7/28/2019 FF Climate Change
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Climate ChangeClimate change is one of the defining challenges
of our time.
Receding forests, changing rainfall patterns and rising sea
levels will exacerbate existing economic, political and
humanitarian stresses and affect human development in all
parts of the world.
For example, it is estimated that up to 600 million more
people in Africa could face malnutrition as agricultural
systems break down due to climate change impacts. An
additional 1.8 billion people could face water shortages,
especially in Asia. If these forecasts are realized, decades
of
effort to eradicate poverty around the world would be
undermined and the worlds progress towards the
Millennium Development Goals would be compromised.
Fortunately, increasing awareness about climate change
provides the impetus to urgently push for a better, cleaner
and more sustainable world. Countries have an opportunity
to transform their economies and grow in a different way
so that climate and development planning are integrated,and
policies and actions lower greenhouse gas emissions,
reduce vulnerability to climate shocks, and deliver poverty
reduction gains.
UNDPs comprehensive response
As the leading global organization in the fight against
poverty, with a presence in 177 countries and territories,
UNDP is responding on the front lines of climate change
where it hits the worlds 2.6 billion poorest people the
hardest. UNDP works with national, regional, and local
planning bodies to help them respond effectively to
climatechange and promote low-emission, climate-resilient
development.
UNDP focuses on three areas:
1. UNDP connects countries to knowledge, experience
and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP
works with countries on their own solutions to global and
national development and climate challenges. UNDP helps
countries to integrate climate into development
policies and planning, so that projects that support
development such as increased access to water, sanitation,
food, and energy can better withstand the effects of
climate change.
2. UNDP helps countries build more resilient societies. By
putting climate change adaptation at the heart of poverty
reduction efforts, with proper attention paid to the needs
of
more vulnerable groups like women and indigenous
peoples, UNDP helps to ensure that climate actions are
flexible and resilient enough to meet climate challenges now
and in the future. At the same time, UNDP strives to reduce
peoples exposure to climate-related disasters and, when
they do hit, to limit the impact on peoples lives.
3.UNDP strengthens the capacity of countries to access,
manage and account for climate finance. UNDP works with
countries to access new and innovative sources of climate
finance and help countries leverage limited sources of
public
finance to catalyze larger sources of climate capital. UNDP
helps ensure countries can put policies into action that
will
lead them towards a green, low-emission and climate-
resilient future.
UNDP also works to build capacity to assist developing
countries to engage in international negotiations under the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC).
Strengthening institutions and capacity
In Zambia, UNDP helped the government establish a ClimateChange
Facilitation Unit under the Ministry of Environment
to coordinate all climate change activities including
preparations and positioning for the international climate
change negotiations. Through training on climate change
investment and financial flows and skills-building
workshops,
UNDP increased the capacity of St. Lucia to coordinate its
Ministerial views, participate in the negotiations and
assess
what they need to tackle climate change in the energy,
coastal zones and water sectors.
