Climate Change Adaptation, Public Investments

and Local Resource-based Approaches

Green Jobs through Green WorksGreen Jobs through Green Works.

Objective:Introduce an approach that helps communities (and local governments) to adapt to changing local weather patterns and which generates local income and other benefits for poor people

Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP)

Public sector

Private Sector

AdaptationMitigation

Green Jobs(in the context of

climate change)

EIIP

XX

XX

XX

Bangkok Post 31-10-2010

A farmer fishing in his rice field (beginning dry season)

Not making the headlines…….

Background

• The poor and vulnerable will suffer disproportionally from changing weather patterns

• Climate change will impact on their water supplies, flood risks, health, crop yields and livelihoods, living conditions and transport

• Efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change should equally focus on poorer communities and help them to adapt to new living and working conditions

• Infrastructure investments and public works will play a major part in local adaptation to climate change

• Three main areas for adaptation through public investments:

- irrigation and water and soil conservation

- flood control, protection and drainage

- rural transport and roads

• A local resource-based approach is a “green approach” for sustainable infrastructure development with additional benefits (income, skills, organization capacity) for communities while adapting to changing local climates Green Jobs

Local and Participatory

Planning

AppropriateTechnology

Community and Petty

Contracting

Community Operation & Maintenance

Local ResourceLocal Resource--based Approaches:based Approaches:Optimize and Combine the Use of Local Resources in Optimize and Combine the Use of Local Resources in Public Works and Infrastructure Development, Public Works and Infrastructure Development, Operation and Maintenance.Operation and Maintenance.

Local LabourLocal Skills

Local MaterialsLocal Contractors

Local Equipment - ToolsLocal Communities

Local Government Units

EIIP Strategy

• Community contracting is a term used to describe the direct involvement of the community or petty contractors coming from the community in their own infrastructure improvement works.

• The extent of the community’s responsibilities varies depending on the situation and the contractingmodel used.

• The aim is not only to assist the community in improving their assets, but to generate local income, promote capacity building in the community and to provide experience in negotiation with government and non-government partners, and in the responsibilities of organising and contracting.

The diagram below shows areas where a local resource-based approach could be applied in local solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

•• The approach adopts environmentally friendly principles and is iThe approach adopts environmentally friendly principles and is in itself a green n itself a green

approach for construction;approach for construction;

•• Can contribute significantly to more sustainable, environmentaCan contribute significantly to more sustainable, environmentall--friendly, economic friendly, economic

growth in general; growth in general;

•• Potential for green jobs in these subPotential for green jobs in these sub--sectors; and sectors; and

•• Present an important winPresent an important win--win opportunity in addressing win opportunity in addressing climate changeclimate change, , propro--poor poor

developmentdevelopment and and employment creationemployment creation in an integrated wayin an integrated way

Flood protection - Battambang, CambodiaRehabilitation of urban streets and drainage in the Chamcar Samrong Settlement Area

USD 10,228USD 10,228

1,198 person1,198 person--daysdays

8.5 USD / person day8.5 USD / person day

Irrigation and watershed development - Nepal

• Irrigation field canals

28,700 green workdays 500 workers $ 4.8 USD per workday createdUSD 135,574 (canals to irrigate 210 ha)

• riverbed and embankment works and bio-engineering components ( agro-forestry and slope/embankment grassing):

22,600 green workdays600 workers $5 USD per workday createdUSD 112,800 (improving 16 sq km watershed)

Flood control - Iloilo Philippines

Clearing a creek on the border of two municipalities to reduce flooding

USD 6,050USD 6,050

1111 person1111 person--daysdays

USD 5.5 / person dayUSD 5.5 / person day

ScalingScaling upup……....

…………multiply impact (climate change adaptation, multiply impact (climate change adaptation, poverty impact, employment impactpoverty impact, employment impact

““GreenGreen”” National Investment ProgrammesNational Investment Programmes

• Cambodia – PWP component National Social Protection…Strategy for Poor and Vulnerable…

• Philippines – Emergency Employment Programme…

• Indonesia – Fiscal Stimulus Packages, PNPM…

• India – NREGA

• Nepal, Pakistan – EGS….

• Timor Leste – Cash-for-Work

Scaling up…

Direct pro-poor benefits:

•The assets created (improved targeting, reaching the poor)

•Income is generated and employment is provided (increased use of local resources “owned” by the poor)

Indirect other benefits (with pro-poor results):

•Skills are developed

•Local communities are involved in the process of planning and delivery of the works.

•Local contractors are provided with meaningful and profitable work.

•Local governments are empowered through a process which puts decision making in their hands.

•The use of local materials reduces cost and provides further income and employment to the communities.

•Sustainable maintenance becomes a realistic objective as the local communities feel ownership of the infrastructure that is created.

Climate Change Adaptation through Local Climate Change Adaptation through Local ResourceResource--based Worksbased Works

local resource-based methods can be used in:

irrigation

soil and water conservation

forestation

flood protection

rural transport

Climate Change Adaptation Works

ConclusionsConclusions�� Climate change contributes to poverty and Climate change contributes to poverty and vulnerability;vulnerability;

�� Local communities and organizations need to be Local communities and organizations need to be empowered to adapt to climate change;empowered to adapt to climate change;

�� Infrastructure and public works need to be seen Infrastructure and public works need to be seen as part of the adaptation process (irrigation, soil as part of the adaptation process (irrigation, soil and water conservation, flood protection, and water conservation, flood protection, sustaining rural transport and forestation);sustaining rural transport and forestation);

�� Public investments in these sectors should seek Public investments in these sectors should seek to optimize the use of local resources to to optimize the use of local resources to maximize benefits to the rural poor and maximize benefits to the rural poor and vulnerable vulnerable create green jobscreate green jobs

Thank youThank you

Public sector

Private Sector

AdaptationMitigation

Green Jobs(in the

context of climate change)

EIIP

Can we qualify the EIIP jobs as “Green Jobs”?

From a technological point of view, yes perhaps, smaller environmental footprint compared to traditional big contractor and equipment-based methods

From a sector point of view, not sure. Irrigation, water and soil conservation, community forestry, yes perhaps, as this may result in a more sustainable use of natural resources but what about floodprotection and rural transport???

Question

Group work

• Select a sector (irrigation, soil and water conservation, flood protection, rural transport or forestry);

• Identify the main objective for a project in the sector (which may demonstrate the creation of green jobs amongst other outputs);

• Identify the main components of such a project;

• Explain how this project will create jobs and assess if such jobs can indeed be qualified as green jobs.