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Mohammad Reazuddin

Bangladesh

Overview of “Adaptation” Issues under UNFCCC and Kyoto

Protocol

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Human Response to Climate Change

Adaptation Mitigation

Adaptation involves developing ways to protect people and their livelihood by reducing their vulnerability to climate impacts.

Mitigation involves attempts to reduce the emission of green house gases in the atmosphere to protect human beings and other forums of life from dangerous consequences.

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Vulnerabilities and Adaptation under the UNFCCC/KP and in the negotiation

ProcessUNFCCCArticle 3,Article 4.1, 4.8, 4.9Articles 5,6 & 11

Kyoto Protocol

Article 2.3

• Both the convention and the Protocol have a clear bias towards mitigation

• Adaptation gained momentum starting with Marrakech (COP7) with some milestone decisions

• COP 10 provided the genesis for Adaptation work programme

• Nairobi COP/MOP (COP12/MOP2) provided the detailed work programme on impacts and adaptation

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How Adaptation Came into forefront ?

• IPCC reports on vulnerabilities and adaptation needs

• Worldwide increase of frequency and intensity of climate disaster

Consideration of adaptation as a strong building block of any future international agreement to address climate change is now a popular demand from the south

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Capacity(SBI and SBSTA)NAI NatComs, CB

and Art.6

Where to look for Adaptation issues in the Negotiation

Process ?Resources for

implementation (SBI)

1/CP.10, NAPAs, Funding (FM and AF

under KP)

Knowledge (SBSTA)

Nairobi workProgramme,

Technology, Syst Obs.

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Importance of adaptation

• Climate change impacts cannot be totally avoided

even if strong mitigation measures are taken immediately

• Anticipatory adaptation is likely to be more effective

and less costly than reactive, last-minute adaptation

• Immediate benefits can be gained

from better adaptation to climate variability and extreme events

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Findings from IPCC AR4: Impacts

• Rise in temperature between 1.8 to 4.0ºC by 2100

• Impacts on agriculture leading to diminished food security

• Glaciers & ice caps continue to melt – rise in sea levels

• Coastal zones exposed to increased risks

• Stress on water resources – security implications

• Significant health impacts

• Climate change is not only an “environmental” issue but also a key development issue !

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Findings from IPCC AR4 : Adaptation

• Some adaptation is occurring now, to observed and projected climate change, but on a very limited basis

• Adaptation options are available, but more concrete adaptation is required. There are barriers, limits and costs, but these are not fully understood

• Many impacts can be avoided, reduced or delayed by mitigation.

• Impacts of climate change will vary regionally but, aggregated and discounted to the present, they are very likely to impose net annual costs which will increase over time as global temperatures increase.

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Adaptation has a limit

• It can not stop plight of Climate Refugees due to sea level rise, river erosion etc.

• Right to compensation by climate change victims could be an area to be looked into, in the future regime.

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Adaptation issue in the COP 13

• Importance of adaptation : findings from IPCC AR4

• Scientific and technological aspects of adaptation : Nairobi Work programme under the SBSTA

Progress on implementation

Group of Experts

• Implementation aspects of adaptation : Buenos Aires programme of work (decision 1/CP.10)

Regional workshops and expert meeting on adaptation

• Implementation of Article 4.8 & 4.9

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Nairobi work programme- the major focus

• SBSTA agenda item 3

• Nairobi work programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change has a two-fold objective :Assist all Parties, in particular developing

countries, including LDCs and SIDS, to :

o Improve their understanding and assessment of impacts, vulnerability and adaptation

oMake informed decisions on practical adaptation actions

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Nairobi work programme (NWP): Structure

• NWP areas of work : Methods and tools

Data and observations

Climate modeling, scenarios and downscaling

Climate related risks and extreme events

Socio-economic information

Adaptation planning and practices

Research

Technologies for adaptation

Economic diversification

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NWP : Approach to implementation

• Mandated SBSTA activities : Submissions form Parties and relevant organizations

Workshop and expert meetings

UNFCCC documents and web-based interface on adaptation

• Furthering the reach of mandated activities : Small meetings with experts and stakeholders

around the 9 focus areas

Tailored dissemination of NWP documents, products and tools

•Catalyzing innovative actions by Parties and organizations

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NWP: Expected outcome at COP13

• To take note on progress made :Provision of information by Parties and

relevant organizations under six focal areas, including adaptation planning and practices; methods and tools; economic diversification; data and observations; climate modelling, socio-economic information

Preparation of synthesis reports, including on adaptation planning and practices and on relevant outputs of the expert groups under the Convention in this area; on economic diversification; on methods and tools; on research and on technologies for adaptation.

Organization of two workshops (climate related risks and extreme events and adaptation planning and practices)

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Expert group on adaptation

• Support to NWP through possible group of experts

At COP 12, Parties recognized that addressing impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change is an immediate, as well as an ongoing, long-term challenge that is rapidly evolving, and agreed that there is a need to ensure expert input into the implementation of the NWP.

SBSTA invited Parties to submit to the secretariat, by 21 September 2007, their views on the possible need for a group of experts and the role that they could have in the implementation and further development of the NWP

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Expert group : Views of Parties (I)

• Views on need for, and role of, expert group : As of 11 October, 9 submissions from Parties

(will be available in FCCC/SBSTA/2007/MISC.25)

No agreement on need for, or role of expert group

Some submission outline concrete set-up, e.g.

o 15 members serving for 2 years

Some submissions outline specific needs and roles, e.g

o Identification and assessment of technological problems

oProvision of technical advice and support

oEnhancement of collection and access to observational data

oReview of practical adaptation action and measures.

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Expert group: Views of Parties (II)

•Some submissions identify issues that need further discussion :

Size of the expert group

Focus of the expert group

Complementarily with existing group (LEG, CGE, EGTT)

Alternatives to an expert group

•Some submissions call for suspending a decision on a group until implementation of the NWP has further progressed

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Expert group: Expected outcome

•What is needed in Bali :Consider the information received from

Parties with a view to making recommendations, as appropriate

•Let’s make a debate

Whether there should or should not be a group of experts

Role of the Expert group and its mandate

Does it duplicate the functions of any other committee or experts group?

What is the best option?

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Financial Mechanism of the Convention

• LDCF

• SCCF

Financial measure is minimal. Countries who have done NAPA, received or are going to receive a limited support.

It takes an unexpected longer period to process by the IAs and approve by GEF. Need a fast track of processing and approving of the projects.

RAF is likely to affect availability of funding.

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The Adaptation Fund (AF)

• It falls under the Kyoto Protocol, which means that it is outside the direct sphere of influence of countries, who have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol.

• It’s revenue is generated, namely through a 2 % levy on emission permits (Certified Emission Reduction (CERs)) generated by emission reduction projects under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

• It is almost like an international private sector tax.

• Revenue to be generated until 2012 projected to be $160 m. to $ 950 m.

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The negotiations on the Governance of Adaptation

Fund

• Main contention is whether Washington based Global Environment Facility (GEF) should be managing the fund or not.

• Nairobi (COP/MOP) agreed to focus on “Principles” and “Modalities” rather than on “GEF” or not “GEF”.

• It has been decided the AF should be under the authority of the Kyoto Protocol governing body (the ‘COP/MOP’)

• Votes concerning the Governance of AF will have to be on a “one country - one vote”

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The negotiations on the Governance of Adaptation

Fund (Contd..)

• Institutions including the GEF have been invited to submit their views on how they would wish to implement the Nairobi decision.

• SBI in may 2007 discussed those submissions. SBI in coming session in the upcoming COP/MOP will further discuss on these to come to a decision.

• Other important issues to be debated include Eligibility Criteria and Priority areas of Funding.

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Assessment of technology transfer for adaptation

• Technologies for adaptation : Further work needed to address issues relating to cross sectoral implications

• Endogenous technologies for adaptation : How to promote deployment and diffusion of endogenous technologies for adaptation available in development countries.

• Financing : Further work needed to evolve ways and means for financing deployment and dissemination of these technologies.

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Adaptation Framework in the Future regime

• Building block : On equal footing with Mitigation.

• Must include compensation for climate refugees (victims) with a concrete mechanisms

• Adequate resources to reduce vulnerability and adapt to or manage future risks.

• Uphold right to Sustainable Development

• Sufficient & targeted funding with innovative ways of financing including levy’s on emission trading & joint implementation and ‘adaptation levy’ on international flights that would potentially raise billions of dollars a year

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