Youba Sokona: Adaptation is development:Linking policy to practice

AfricaAdapt Symposium, 9-11 March 2011, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Adaptation is development:Linking policy to practice

Youba SokonaAfrican Climate Policy Centre (ACPC)

part of the

ClimDev-Africa Programme

United NationsEconomic Commission for Africa

Climate Change

Meets Policy


Outline

Outline:

• Reasons for concern

• Africa’s response and the development challenge

• A new approach to climate change in Africa

• The climate change opportunity

• The ClimDev-Africa and the ACPC


• Guinea's G'bessi Airport, Conakry

• Between 1999 and 2002 schools in Guinea had a modest pass rate of 30-35%

• Since 2003 that has dropped to between 20 and 25% Source: BBC

Any existing opportunities should be exploited to achieving goals


Observations

• Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is evident from: – scientific findings – various observations

• Mitigation measures are slow and sparse• Adaptation has started however• Further adaptation is now unavoidable

– but without mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, it may be impossible to achieve meaningful adaptation where it is direly needed


(Smith et al. 2009 PNAS)

Updated reasons for concern

EU 2°C-Guardrail


Facts

Despite economic growth during past 15 years:

• Africa as a whole is lagging behind on each of the eight MDGs

• Achieving the MDGs requires enduring efforts and adequate resources

• The challenge is further compounded by adverse impacts and the grave long-term risk that climate change poses.


Holistic approach and concerted and differentiated actions are required

Least Developed Countries

Emerging Economies& EITs

Developed Countries

More adaptationLess mitigation

Adaptation & mitigation

More mitigationless adaptation

TrainingInstitutional supportInformation supportR&D support

Collaborative R&DTechnologyPartnership &Networking

Technology facilitationandPartnerships

Annual per capita Income

$1200 $7000

550 PPMV

450 PPMV

Corridor of sustainable development & stabilization of GHGs

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Source: Maartin de Wit and Jacek Stankiewicz www.scienceexpress.org/2March2006/Page1/10.1126/science1119929

African Scenarios – there is a lot of uncertainty

Small changes in temperature will see average river flows and water availability increase by 10-40% in some regions, while in others there will be a decrease of 10-30%

Changes in surface water supply across Africa with Predicted Climate ChangeWill there be increases or

decreases in available water?

Potential ET Actual ET Runoff

10 models show likely decrease of runoff while 7 shows like increase of runoff

Example: Blue Nile GCM downscaling

Precipitation


Africa is responding to climate changeThere have been many initiatives/action plans of what Africa needs to do:• African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN)• Conference of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change

(CAHOSCC) and climate change negotiators• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and related instruments

(UNFCCC) • NEPAD Environmental Action Plan• The Cancun Agreements• African Development Forum VII• Global Climate Observation System (GCOS)• AMCEN Comprehensive Framework for Climate Change• Africa-EU Climate Change Partnership

Africa is acting on climate change:• Examples include:

– CCAA, AfricaAdapt– African Adaptation Programme– The ClimDev-Africa Programme– Many other initiatives, institutions and responses

Much more is required for Africa to address climate change and development:• That is why we are here at this symposium


The development challenge

• It is widely recognized and accepted that in Africa, climate change will hamper the ability of Africa to adequately address:– rapid onset-disaster events– widening energy access– water availability– food security– public health– migration

• Adaptation to climate change is a matter of survival for most Africans


Recently Africa’s growth has been widespread…

1111


560 million sub-Saharan Africans lack access to electricity

..and it needs energy to keep growing..


But

• The quality of growth matters• Moving towards climate resilient and low carbon

pathway is paramount– for increasing demand for services and meeting

unmet demand– avoid lock-into carbon intensive options – for policies for making development more sustainable

• In some ways, we are in an advantageous position– Africa is starting from a low base and has the

resources– For mainstreaming


Mainstreaming is necessary but …

it may lead to an overloadit may lead to an overload


A new approach is required…

• that starts with development priorities, following this approach, we can:– aim to meet development and poverty eradication objectives – use strategies that aim for climate safe and climate friendly development

• that can explore wide range of already existing development initiatives that are climate resilient and friendly:– there exist a diversity of local actions, national policies that have delivered

positive development and climate outcomes – we can explore such options at various levels– we can scale them up coupling with international initiatives to enhance

their impacts

• this approach is “development first” that will stimulate concrete actions, mainstreaming, strong and inclusive climate actions and cooperation at global, regional and local levels


6-9/11/2007

Physical scarcity: Not enough water.

Economic Scarcity: Not infrastructure to make water available to people

We can manage both scarcities

Turning adversity into opportunity

Africa:•Renewable water resources estimated at about 5,400 billion m3/yr of which 15% (810 million m3/yr) is groundwater•Low level of withdrawals of water for agriculture, water supply and energy: 3.8% of total annual WR

Hydropower Outlook fro Africa (BMZ, EUDEV.de, 2007)


Better exploring opportunity

We need to:• revisit our development objectives and strategies from

a new perspective• renew its focus and urgency on sustainability

We need to address at the same time:• climate resilient and low carbon future• local, national, regional and global concerns• immediate needs while investing in long term

obligations by:– the imperative of building bridges between development

and environment more systematically – widening decision making process at various levels


The policy challenge

Development and underdevelopment

Climate change

Development•climate resilient•low carbon•resource efficient•sustainable

Climate change

A future with•energy access•water availability•food security•employment•opportunity

Business as usual

Climate adaptation and mitigation

• Development pathways influence climate change and climate change could have significant impacts on development and underdevelopment as they can be mutually reinforcing.

• Tackling global climate change is an inherently complex problem requiring robust inter-related policies at international, regional, national and local levels.

• Holistic approach, concerted and differentiated mitigation as well as adaptation actions are absolute prerequisites.


Finance challengeFrom the Copenhagen Accord and Cancun Agreements…

Fast start finance Long term finance Cancun agreements

US$30 Billion 2010-2012

LULUCF& REDD +

Adaptation and NAPAs

Technology development and transfer

Capacity building

US$100 Billion per year from

2020

?

?

?

?

• At the global level significant resources are likely to be available, but we need to make sure, at the negotiations stage, that these resources benefit our people at local and national levels


Linking international, national and local levels of climate adaptation and mitigation

Challenge for coherent national framework

• We can use climate change agreements and negotiations as an opportunity to support our development efforts

• With effective coordination, institutions and policies, nations and communities can benefit from international climate change agreements

• To access climate finance, or participate in climate related mechanisms and initiatives requires effective institutions that can coordinate, as well as measure, report and verify climate related activities

– In effect good governance is required to benefit from climate change negotiations and any climate agreements

Climate finance•Multilateral•Bilateral•Private

LULUCF& REDD +

Adaptation and NAPAs

Technology development and transfer

Capacity building

Communities

Information and knowledge•Indigenous knowledge•Institutional knowledge•Research

Institutions and grass roots groups

Action, participation and employment

National Framework

National Framework

Dialogue

Agreement

Action


Any difficult journey requires innovation


Introducing ACPC

The African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) is:• A hub for demand driven climate change and development

knowledge, advocacy and capacity mobilisation & building• Based at UNECA in Addis Ababa• Part of the Climate for Development of Africa programme (ClimDev-

Africa)

ClimDev-Africa is a joint programme of the:• African Union Commission (AUC)

– Climate Change and Desertification Programmes Coordination Unit (CCDU)

• United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)– the ACPC

• African Development Bank (AfDB)– the ClimDev-Special Fund


Team

The ACPC core team is composed of:• multidisciplinary and multicultural professionals and experts,

covering:– energy, water, agriculture, economics, climate science, political science,

statistics, adaptation and risk management, communications

Most staff will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Some staff will be deployed in the five sub-regions to be closer to:• Sub-Regional Offices (SROs) • Regional Economic Communities (RECs)• Other regional and sub-regional institutions and countries

The centre will be supported by expertise from:• various UNECA divisions• strategic partners• consultants and experts in specific disciplines



The ClimDev-Africa programme aims to:• improve climate information for Africa and the use of

such information for decision-making by:– strengthening analytical capacity– knowledge management– disseminating relevant information

ClimDev-Africa is under the governance of:• The ClimDev-Africa Programme Steering Committee

(PSC), consisting of:– AUC – UNECA– AfDB – and others



Meetings of the Chief Executives of the AUC, ECA and AfDB

Meetings of the Chief Executives of the AUC, ECA and AfDB

Programme Steering Committee (PSC)(AUC, UNECA, AfDB and others)

Programme Steering Committee (PSC)(AUC, UNECA, AfDB and others)

African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC)

African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC)

ClimDev-Africa Special Fund

(CDSF)

ClimDev-Africa Special Fund

(CDSF)

Regional / sub-regional levelRECs/SROs, Regional/Sub-Regional Climate

Institutions, RBOs, Research Institutions

Regional / sub-regional levelRECs/SROs, Regional/Sub-Regional Climate

Institutions, RBOs, Research Institutions

Technical Advisory Panel

Technical Advisory Panel

National levelNMHSs, Sectoral Actors (public sector,

private sector, civil society)

National levelNMHSs, Sectoral Actors (public sector,

private sector, civil society)

Climate Change and Desertification Programmes

Coordination Unit (CCDU)

Climate Change and Desertification Programmes

Coordination Unit (CCDU)Stakeholder

forumse.g. Climate Change and Dev. Conf. & other forums/platforms

Stakeholder forums

e.g. Climate Change and Dev. Conf. & other forums/platforms


Work programme 2011 +

The ACPC has three broad areas of activity:

1. Knowledge generation, sharing and networking

2. Advocacy and consensus building

3. Advisory services and technical cooperation


Knowledge generation…The ACPC is addressing:• African challenges and opportunities for climate finance, including:

– Fast Start Finance– The Green Climate Fund– Long Term Financing

• Mitigation in the context of Africa, including:– the development of national or sub-regional strategies on low carbon economy

• Adaptation, including: – the implementation of AMCEN sub-regional and national adaptation strategies– the creation of an adaptation and vulnerability knowledge base, – an assessment of the economics of climate adaptation in Africa (AdaptCost)

• Technology transfer, including:– a technology transfer needs assessment that maps out models of technology transfer

for Africa

• Awareness, including:– the development of a knowledge management platform to:

• support climate policy discussions • act as a hub for climate change and policy communities


Advocacy…

The ACPC will:• Hold a Climate Change and Development Conference

to:– enhance awareness on climate change in Africa

• Prepare for, and participate in, the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Climate Change 17 (COP17) with the aim of ensuring:– Africa's key concerns in climate change are brought to the fore

• Develop a communications strategy to ensure:– Climate and development information is targeted and makes it to

all relevant audiences


Capacity mobilisation…

The ACPC will:• Evaluate and enhance climate information

systems across Africa, such as:– hydrological and meteorological data and

information systems

• Strengthen Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems across Africa

• Establish a fellowship programme


Next steps

Elaborating on the ACPC work programme:• Through consultations with:

– Countries– Regional Economic Communities (RECs) – Sub-regional organisations– African climate change negotiators– International organisations

• Discussing needs and priorities• Identifying gaps and activities to address these

Implementing the work programme:• Initiating activities• Forming partnerships• Delivering outputs


Thank you

Youba Sokona

[email protected]

Climate Change

Meets Policy

United NationsEconomic Commission for Africa

Youba Sokona: Adaptation is development:Linking policy to practice

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