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Develop strategies and undertake action to build resilience of vulnerable communities.

Effective monitoring and data collection systems.

Recommendations - Implementation

Incorporate local knowledge, local community adaptation action/ coping mechanisms in sustainable development. Educate local communities to understand possible climate change impacts to generate increased demand.

Focus on local adaptation efforts - generated locally in considering local contextual needs and constraints.

Promote regular interaction between community and policy makers. Involve local communities in the overall management and maintenance of local adaptation project.

National scaling-up and regional replication of successful adaptation projects

Recommendations - Implementation

Education and communication of climate risks and adaptation options to both rural and urban communities. Scientific knowledge to be communicated in a simplified manner. Build capacity/ awareness of local media.

Women and youth - crucial role; can be powerful agents of change and promoters of climate change adaptation action. Gender responsive Adaptation policy and practice frameworks

Strengthen social protection programs focusing on adaptation and resilience. Funds available but programs not strong enough.

Improve access to climate financing for communities and CSOs.

Recommendations - Implementation

Pilot and scale up innovations (e.g. the Community Based Adaptation M&E model bringing together community and scientific knowledge)

Identify and scale up successful Public Private Partnership actions for Adaptation.

Invest in education to create occupational diversity options for the youth and children and enhance their skills now to allow better prospects for employment in future.

Recommendations - Implementation

Undertake climate sensitive urban planning

Multifaceted Urban resilience strategies - to include:◦ urban planning (adequate infrastructure planning and design, land use

planning, ◦ establishment of Risk Transfer Mechanisms, ◦ assessment of impacts of climate variability and risk and population’s

vulnerability (depleted coping mechanisms)◦ Multi-stakeholder (Citizen/Stakeholder/Local Government) engagement and

ownership is a must.

Recommendations India Establish and/or strengthen existing mechanisms for convergent action (e.g. coordinating agencies such as NDMA)

Address Natural Resource Management: careful natural resource management contributes to improved resilience. Policies to incorporate traditional wisdom (e.g. encouraging use of traditional crop and cattle varieties).

Strengthen bottom-up planning process and capacities of local systems. Plans must be more “people oriented”, incorporate priorities of people/ “people’s voice”.

Improve access to classified data to support research and early warning systems

Conduct research on biodiversity

Strengthening systems to enable reach out to the last person

Flexibility and structure for climate related funding mechanism (including for DRR).

Improve emergency management services (beyond rescue and relief, stronger focus on sustainable, environmental appropriate/ sensitive recovery).

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

SDG HFA -2

Latest developments SDGs and HFA 2 – Set targets; Extensive global consultative process

SDGs: The Future We Want - new goals should build on MDGs, apply to all countries, and be based on the fundamental principles of human rights, equality, and sustainability

Action-oriented, Concise, Easy to communicate, Limited in number (17 ), Aspirational, Global in nature, Universally applicable to all countries while taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development and respecting national policies and priorities.

Post-2015: framing a new approach to sustainable development (IRF 2013)

A ZEN Approach to Post-2015: Addressing the Range of Perspectives across Asia and the Pacific (ADB 2013)

Discusses Key challenges in Asia and the Pacific where a number of economies graduate from low-income status to middle-income status while at the same time the region remains home to the majority of the world's poor people and has a number of fragile states.

The region gaining increased influence in the world economy but still grappling to overcome interrelated challenges of poverty and sustainable development => its priorities will be of significant importance in informing the contents of the post- 2015 global development framework.

Suggests conceptual framework for setting a new generation of goals and, informed by these concepts, proposes an intergovernmental approach to implementation.

The “ZEN” framework: ◦ zero extreme poverty (Z), ◦ setting country-specific “Epsilon” benchmarks for broader development challenges (E),

and ◦ promoting environmental sustainability both within and across borders (N).

Suggested elements HFA - 2

- Build on and strengthen the HFA and previous international frameworks and strategies to guide international and national effort over the next 20 years.

- Purpose new Framework - to manage disaster and climate risk in development at local, national and international levels for resilient people and countries.

- The expected Hyogo Framework for Action outcome of a “substantial reduction of disaster losses, in lives, and in the social, economic and environmental assets, of communities and countries,” remains valid.

- Risk associated with geological, climate, weather, environmental and technological hazards fall within the scope of this framework for action.

- The primary responsibility to holistically manage risk rests with countries.

Suggested elements HFA - 2

Effective management of disaster risk requires a Plan of Action by countries with three mutually-supportive goals:

(a) Prevent the creation of new risk by the adoption of risk-informed growth and development pathways that minimise increase in exposure and vulnerability;

(b) Reduce existing risk through the action that addresses and reduces exposure and vulnerability, including preparedness for disaster response;

(c) Strengthen resilience by social and economic measures that enable countries and people to absorb loss, minimise impact and recover.

Suggested elements HFA - 2

Seven (7) specific measures for implementation: strengthen M&E, development (with priority) of specific public policies addressing post-disaster recovery, reconstruction and displacement, disaster risk in informal urban settlements and in disaster prone rural areas, such as drylands and drought-prone regions; establishing appropriate financial instruments.

Four (4) Specific measures for Public awareness and education at all levels -professional education and training on the inter-dependence of disasters with development, climate change and variability, disaster risk vulnerability, and exposure are the foundations of a culture of prevention. Measures focus on integration of DRR in educational curricula (formal and informal), strengthen public awareness and stimulate public debate + improve early warning.

Suggested elements HFA - 2

Three (3) Global Targets are proposed for the first ten years:

(a) Reduce disaster mortality by half by 2025 (or by a given percentage in a given period of time);

(b) Reduce disaster economic loss by a given percentage by 2025;

(c) Reduce disaster damage to housing, educational and health facilities by a given percentage by 2025.

Relevant indicators to measure the goals of:

Creation of new risk prevented

Existing risk reduced

Resilience strengthened

HFA 2 Timeline

Moving forward on CCA in India

HOW WHAT

WHO WHEN