Sub-Regional Workshop for GEF Focal Points in Eastern and Southern Africa Nairobi, Kenya, 19-20 May...
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Transcript of Sub-Regional Workshop for GEF Focal Points in Eastern and Southern Africa Nairobi, Kenya, 19-20 May...
Sub-Regional Workshop for GEF Focal Points in Eastern and Southern AfricaNairobi, Kenya, 19-20 May 2009
Leveraging national communications to integrate climate change issues
into development policy
OUTLINE
Key climate change threats in Africa
Role of National Communications (NC)
How to use the potential of NC projects to integrate climate change into development and sector policies
Expected climate changes in Eastern & Southern Africa
Temperature: Steady increase• >3ºC by mid-century
Rainfall: Mixed picture• Eastern Africa: expected net increases• Southern Africa: expected net decreases
Variability: • Rainfall erratic and unreliable, increasing
flood and drought risk
Projected Temperature
Projected Precipitation
Southern Africa Eastern Africa
Agriculture to face changes
Vulnerability high due to important employment, economic role
Significant drops in crop yield expected in most of the region for current practices• Agroclimatic zones for highland crops (tea/coffee) shrink/ disappear• Many areas become less suitable for staple crops• Drought-tolerant crops not supported by agricultural policies
Livelihoods of subsistence farmers and pastoralists especially threatened
Increasing risk of damage from diseases, pests, weeds and storms
The Initial National Communication (INC) processwas important because:
The INC was the first effort to climate summarize information relating to GHG emissions and its key vulnerabilities
The INC has generated awareness about Climate Change issues and helped catalyse awareness of climate change issues
The INC was the first point of reference for many development partners to support CC mitigation and adaptation activities in a country
What does this have to do with National Communications?
BUT:
The focus was seen on ‘International Convention reporting’ – Opportunities to channel information into non-environmental policy processes were lost
The INC was conducted by technical experts, with limited participation of other stakeholders from public and private sectors
Assessments and language was academic in formats not very helpful to policy makers
Climate Change is more than environmental reporting – the SNC process is relevant for all policy segments
The SNC is a strategic policy support tool to highlight and communicate Climate Change priorities
Producing an SNC document not the end point. SNC information can be used to map socio-economic
vulnerabilities, understand economic impacts of CC and frame follow-up measures
Second National Communications (SNC): A second opportunity!
Institutional positions and responses to climate change issues
Continued analysis and review of climate data to stay up-to-date on vulnerability dynamics
Inter-ministerial dialogue to address primary climate change concerns in national priorities
Integration of climate risk reduction into sectoral and development planning
SNC should be a vehicle to inform and facilitate:
1) Ensure that the studies commissioned by the SNC team address relevant policy questions
2) Ensure that the SNC does not work in isolation in the Environment Department. Establish a platform to share SNC information with other departments.
3) Make sure the mitigation and adaptation studies of the SNC deliver information that is suitable for the definition of follow-up measures (e.g. further assessments, project formulation, fundraising)
How can countries make full use of SNC potential?
4) Make sure the SNC highlights critical short-term and long-term policy challenges and proposes some options for priority sectors
5) Make sure the SNC process picks up existing capacity gaps and opportunities in the country to understand, analyze and address Climate Change issues
6) Make sure SNC work is complemented with targeted awareness and communication actions for public/private/policy stakeholders
How can countries make full use of SNC potential? (cont.)
Understanding the potential of SNC to provide policy inputs
Actively encouraging involvement and supporting input by relevant government institutions
Helping to make the SNC better visible
Having a concrete follow-up for the SNC in mind
Ensuring that all mitigation and adaptation assessments in the SNC maintaining a human focus
Next steps
1. National Communications: process and outputs
CC Adaptation and mitigation priorities identified
2. CC Adaptation and Mitigation platforms, plans and strategies
Priority CC projects identified
3. Adaptation financing and carbon financing options explored to undertake priority measures
Priority CC projects financed
Leveraging National Communications - Summary
Project lessons utilized in national / sector plans
Informed allocation of public / private financing to resilient and
low-carbon economic growth
Institutional partnerships developed & strengthened
Project lessons captured and analyzed (M&E)