News

Home Lands – Summary of launching event of new Study on Climate Change and Human Mobility

Felix Ries

On September 4th, 2020, the ‘Global Programme Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change’ (GP HMCCC) hosted the launch of the newly published study “Home Lands – Island and Archipelagic States’ Policymaking for Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change”. The GP HMCCC is financed by the ‘German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation’ (BMZ) and implemented by the ‘Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit’ (GIZ).

After warmly welcoming the high-level panel and over 100 participants, Dr Dorothea Rischewski, head of the GP HMCCC and moderator of the launch, gave the floor to Dr Heike Henn, Director for Climate policy, Energy, Urban Development and Environment (ad interim) and Commissioner for climate policy and climate financing at the BMZ. She shared her views on climate-change as an accelerator of human mobility dynamics, and praised the Home Lands study for filling large data gaps, a contribution that strongly benefits stakeholders in shaping more pertinent responses to disaster displacement. The presentation of Dr Kira Vinke, author of the Home Lands study and researcher at the ‘Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research’ (PIK), outlined the results and methodology of the study and provided the audience with concrete examples of the increasing effects of climate change and their relation to human mobility in the Pacific, the Eastern Caribbean and the Philippines. She provided thereby entry points how to address HMCCC on the policy level in each region.

The following panel discussion allowed representatives from BMZ, GIZ and PIK, the Commission of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) as well as the Philippines’ ‘Commission on Population and Development’ (POPCOM) to add on the previous statements and to reply to questions from the audience. PIK director Prof. Dr Johan Rockström argued from a scientific perspective, that the pace of climate change is still underestimated in today’s policymaking, also in light of the likely increase of disaster induced displacements. Dr Elke Siehl, Director General of the department ‘Sector and Global programmes’ at GIZ in Bonn, shed light on the growing importance of HMCCC in the agency’s portfolio. She also emphasised the strength and unique feature of the GP HMCCC’s approach of combining the accompaniment and advisory of international processes with the cooperation with partners in strongly affected regions. Concerning the regional partners, both Dr Juan Antonio Perez, Undersecretary for population and development and Executive of the ‘Commission on Population and Development’ (POPCOM), and Crispin d’Auvergne, Programme Director for Climate and Disaster Resilience at the Commission of the ‘Organization of Eastern Caribbean States’ (OECS), insisted on the need for better (regional and national) coordination and more encompassing collection of data in order to strengthen resilience and capacities of hazard exposed areas. Dr Perez gave furthermore valuable insights into current operative research projects on human mobility such as household surveys in the Philippines in cooperation with GIZ’s GP HMCCC. Finally, Crispin d’Auvergne described his organisations’ work on raising awareness and providing capacity-building for the most vulnerable communities.
A short video on relocations in the community of Narikoso, Fiji, showed the audience that rising sea levels are not an abstract phenomenon but an actual problem for communities in the Pacific region who are forced to relocate to higher grounds.

The very fruitful discussion was concluded with some final remarks by the moderator, who acknowledged the panellists’ insightful contributions from academia, policy making and the implementation in the field and expressed her gratitude for the active participation of the audience.

The full report ‘Home Lands – Island and Archipelagic States’ Policymaking for Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change’ is available for download here. An executive summary can be accessed here.

Addressing Gender Dynamics: Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change

Jasmin Remlinger

How does gender intersect with climate change and human mobility? Looking into this question, on August 17th 2020, the GIZ Global Programme Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change (HMCCC), financed by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, organized a discussion and invited practitioners, policy makers and researchers.

The discussion was opened by Dr Dorothea Rischewski, Head of Programme, and facilitated by Kristina Lunz, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy. To cover a wide range of aspects, the panel included speakers from multiple levels: Julia Lehmann, head of the Division for Human Rights, Gender and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, provided an overview of the engagement from the global community and Germany in this field. This was followed by a presentation of gender-specific challenges and opportunities within international frameworks by Kristina Lunz. The discussion was then enriched with practice-oriented experiences from Gabor Sasvari, GIZ Fiji, and Ravulo Na’ulumatua, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Focal Point and Social Specialist, Ministry of Women, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation, Fiji. Finally, those inputs were commented from a civil society perspective by Gotelind Alber, Co-founder and Board Member of Gender CC.

The inputs to the following discussion revealed that there are still few practice-oriented solutions which address gender-related issues directly – even though international policies and documents on climate change and human mobility (understood as migration, forced displacement and voluntary and planned relocation) incorporate quite a number of gender dimensions and aspects already. Nevertheless, international and regional frameworks offer a basis for more involvement in this field.

The Pacific Gender Compendium for example, a portfolio of best practices, lessons learnt and tools for Pacific practitioners developed by GIZ, provides concrete examples for gender-responsive approaches. Thereby, the compendium is exemplary for minimizing the gap between policy and implementation through intense cooperation on and with the communal level. It was highlighted that approaches should be developed according to different social contexts while linking stakeholders across sectors. That is also why a thorough gender analysis and risk assessment is indispensable before planning and programming specific activities.Furthermore, even though gender dimensions address all gender and should increasingly grow towards a broader understanding, the importance of women and girls in the context of human mobility and climate change was pointed out particularly. Women and girls should not be considered as either victims or agents of change – instead, the multitude of their possible roles should be taken into account more strongly. Women hold already formal and informal leadership positions, have great knowledge on local coping strategies and, as a consequence, often become actively involved in processes of climate risk management, for example.

With this in mind, the GIZ Global Programme has developed its own gender strategy, which presents definitions and approaches as well as a vision, a mission, goals and activities to be taken into account in the programme’s context and is looking forward to continuously work on the nexus of gender and HMCCC.

Virtual launch of study on climate change and migration – September 4th 2020

Felix Ries

We are pleased to invite you to participate at our virtual launch of a new research publication:
Home Lands – Policymaking for Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change

What happened after the hurricanes destroyed almost all infrastructure on the island Barbuda?

Which problems arise in the context of planned relocations in Pacific island countries?

What do we know about the link between (labour) migration and climate change in the Philippines?

…These and other question are discussed in the study.

The Global Programme Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), has partnered with the Potsdam Institute on Climate Impact Research (PIK) to gather knowledge on the relationship of climate change and migration, displacement and planned relocation in the partner regions of the project.
Extensive research, including more than 90 interviews, provides the basis for deep insights into the phenomenon of climate-induced migration, relevant actors, and the policy framework in the Caribbean, the Pacific and the Philippines. The researchers also provide comprehensive recommendations for the political shaping of the issue at global, regional and national level.
Join us for the launch of this publication!

Agenda:
Welcome address: Dr Heike Henn, BMZ
Presentation of research findings: Dr Kira Vinke, PIK (author)
Panel discussion with:

• Dr Elke Siehl, GIZ,
• Prof. Dr Johan Rockström, PIK,
• Dr Juan Antonio Perez, Popcom Philippines (tbc)
• Crispin D’Auvergne, OECS Commission.

Please register via event-hmccc@giz.de with your name and institution until September 2nd.

New study on ‘Climate Change Impacts on Human (Im-) Mobility in Sub-Saharan Africa’

Felix Ries

GIZ’s Global Program ‘Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change’ (GP HMCCC) has partnered with researchers from the German Development Institute (GDI) to shed light on climate related human mobility in Africa.
With many of its economies being highly dependent on rain-fed agriculture, climate change impacts in many parts of the African continent are projected to be enormous as climate-related shocks are already manifesting in both rural (ex. Darfur region) and metropolitan areas (ex. Cape Town). These negative effects can induce loss in livestock while accentuating farmer-herder conflicts and slowing down economic growth. This influences the dynamics of human mobility.

This study relies on conceptual framework of climate and environmental impacts on migration as developed in the Foresight report and updated by UN Environment (2017). The framework considers climate change as one factor among others that can lead to migration. To add more depth to its analysis, the authors also reviewed technical and scientific literature on the topic and interviewed relevant stakeholders and specialists.

The results of this study indicate, on the one hand, that climate change is only one factor for human mobility, as social, economic and political factors must also be considered. On the other hand, it sheds light on the necessity for more sustainable migration policy which avoids negative aspects like human trafficking while maximizing the positive potential of migration for development and adaptation to climate change.

You can download the study in here.

New Publication: “Adaptation Briefing: Knowledge Products on Enhancing Climate Actions”

Sarah Ribbert

Under the Paris Agreement, the Parties agreed in 2015 to keep global temperature rise well below 2°C in comparison to pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5°C. In order to achieve this goal, countries must enhance their climate action. The GIZ Support Project for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (SPA) has compiled a list of knowledge products on this topic, making it a useful guidance for NDC/NAP implementation.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) countries need to reduce their emissions and phase them out by 2050. For this the adoption of a long-term strategy and mid-term targets are crucial, with NDCs providing a main avenue. Moreover, the Paris Agreement supports a balance of adaptation and mitigation action and established a global goal on adaptation. National Adaptation Planning (NAP) processes are important instruments to integrate adaptation to climate change into sectoral development planning.

Thus, NAP and NDC implementation should be seen as complementary processes following a holistic and integrated approach towards climate action and ambition raising. By working closely together with SPA’s consortium partners (mainly IISD/ NAP/GN, adelphi, iied, but also WWF, UNIQUE, Factor, Ricardo etc.), different experiences and perspectives found their way into the publications.

This Adaptation Briefing aims at providing impulses from this co-creation of knowledge products and stimulating new “inter-silo” and “inter-organizational” discussions on how to further enhance holistic climate action. With each publication being classified to different thematic foci, the compilation intends to give an overview on a wide range of NDC/NAP implementation themes.

Download the publication here.

Documentation of 6th EbA Knowledge Day

Luise Richter

The 6th EbA Knowledge Day – organized by GIZ and IUCN – convened in June under the theme of “Maximizing the potential of EbA: bridging the gap between climate change and biodiversity agendas.” A welcome by BMU IKI,  high level remarks by ministers, a panel discussion and interactive sessions showcasing practical examples made the event diversified and insightful for the participants.

Held as an online event for the first time, more than 180 participants from 42 countries and 65 organizations used the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences in a virtual conference space. The day included several interactive features and sessions.

Recordings of the welcome session, remarks by minister and the panel discussion are now online. The documentation is available here. 

As a follow-up to the event, the BMU-IKI funded Global Project Mainstreaming EbA will host a mini-series of webinars in September and October, continuing the discussion on the potentials of EbA as a bridge between climate change and biodiversity agendas.<

Webinar: Nature-based Solutions in the NDCs, July 2nd

Sarah Ribbert

 

The webinar ‘Nature-based solutions in the NDCs: Planning to Implementation’ will be held on Thursday, July 2, 2020 9.00 am EDT. 

It is hosted by the NDC-Partnership and will talk about nature-based solutions (NBS) as powerful resource for addressing the climate crisis. The challenges, best practices and resources presented in this webinar will help practitioners to successfully integrate NBS into NDCs.

What to expect?

This webinar is designed to help practitioners harmonize the expansion of nature-based solutions with national climate efforts. NBS offer a wide range of climate benefits, including capturing and storing CO2 emissions. NBS can account for more than 30 percent of the greenhouse gas reductions required by the Paris Agreement by 2030, and simultaneously secure food and water resources. The multiple benefits promised by NBS can foster resilience and help to protect biodiversity and ecosystems services.

NBS are already a common feature of national climate plans for most countries (130 of 196). They make up about 5 percent of all NDC implementation requests received by the NDC Partnership. However, there is still a need to encourage countries to expand the scope and nature of nature-based solutions in national climate plans to ensure detailed, and measurable outcomes.

This webinar will feature a discussion that directly addresses these challenges. The discussion will provide country insights from Jordan and Grenada, as well as, perspectives and recommendations from several implementing partners.

This webinar will highlight:

  • trends from the NDC Partnership’s nature-based solutions work
  • challenges and best practices from countries and implementing partners
  • guidance, recommendations, and resources from partners

Featuring speakers from:

  • Jordan, Grenada, World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
  • Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Registration: bit.ly/2AXp

Webinar: Introducing the Guidebook for Monitoring and Evaluating Ecosystem-based Adaptation, July 2nd

Luise Richter

The GIZ Global Project Mainstreaming EbA, the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the Friends of EbA (FEBA) network are delighted to invite you to the free and public webinar

 

Introducing the Guidebook for Monitoring and Evaluating Ecosystem-based Adaptation

as part of a series of webinars hosted by the International EbA Community of Practice.

 

Time: Thursday, 2 July 2020, 3 PM – 4 PM CEST / 9 AM – 10 AM UTC-4 / 8 PM – 9 PM UTC+7

Join the webinar here

 

The webinar will feature:

An overview of the new Guidebook for Monitoring and Evaluating EbA Interventions

Sylvia Wicander, UNEP-WCMC

Insights into the development of a community- and digital solutions-based M&E methodology in Thailand

Lisa Hunsinger, GIZ Thailand

 

The webinar is moderated by Luise Richter (GIZ, Global Project Mainstreaming EbA)

Illustrations adapted from the joint GIZ, UNEP-WCMC, FEBA publication

Guidebook for Monitoring and Evaluating Ecosystem-based Adaptation Interventions

Technical note:

 

Invitation to the 6th EbA Knowledge Day: Maximizing the potential of EbA

Luise Richter

The 6th EbA Knowledge Day will be held on Monday, June 8th, 2020 13:00-17:00 GMT

For the first time in an entirely virtual format! We will use a mobile event app allowing a much higher level of participation and interaction than a “regular” online conference.

The day’s theme: “Maximizing the potential of EbA: bridging the gap between the climate change and biodiversity agendas”

The EbA Knowledge Day will focus on the synergies between adaptation, mitigation and biodiversity conservation through interactive sessions. After the welcome sessions we’ll hear from high-level officials from Asia, Africa and Latin America about how to bridge the gap between climate and biodiversity in policy.  Next, we’ll host an interactive exchange on global policy priorities” in a panel discussion with breakout sessions.  To conclude, we’ll offer an interactive learning space where participants can use the “virtual marketplace” to present and discuss new publications, recent developments and much more. There will also be chat rooms available in the “virtual coffee breaks and many more interactive elements to allow for a maximum of active participation, networking and knowledge exchange including all participants.

The final program will soon be shared with all participants and published on the FEBA webpage and adaptationcommunity.net.

Please note that access to the virtual conference will be for registered participants only. To RSVP, please complete the online form: https://forms.gle/54WXGFNvM65qg26K9

Personalized login data for the mobile event app will then be send out to you on Friday May 29th. If you have already RSVPed by email, please consider yourself registered.

 

 

 

New Guidance for Applying the Conservation Standards to Ecosystem-based Adaptation

Luise Richter

Conservation Standards Applied to Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is a product of collaboration between the Central Asian project team of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH working on EbA and the Climate Guidance Working Group of the Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP).

This guidance builds on the already widely used Conservation Measures Partnership’s Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation (Conservation Standards). The Conservation Standards, first developed in 2004, represent the leading adaptive management framework in the field of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. Thousands of conservation practitioners around the globe have used them to plan, manage, monitor, adapt and learn from their projects and programs. The Conservation Standards provide a user-friendly, evidence-based, and consistent approach that, when applied to EbA, can help your teams to identify priority ecosystems, assess conventional (non-climate) and climate-related threats, and determine the most appropriate interventions.

GIZ and CMP have worked together to develop this guidance based on an EbA project in Central Asia, but aimed at a global audience of EbA practitioners and the communities with which they work. GIZ has been implementing the EbA project in the high mountainous regions of Central Asia on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and its International Climate Initiative (IKI).

Download the Guidance here.

This publication and other information you find as well on the Central Asian EbA project homepage.

New Publications: “Cai Lon – Cai Be sluice gate climate risk assessment”

CSI

90% of Vietnam´s rice exports and 70% of aquaculture is produced in the Mekong Delta, highlighting the importance as well as dependency of the region to rain. With the changing climate, crop failure due to saltwater intrusion is becoming more frequent. The well-functioning of sluice gates is therefore vital to prevent disasters and guarantee the provision of food in Vietnam.

An infrastructure-oriented climate risk assessment was piloted for the planned Cai Lon – Cai Be sluice gate system project in the Mekong Delta– an infrastructure investment by the Government of Vietnam with an estimated budget of USD 145 million, starting from 2018 until 2021 with a significant function to prevent salt water intrusion, especially with regards to higher probabilities of severe droughts.

An assessment team of Vietnamese hydro-meteorologist, climatologist, water infrastructure engineers and planners, and civil experts was formed to conduct a climate risk assessment according to the PIEVC Protocol (Public Infrastructure and Engineering Vulnerability Committee).

The study results proved that the PIEVC Protocol has a high potential to be applied for climate risk assessments of infrastructures (both planned projects and existing infrastructure) in Viet Nam. With enhanced capacities, the climate risk assessment can serve as a nationwide decision support tool for the infrastructure investors and planners in Viet Nam.

Download the report here.

New Publication: ” A recipe for the service of climate risk assessment”

CSI

In the context of climate risk assessment in Vietnam, a new report aiming to facilitate the replica of the approach has been developed. 

Resources, capital and capacities are required for the assessment of climate risk, however the availability, quantity and expenses are beforehand unknown for decision-makers. How many people would need to be hired? What level of expertise is required? How long will it take? How much is it going to cost? The lack of answers to these questions limit or delay the decision by project owners or investment planners whether or not to conduct a climate risk assessment for their infrastructure investments.

To facilitate and streamline the replica of the Cai Lon-Cai Be sluice gate climate risk assessment in Vietnam, this document provides a detail description of the kind of services needed. Based on the structure of a typical recipe, the provided services are divided in three components; procedure, quantity and costs. To illustrate the application of the proposed recipe as well as highlight the relevant inputs under different circumstances, three scenarios with variation on the users (public or privat) and the planing stages ( feasibility study and after construction) were showcased.

All in all, this document aims to streamline the decision-making process and facilitate the cost-benefits analysis by making available a tool which helps weight alternatives.

Download the full report here.

New Publication: Guidebook for Monitoring and Evaluating Ecosystem-based Adaptation Interventions

Luise Richter

A new guidebook is now available for monitoring the outcomes and impacts of nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation.  

This is a practical guide for planners and practitioners to better understand the outcomes and impacts of on-the-ground projects that work with and enhance nature to reduce the negative impacts of climate change on people (or ‘Ecosystem-based Adaptation’ (EbA)). 

The global climate is rapidly changing, and there is a need for people across the planet to adapt to the negative impacts of such changes. That’s why understanding the outcomes of the interventions put in place and learning from good practice on climate adaptation is more important than ever.  

The Guidebook describes key considerations and components for each step of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of EbA projects and points to additional tools and methodologies that can be used in specific circumstances. 

The Guidebook should be consulted in the early stages of designing an EbA intervention to help clarify the logic underlying the measures, including the intended pathway of change. It can also be used if an intervention has already begun to help make improvements to the project logical framework and M&E systems, if these exist, or to develop them if they are not yet in place. 

The Guidebook is a joint publication by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and Friends of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (FEBA) under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Guidebook was funded by the Global Project Mainstreaming EbA, implemented by GIZ on behalf of BMU IKI. 

Download the Guidebook here

 

New Publications: “Common Ground between the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework: Climate Change adaptation and disaster risk reduction”

Petra_Faber

Countries are faced with the growing challenge of managing increasing risks from climate change and climate variability, putting development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals at risk. The adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015 provides a clear mandate for increased coherence in countries’ approaches to climate and disaster risk reduction. However, when it comes to the implementation of the agendas, national and international policy processes are not making sufficient use of synergies, which leads to duplications and overlaps. Different financing and support mechanisms of the global agendas reinforce inefficiencies.

The study “Common Ground between the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework: Climate Change adaptation and disaster risk reduction” examines challenges and potentials for a coherent implementation of climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) at global and (sub-) national level as well as across sectors. It draws on lessons and comparisons from the country case studies of Ghana, Peru and the Philippines to identify good practices for scaling-up concrete actions to accelerate the integration of DRR and CCA in implementation processes. Furthermore, it illustrates how to build human and institutional capacity in understanding climate and disaster risks, planning and implementing more coherent approaches as well as how to monitor and evaluate the progress. Finally, the study provides practical priority strategies and actionable ways forward for increased coherence of the CCA and DRR agendas targeted at policy makers in developing countries and emerging economies as well as development cooperation actors and further stakeholders.

The study was commissioned to the OECD and conducted in close cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It serves as a contribution to the G20 Adaptation Work Program by Germany/BMZ in line with the G20 priorities of the Japanese Presidency. Preliminary findings have already been presented at the Climate Sustainability Working Group (CSWG) meeting in Bangkok in November 2019.

Download the full report here

Download the policy brief here

New Publications: ” Climate risk assessment on infrastructure: A report about the bridge over the Tempisque river in Guardia, Costa Rica”

CSI

In 2017 a tropical storm in Costa Rica caused damages worth 577 Million dollars which are the equivalent of 1% of their GDP. Extreme floods, storms and hurricanes are increasing due to climate change. These hydro-meteorological events pose a big threat to the well-functioning of infrastructures as well as to the provision of those services. To name one example, the road surface as well as the structure of the bridge over the Tempisque river in Guardia was damaged during extreme floods.  Over 20 000 vehicles cross it every day, highlighting the socio-economic impact on the population.

To analyse the exposure and hazard of this infrastructure, a climate risk assessment was piloted based on the PIEVC Protocol. The multidisciplinary approach of this methodology required collaborative work between diverse organisations; from the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE)  or the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) to the National Road Council (CONAVI), building thus new networks. Throughout the assessment, the current vulnerability of the bridge´s components were analysed as well as the impact of current and future hydro-meteorological events were estimated.

In a nutshell, the report provides decision-makers with necessary information to adopt adaptation measurements towards the operation of a climate-resilient bridge. Of equal importance is the development of capacities among the local population as well as the mainstream of the approach.

Lastly, the assessment has incentivised to develop a climate risk assessment tool tailor-made the to Costa Rican context. The report is only available in Spanish.

Download the full report here.

NEW: Section on Climate Change & Migration Now Online

Julia Berg

AdaptationCommunity.net just launched a new section on climate change and migration. In the future, the adverse effects of climate change will continue to have significant impacts on human mobility and be major influencing factors in people’s decisions to leave their homes. The new section provides information and resources to help understand the complex climate change-migration nexus.

New Publications: Enhancing National Climate Plans through Nature-Based Solutions

Sarah Ribbert

In 2020, countries have the opportunity to take more ambitious action on climate change by updating their climate plans (Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. A new guidance paper by WWF US provides recommendations on how countries can integrate nature-based solutions in these national climate plans. 

Nature-based solutions are ecosystem conservation, management and restoration interventions that address a wide array of societal challenges, while also benefiting biodiversity and human well-being. Recently, they have emerged as essential tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. 

This publication aims to help countries enhance climate action by including the opportunities offered by nature-based solutions in their revised NDCs. To this end, it presents eight simple recommendations, followed by an overview of various definitions of nature-based solutions for climate. Text examples from existing NDCs clarify how strong commitments to nature-based solutions could look like. A list of resources provides further guidance.  

The focus lies on designing measurable climate change adaptation and/or mitigation outcomes. This enables countries to monitor progress against targets, which is essential to access climate finance. Optimizing benefits for people and nature creates links to other international agendas, such as the Sustainable Development Goals. Anticipating and managing climate risks increases resilience. 

Download here: Enhancing National Climate Plans through Nature-Based Solutions

 

New Publications: Framing and Tracking 21st Century Climate Adaptation: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning for Paris, the SDGs and Beyond

Sarah Ribbert

The Paris Agreement frames adaptation in terms of the actions needed to address the impacts of a global warming of 1.5–2°C. As warming is likely to exceed 2° degrees by the middle of the 21st century other adaptation actions will be needed in the long run. 

Taking the six adaptation principles of the Paris Agreement (Article 7) and the criteria of relevance, quality, effectiveness and adequacy, IIED has created a framework for developing climate adaptation monitoring, evaluation and learning systems (CAMELS). This can help countries to meet the short-term adaptation obligations while preparing themselves at the same time for higher levels of warming by reviewing critically the existing systems, processes and practices for adaptation and by complementing and replacing them.

Adaptation actions must be linked to specific risks, impacts and needs, avoiding thus ‘maladaptation’ and giving way to more transformational approaches.

The model proposed by IIED (CAMELS) can serve countries therefore as a useful tool for designing and implementing appropriate adaptation responses, tracking their effectiveness and reporting on these activities globally.

Download here: Framing and Tracking 21st Century Climate Adaptation

New Publications: Climate Resilience Working Paper

Laura Renz

Working together for climate resilience – Challenges and success factors for collaboration between technical and financial partners in development cooperation

Development as such is already complex. Development in line with all or most of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and country- or sector-specific objectives and frameworks is immensely challenging.

International technical and financial cooperation can support countries and subnational entities such as cities, states and provinces, in developing capacities and accessing finance for development. The results of such cooperation are likely to be best if organisations work hand in hand to ensure effective and efficient use of available resources. However, actors in development cooperation often have heterogeneous and sometimes competing strategic perspectives, institutional set-ups and aid instruments, translating into high management costs for recipient governments.

Acknowledging previous and on-going discussions on aid effectiveness, this working paper seeks to shed light on challenges and entry points for practical collaboration between technical and financial development partners in projects on the ground.

Download here: Working together for climate resilience 

New Publications: Ghana Climate Risk Analysis and Climate Risk Country Profile

SV Klima Anpassung

Climate Risk Analysis for Identifying and Weighing Adaptation Strategies in Ghana’s Agricultural Sector

With climate change impacts increasingly affecting people’s livelihoods and dampening economic growth perspectives, effective adaptation is essential to ensure that already achieved development gains are not endangered. However, often only limited information is available on climate change impacts, especially in the long-term, as well as on the costs and benefits of concrete adaptation options.  As part of the project “Climate risk analyses for identifying and weighing adaptation strategies in sub-Saharan Africa (AGRICA)”, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), undertook in cooperation with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) an in-depth climate risk analysis for identifying and weighing adaptation strategies in Ghana’s agricultural sector. The study focuses on evolving trends for temperature and precipitation, future water availability and the country’s suitability to grow crops. The study’s projections go up to 2090, offering opportunities not only to look into short-term trends (2030), but also to take into account -with great precision- medium (2050) and long-term climate change impacts. In addition, the study undertakes a cost-benefit analysis of selected adaptation options on which basis “business cases” for adaptation can be identified.

Download here: Study | Executive Summary | Supplementary Factsheet

Climate Risk Country Profile: Ghana

The climate risk country profile for Ghana was jointly developed by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, and the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The profile is part of the project “Climate risk analyses for identifying and weighing adaptation strategies in Sub-Sahara Africa” (AGRICA). It provides a snapshot of projected climate parameters and related impacts on key sectors in Ghana until 2080 under different climate change scenarios. Thereby, it builds on state-of-the-art modelling of the latest climate data and makes main findings accessible to non-experts and decision-makers through easy-to-read graphs and texts. The profile’s cross-sectoral approach and long time frame shall serve climate mainstreaming and inform adaptation planning processes, such as NAP and NDC. In doing so, it provides valuable input for enhancing the climate resilience of development cooperation portfolios and for making provided support “climate secure”.

Download here: Climate Risk Country Profile Ghana

New Publication Series: Effective Mobilization and application of Adaptation Finance

Alannah Hofemeier

Climate Change Adaptation has become a central concern for sustainable development and economic policy, especially in developing countries. At the same time, financing for adaptation constitutes only a small share of the overall global climate finance and by far falls short of projected finance needs.

A new publication series by adelphi about effective mobilization and application of adaptation finance seeks to contribute and advance the adaptation finance debate, support capacity building, and provide practical tools that facilitate implementation on the ground.They explaindifferent roles of the private sector in adaptation, present innovative solutions for financing adaptation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and engage with the challenge of how adaptation finance can be more effectively steered to the local level.

“The Roles of the Private Sector in Climate Change Adaptation – An Introduction”

While the role and responsibilities of the public sector for supporting adaptation and building resilience have been in focus for a long time, awareness for the need to address and engage the private sector has steadily grown. This introduction shows that companies of any size, private associations and cooperatives, banks and investors as well as insurance companies can play three different roles in and for adaptation. They can adapt to climate change, finance climate adaptation of others and support others through products and services for resilience.

Please find the explainer here.

“Bottom-up Innovation for Adaptation Financing – New Approaches for Financing Adaptation Challenges Developed Through the Practitioners Labs Climate Finance”

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face significant adaptation financing challenges in many developing and emerging economies. This Innovation Brief presents six innovative bottom-up adaptation financing approaches from the SEED Practitioner Labs Climate Finance 2018 in India, Thailand and Uganda, and shares overarching learnings about challenges and solutions. Theapproches include among others microinsurances, financing models for climate-smart irrigation systems as well as information platforms and make use of innovative technologies, digital solutions and blockchain-based approaches.

Please find the brief here.

“Steering International Adaptation Finance Towards the Local Level”

This scoping paper presents several key challenges and potential solutions for channeling money from the international to the local level where it is most needed and likely to have the greatest impact. The analysis sheds light on promising elements of so-called elevator functions (strategies or operating principles that aim to channel funding effectively through vertical administrative levels) in existing financing mechanisms from different sectors that are potentially suitable for adaptation finance. Furthermore, the authors present options and recommendations for adaptation finance practitioners, project managers and experts from donor agencies and multilateral finance institutions in order to improve the steering of adaptation finance to the local level.

Please find the paper here.

EbA is live on Wikipedia

Marie_Lenz

A Wikipedia article on Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is now available online. The article was co-authored by members of FEBA’s Wikipedia Working Group, with involvement of the BMU-IKI-funded GIZ Global Project Mainstreaming EbA.

With this article, the Wikipedia Working Group aims to promote EbA understanding among popular and new audiences as well as to present a clear and concise introduction to the subject with external links to further resources.

The entry introduces readers to the topic of EbA within a wider context of international climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation objectives and provides examples of EbA implementation. It further lists challenges and positions EbA within different international key policy frameworks. Finally, you can find further resources and links to knowledge platforms in the article.

The original article developed by FEBA Working Group can be found here.

New study: Entry Points for Vertical Integration of Climate Action in Kazakhstan in English and Russian

Alannah Hofemeier

Kazakhstan is currently initiating the development of its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, financed by the Green Climate Fund. This will involve sub-national engagement and collaboration between national and sub-national authorities, since the effects of climate change are often experienced on a local scale. This increased risk and uncertainty creates challenges for people’s livelihoods and local development progress. The most effective approach to the NAP process will therefore involve a mix of top-down and bottom-up approaches, recognizing that much of the implementation of adaptation will occur at sub-national levels.

This study aims to identify and analyze potential ways to use existing institutional mechanisms to strengthen sub-national level adaptation planning capacities to ensure the successful implementation of identified adaptation measures. It was developed with support from the NAP Global Network’s Country Support Hub.

Read this report in English and Russian. 

SB50 Side Event on Climate-Risk-Informed Infrastructure Planning

CSI

The increase in occurrence of extreme events is having considerable impacts on infrastruc- ture, raising serious concerns in decision- makers responsible for infrastructure planning. Ensuring the future climate-resilience of infra- structure means making evidence-based plan- ning and management decisions today. For this, climate services play an essential role. However, so far climate services catering to the specific needs of the infrastructure sector are underdeveloped. This event deals with the question of how this can be changed.

The Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) was established in 2009 to bridge the gap between climate service providers and usersin order to make climate services more useful for decision-making. It offers guidance on how to establish the technical, service and institutional capacities for climate service use and provision along the climate service value chain. The question is how the GFCS can be operationalised in service of better climate ser- vices for the infrastructure sector.

The event highlights two experiences from the African context of translating the guidance of the GFCS into practice. One case explores the challenges and lessons learned from estab- lishing a National Framework for Climate Ser- vices (NFCS) as foundation for effective cli- mate service governance in Tanzania.

The other deals with experiences from using climate services for climate proofing in the    water resource sector in the Nile Basin and how pilot experiences in this area can be upscaled in the context of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI).

The event is organised by the World Meteoro- logical Organisation (WMO), which hosts the GFCS Secretariat, and the global project En- hancing Climate Services for Infrastructure In- vestments (CSI) that is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) in the context of the International Cli- mate Initiative (IKI).

Program

WELCOME NOTE

Maxx Dilley, WMO

Bernd-Markus Liss, GIZ

KEY NOTE –

Transforming Infrastructure for a Climate-Resilient

Future

GFCS – What is GFCS (philosophy, priority areas, regional implementation, NFCS, trainings,) Maxx Dilley, WMO

CASE STUDIES

National experiences in the provision of climate services

(NFCS, capacity development, climate proofing, infrastructure); Ladislaus Chang’a, Tanzania Meteorological Agency

Climate Services for the Climate Proofing of Water Resource Infrastructure in the Nile Basin: Andy Tola, Nile Basin Initiative

PANEL DISCUSSION

Moderator: Katharina Lotzen

 WRAP UP

LOGISTICS

Date:            19th of June 2019

Time:            13:30 – 15:00

Location:    Room Nile (Ground Floor), Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 40 (Building 2, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH)         15 min on foot from WCCB

Organiser: World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Contact:      Katharina Lotzen (Advisor, GIZ); katharina.lotzen@giz.de

No registration or SBSTA accreditation required

Find more details on the event here. You can join online using this link.

New scoping paper: Defining Adaptation – and Distinguishing It From Other Development Investments

Alannah Hofemeier

This scoping paper by IISD unpacks the latest debates and approaches to defining adaptation and distinguishing it from other development investments. It builds on an in-depth literature review of the ongoing dialogue regarding the distinction between adaptation and development, extensive desk-based research of publicly available frameworks and policies of international adaptation funds and bilateral donors, and interviews with representatives from the Adaptation Fund (AF), the Climate Justice Resilience Fund (CJRF), Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). It identifies common trends and good practices while also presenting any unanswered or lingering questions.

Finally, the paper concludes with recommendations to providers of support to adaptation, such as Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservations, and Nuclear Safety (BMU), in developing a strategic approach to funding adaptation action in developing countries.

Access the scoping paper here. 

New study: Engaging the Private Sector in National Adaptation Planning Processes

Vanessa Dirking

Adapting to the impacts of climate change, whether at the national, sub-national or community level, is not the responsibility of national governments alone. It requires the coordinated input of multiple stakeholders, including local authorities, development partners, communities and civil society. Businesses and investors also need to be involved, as they are the key engines of economic growth in developing countries, accounting for 60 per cent of gross domestic product, 80 per cent of capital flows and 90 per cent of jobs. They will be relied on to create the jobs needed to support adaptation, to develop the products and services needed for societies to become more climate-resilient, and to finance—directly or indirectly—many adaptation actions. The strategic and well-informed inclusion of the private sector in climate change adaptation planning and activities must be a key part of all countries’ efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change; they will be key partners in the design, financing and implementation of adaptation priorities.

The National Adaptation Plan process differs from past processes in that it offers a medium- and long-term vision of national adaptation action, aligned with development plans and with a supporting regulatory and policy framework. If properly communicated, it foregrounds a country’s key climate vulnerabilities. It therefore can provide all stakeholders, including the private sector, with a stable and predictable roadmap for a government’s priorities on national adaptation.

This study aims to offer guidance to governments and their partners on how to engage the private sector in the NAP process. Private sector engagement in the NAP process, for the purposes of this paper, is defined as the meaningful involvement of private sector actors—ranging in size, sector, motivation and whether they operate in the formal or informal sector—in the planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of national adaptation planning processes. Governments remain the overall owners and drivers of the NAP process. However, for NAPs to be successfully implemented and climate resilience strengthened, private sector actors will need to be involved.

The study was developed by the NAP Global Network, in collaboration with and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). It is published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

Access the study here

Now available online: NAP process country case studies

Adaptation Community

Four Country Case Studies were developed in 2018 as part of a series on the national adaptation planning (NAP) process in selected countries. The purpose of the series is to provide an update on the current NAP process, showing first lessons learned and giving an outlook on the next steps to be taken in the iterative NAP process, considering how it contributes to reaching the countries´ adaptation goals. The case studies shall furthermore serve the purpose of peer learning to countries that are planning or just starting the NAP process.

Case studies (English)

Albania: NAP Process Country Case Study

Grenada: NAP Process Country Case Study

Thailand: NAP Process Country Case Study

Togo: NAP Process Country Case Study

In addition to the existing case studies that were updated in March 2019 we developed a new case study for India (English)

India: NAPCC Process Country Case Study

New Country Case Study: India’s NAPCC process

Michael Koch

This case study was developed as part of a series on the national adaptation planning (NAP) process in selected countries, looking at specific climate risks as well as the governance structure and policy framework. It provides an update on the current NAP process, showing first lessons learned and giving an outlook on the next steps to be taken in the iterative NAP process, considering how it contributes to reaching national adaptation goals. 

New policy brief: Alignment to Advance Climate-Resilient Development: Getting Started on Alignment

Alannah Hofemeier

This is the second in a series of briefs by the NAP Global Network and GIZ focusing on alignment of country efforts under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The brief explores how the different agendas and policy processes relate to each other and to a country’s national development planning processes. It describes the enabling factors for alignment and discusses how alignment objectives can be defined. Further, the brief outlines key questions that can help to identify entry points for alignment, recognizing that different approaches to alignment may be relevant and feasible in specific contexts and at particular points in time.

Key messages: 

  • As countries establish national commitments to global agendas and outline plans and strategies for climate-resilient development, considerable opportunities exist to pursue alignment of these policy processes.
  • Alignment of country-level policy processes under global agendas can occur within a particular agenda (for example, by aligning processes at different levels) or across agendas, by ensuring that related policy processes are mutually supportive.
  • As the NAP process is iterative and explicitly aims to integrate climate change adaptation in development processes across sectors and levels, it provides important opportunities to advance climate-resilient development, thereby contributing to objectives under multiple agendas.
  • Institutional arrangements, capacity development and information sharing are key enablers for alignment.

The brief is available in english and french. 

New policy brief: How bottom-up M&E insights can inform national adaptation planning and reporting

Alannah Hofemeier

Most adaptation actions are local and closely related to development needs, so it is important to develop and use local monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems to capture what is happening on the ground and integrate lessons from this into national and global M&E systems. This new briefing by the International Institute for Environment and Development explores how learning from the local to national level informs planning and reporting from the bottom up, providing stronger evidence for adaptation assessments. Drawing on experience in Mali, Senegal, Morocco and Kenya, it unpacks how effective vertical integration of subnational and national M&E can improve national planning and lead to more robust reporting while saving time and resources by making use of existing data collection mechanisms.

Key messages: 

  • Learning from robust local-level evidence can improve the contribution climate adaptation interventions make to achieving sustainable development now and into the future.
  • Integrating climate adaptation into devolved national planning will lead to more resilient development and help achieve synergies in climate actions delivery. To leave no one behind, we must know what works where, when and for whom.
  • Developing bespoke climate adaptation M&E that ensures learning from the local level informs national-level planning and reporting will make national and global assessments more robust.
  • Although systemising results from a range of scattered local adaptation actions remains a challenge, combining information across scales can improve planning.

Please read the full policy brief here. 

Learn more about how governments will need to think differently about how they monitor and evaluate their adaptation initiatives if they want to keep sustainable development on track in the brief “How integrated monitoring and evaluation systems can help countries address climate impacts” here.

 

Now available in Arabic: The Stocktaking for National Adaptation Planning (SNAP) Tool

Michael Koch

The SNAP tool addresses decision-makers and technical experts from ministries as well as NGOs and other stakeholders. It provides guidance for developing a snapshot of the planning capacities that are currently available. Thus, it helps to identify the country’s point of departure for initiating the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process. When preparing for NDC implementation or even a future NDC iteration, a stocktake of existing capacities, ongoing activities and adaptation needs forms the basis for identifying strategic goals. The assessment is conducted through a one- or two-day workshop involving key stakeholders.

 

Now available in Arabic: The Role of the NAP Process in Translating NDC Adaptation Goals into Action – Linking NAP Processes and NDCs.

Michael Koch

With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement in 2015, adaptation is now firmly on the international agenda. In the lead up to the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris in 2015, Parties to the Convention agreed to submit intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs). In doing so, they outlined their commitments to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and had the option to also include adaptation. Unless countries chose to amend their INDCs before ratifying the Paris Agreement, these documents became their first nationally determined contributions (NDCs). According to Article 7.9 of the Paris Agreement all Parties shall, as appropriate, engage in the formulation and implementation of national adaptation planning processes, such as the national adaptation plan (NAP) process. This publication is primarily for policymakers, decision-makers and practitioners who are working on climate change adaptation at a national level (e.g. ministries of environment, climate change focal points,and adaptation and sectoral experts).

Please find the complete document here in Arabic and in English.

Now available online: Risk Supplement to the Vulnerability Sourcebook in Spanish and Arabic

Michael Koch

The Risk Supplement to the Vulnerability Sourcebook  introduces the IPCC AR5 risk concept and provides guidelines on how to conduct risk assessments using the Vulnerability Sourcebook’s approach. The Supplement is now availaible in Spanish – Suplemento de Riesgo para el Libro de la Vulnerabilidad – and Arabic – ملحق المخاطر – التابع لكتاب المصادر الخاص بالقابلية للتأثر. 

 

New Publication: “Understanding and Increasing Finance for Climate Adaptation in Developing Countries”

Deborah Kallee

The study by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and adelphi explores the current state of finance for climate adaptation and proposes practical, near term solutions to both fill in knowledge gaps and to increase investment. While many of the suggestions can also be applied in developed countries, which often face similar challenges in measuring and deploying adaptation finance, the focus of the report and selected examples highlight the role for developing country national governments and stakeholders in supporting increased knowledge and investment in adaptation. Latter comprise development finance institutions, local governments, and civil society organizations including academic institutions.

Key takeaways:

  • Despite the significant climate risks at hand, investment in the sector has not taken off, with just USD 22 billion of tracked global investment to address climate change in 2015 and 2016 going towards adaptation activities.
  • Increasing investment in climate resilience will require increasing the ability of organisations to identify and evaluate climate risks, increase their awareness of resilient business models, implement climate risk reduction projects and policies, and harness the business opportunities deriving from them. 
  • However, especially in developing countries, a set of barriers prevents or slows down the adoption of adaptation practices, services, and technologies at the scale that is needed. These include context, business model, and internal capacity barriers.
  • Finance ministries in developing countries could analyse the threat that climate risks might pose to their sovereign debt, and incorporate considerations regarding their mitigation as part of their strategy to ensure financial sustainability.
  • Developing country governments will need to support a multitude of efforts to meet their adaptation goals. These include efforts that help increase demand for climate adaptation products and services that measure, reduce, and/or transfer climate risks; increase supply of these products in local markets; and de-risk adaptation investments using different policy and financial tools. The interventions should seek to address specific, identified barriers to investment in adaptation by both the public and private sectors.

Please find the complete study here.

New Policy Brief: Improving Nutrition Outcomes in Food Systems and their Benefits to Climate Action

Deborah Kallee

Integrating nutrition into climate change actions and climate change considerations into nutrition interventions opens opportunities to achieve several development goals and produces multiple co-benefits. Enabling wide access to healthy and nutritious food that is regionally produced, benefits rural producers and urban consumers, reduces greenhouse gas emissions along the value chains and makes the entire food system more resilient to climate change. Set in the right framework, it is a development intervention that has both adaptation and mitigation benefits. This new GIZ policy brief presents the development challenges posed by climate change and malnutrition, links them together and delivers key messages regarding climate change and nutrition outcomes. Recommendations are made on how to promote these interlinkages for development cooperation across various sectors.

Key messages:

  • Policy makers should aim to highlight the potential for nutrition interventions in climate change using a landscape approach, along with other win-win interventions on the rural-urban spectrum such as climate-smart agriculture production (soil carbon), clean energy and resilient cities.
  • The NDC Partnership can be used as a platform to support the UNFCCC Parties in elaborating their agriculture climate sector commitments and channel guidelines on linking nutrition and climate action.
  • More systematically undertaken climate risk and vulnerability assessments could help better align nutrition projects with a long term planning framework based on climate risk management. Projects could estimate positive/negative adaptation and mitigation outcomes of nutrition interventions, comparing traditional nutrition projects with ones that include climate risk and vulnerability assessments as well as mitigation considerations.
  • Training materials on food and nutrition security for national partners do exist and could be used in future projects targeted at the land use sector.
  • Over-nutrition is becoming a topic of concern in international projects, but is not taken up yet in project planning, design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of results. All forms of malnutrition, including their implications for climate change adaptation and mitigation outcomes, should be taken into account in future project design.

Access the Policy Brief here.

New Publication: “The Role of the NAP Process in Translating NDC Adaptation Goals into Action: Linking NAP processes and NDCs”

Michael Koch

This new publication by GIZ further adresses the connection between the NDC and the NAP process in order to combine efforts in mainstreaming the multilaterial framework on climate action in place since 2015.

With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement in 2015, adaptation is now firmly on the international agenda. In the lead up to the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris in 2015, Parties to the Convention agreed to submit intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs). In doing so, they outlined their commitments to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and had the option to also include adaptation. Unless countries chose to amend their INDCs before ratifying the Paris Agreement, these documents became their first nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

As of 17 May 2017, a total of 140 NDCs (165 INDCs) (on behalf of 145 countries) were submitted to the UNFCCC, of which 104 NDCs (145 INDCs) included adaptation. 39 (55) of these specifically refer to the NAP process as being planned or already in progress. However, the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) to the UNFCCC has reported that 85 countries, including 45 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) have actually begun the process. As of 17 May 2017, most of the 145 countries that ratified the Paris Agreement made little or no change to adaptation-related content in their NDC. These countries are now considering how NDC adaptation goals can be operationalised through implementing existing national adaptation strategies and plans or how developing national adaptation planning processes could support NDC implementation.

This study aims to:

  • increase understanding of (I)NDCs adaptation components and the extent to which they are aligned with existing adaptation planning documents, and processes to mainstream adaptation into national planning, such as the NAP process;
  • identify how NDCs and the NAP process can together help to accelerate adaptation action by indicating how adaptation goals expressed in the (I)NDCs can be implemented and developed through the NAP process;
  • provide guidance to national policymakers on how to link the NAP process and NDCs

Please find the complete document here.

New policy brief: “Alignment to Advance Climate-Resilient Development: Introduction to Alignment”

Alannah Hofemeier

This is the first in a series of briefs by the NAP Global Network and GIZ focusing on alignment of country efforts under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. These represent key national policy processes that can advance climate-resilient development by facilitating systematic consideration of climate change in decision-making. At the country level, national governments are working to operationalize the commitments under these agendas. They are country-led, context-specific policy processes that elaborate how individual governments, in collaboration with civil society and private sector stakeholders, will contribute to achieving the global goals set out in the various agendas.  Alignment of these different processes can increase coherence, efficiency and effectiveness towards development outcomes that are resilient and sustainable.

Many countries recognize the value of aligning relevant policy processes; however, they struggle to understand what it looks like in practice and how it can be achieved. This introductory brief aims to increase understanding of the concept of alignment for climate-resilient development at the country level.

Key Messages of this policy brief:

  • Alignment of country-level policy processes under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction can help to advance climate-resilient development.
  • Alignment can increase coherence, efficiency and effectiveness in country policy processes for improved outcomes.
  • At the global level, these agendas share objectives to strengthen resilience, build adaptive capacity and reduce vulnerability to climate change and disasters, creating a strong rationale for alignment.
  • The approach to alignment will differ depending on the particular country context.
  • Progress on alignment may follow a continuum from informal to systematic.

Read the first overview brief here. Also available as Alignment Brief – French and Alignment Brief – Spanish

 

 

Blue Training Courses – four open source trainings focusing on marine and coastal ecosystems

Alexandra Köngeter

Climate change is challenging coastal and marine ecosystems. To strengthen capacities among decision-makers, the Blue Solutions Initiative developed four modular training courses – the Blue Training Courses – focusing on climate change adaptation, ecosystem services, conservation finance and marine spatial planning:

  • Blue Climate Change and Adaptation (CCA, 3-5 training days) introduces the theory and practical starting points for climate change adaptation in coastal and marine areas. This tailor-made training course enhances capacities among development actors and supporting institutions in successfully taking action on blue climate change adaptation.
  • Blue Integrating Ecosystem Services (3-5 training days) focuses on the linkages between ecosystem services and development objectives and conveys the theoretical background of and practical steps for integrating ecosystem services (IES) into marine and coastal planning. It introduces tools and methods for assessing and valuing ecosystem services, main policy options and instruments to capture ecosystem services-related risks and opportunities as well as entry points for decision-making.
  • The Blue Conservation Finance course (1-2 days) introduces opportunities and approaches for financing marine conservation, enabling factors for the development of conservation finance mechanisms, and key steps for their establishment. Examples of the implementation of financing mechanisms in the marine and coastal realm are featured in this publication.
  • The Blue Planning in Practice (BPiP, 5 training days)

All training materials are opem source and available online. Please see further details here.

 

Now available online: „Connecting the Dots: Elements for a Joined-Up Implementation of the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement”

SV Klima FÖA

This study by WRI and GIZ on national-level implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change suggests that both proceed on different tracks, despite the growing recognition of the ample opportunities they present for synergies. Continue reading “Now available online: „Connecting the Dots: Elements for a Joined-Up Implementation of the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement”” →

Dialogues for solutions – learning from successes on Ecosystem-based Adaptation during Adaptation Futures 2018

Mathias Bertram

Learning from each other’s success – this is the concept of the PANORAMA – Solutions for a Healthy Planet partnership initiative – funded by IKI and GEF – to document and promote examples of inspiring, replicable solutions across a range of development topics, including climate change adaptation and ecosystem management.

During Adaptation Futures 2018, GIZ and IUCN hosted a dialogue session showing that inspiring and replicable solutions can be found everywhere on this planet and that EbA solutions are an effective reply to climate change risks and deliver a multitude of benefits for societies, economies and environment. 

Concrete EbA solutions from urban areas, drylands and agro-ecosystems were discussed by participants and presenters and enabled learning from solutions that have worked, avoid previous mistakes, adopt successful strategies and exchange knowledge on adaptation:

PANORAMA Solutions presented:

The presentations of the event are available here.

Further contact: Mathias Bertram (mathias.bertram@giz.de)

New TAAN section with extended information for science and think tanks

Vanessa Dirking

The Tool for Assessing Adaptation in the NDCs (TAAN) is an interactive knowledge platform that provides detailed information on adaptation in the (I)NDCs. In particular, it demonstrates objectives, priorities and vulnerabilities as well as country adaptation actions and measures as indicated in the (I)NDCs.

The new section labelled Data gives the user the possibility to access data concerning specific questions related to adaptation in the (I)NDCs. It is particularly designed for science and think tanks. A myriad of quantitative and qualitative analyses is accessible across a multitude of different indicators and can be further configured using different filters. The tool offers an opportunity to see the distribution of the selected criteria among regional groups and download the relevant data and graphics.

Besides this new function, the online tool comprises of two other sections, i.e. country information and quick facts. Here, sampled information was pre-selected for a quick overview of the adaptation content of (I)NDCs as well as country-specific data which can be downloaded in country factsheets.

Access the new section of the tool here.

New guidebook: Climate Risk Assessment for Ecosystem-based Adaptation – a guidebook for planners and practitioners

Mathias Bertram

A guidebook developed by GIZ in collaboration with Eurac Research and United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) helps planners and practitioners in designing and implementing climate risk assessments in the context of Ecosystem-based Adaptation projects. It provides a standardized approach to assess risks within social-ecological systems based on two application examples (river basin and coastal zone management) by following the methodology of the GIZ vulnerability sourcebook (GIZ 2014) and its Risk Supplement (GIZ and EURAC 2017). It helps to improve adaptation planning by considering both ecosystem-based and conventional options in the form of integrated ‘adaptation packages’.

It includes the following modules:

1) Preparing the risk assessment

2) Developing impact chains

3) Identifying and selecting indicators for risk components

4-7) From data acquisition to risk assessment

8) Presenting and interpreting the outcomes of the risk assessment

9) Identifying adaptation options

 

The guidebook can be applied at different stages of adaptation planning, from initial baseline assessments to repeated assessments in the implementation or M&E phase.

View the report here

Upcoming session at Adaptation Futures: “Linking the NAP process and NDCs to accelerate enhanced adaptation action”

Adaptation Community

From June 18 to 21, Adaptation Futures 2018 will convene over 1,000 scientists, practitioners, business leaders and policy-makers from around the world in Cape Town, South Africa, to discuss climate change adaptation.

On Tuesday, June 19, GIZ is hosting a Side Event “Linking the NAP process and NDCs to accelerate enhanced adaptation action”. The event will discuss how to assure that existing progress on NAP process, knowledge and methodology be linked to the implementation and further iterations of countries NDCs, guided by best practices in this regard, in order to accelerate enhanced adaptation action including adaptation finance. It is thus situated within the larger context of integrating the post 2015 agendas into coherent national development plans and policies for sustainable and climate-resilient development.

Tuesday, 19 June, 16h30-18h15 | Parallel session S90 | Room 1.43

New report “Finance options and instruments for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA): Overview and compilation of ten examples”

adaptaccount

A new report developed by GIZ provides an overview of available public and private financing sources to implement and sustain EbA measures. It highlights ten practical and illustrative examples to inspire project developers and practitioners interested in exploring different ways to access resources and engagement models for EbA financing.

View the report here.

New case studies “Entry points for Mainstreaming Ecosystem-based Adaptation, the cases of Mexico, Peru, Philippines, South Africa and Viet Nam”

adaptaccount

A new series of case studies developed by GIZ in five countries summarize promising policy entry points and governance structures for EbA mainstreaming at policy and practitioner level. Up to five examples for each country illustrate the diversity of initiatives that support the mainstreaming of EbA but also show existing barriers.

The studies include various examples including the following:

1) Mexico: Caribbean Coasts of Mexico – Engaging the private sector in an insurance policy for coral reefs;

2) Philippines: Sustainable Integrated Area Development Strategy linking local land use plans with national plans and programmes;

3) Peru: Recovery of hydrological ecosystem services via restoration of forests and natural mountain grasslands;

4) South Africa: Urban EbA and Disaster Risk Reduction at municipality level;

5) Viet Nam: Afforestation of coastal protection forest in combination with short-term livelihoods development.

 

The studies also provide further opportunities and recommendations how to strengthen EbA in policy and practice in the long run. 

 

View the reports here: Mexico, Philippines, Peru, South Africa, Viet Nam

Documentation of the 3rd EbA Knowledge Day in Bonn

Viola Taubmann - EbA

Moving from pilots to mainstreaming – opportunities and challenges of scaling up Ecosystem-based Adaptation: As a UNFCCC SB48 side event, the 3rd EbA Knowledge Day brought together UN negotiators, policy makers, practicioners, researchers and donors working on issues relevant to climate adaptation, ecosystem management and human resilience. More than 60 members from 30 different organizations participated in the full day workshop.

After a welcoming address by Lea Herberg from the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the EbA Knowledge Day featured two Panel Sessions: During panel 1, representatives from CBD, KFW and SDC addressed opportunities and challenges in EbA upscaling from a donor and policy maker perspective. During panel 2, representatives from Practical Action, ICRC, CARE Climate Change, CI Columbia and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in Indonesia covered a country perspective on entry points and stakeholder alliances for strengthening EbA implementation and upscaling.

The EbA Market Place featured poster presentations from GIZ, Rare, DIE and IUCN Environmental Law Centre, and provided a platform for lively exchange among the poster presenters and workshop participants. In the afternoon, four parallel Expert Dialogues allowed for in-depth discussions about the following topics:

  • Strengthening EbA through alignment of multiple national policy processes (SDGs, NAPs and NDCs)
  • Leveraging EbA and Eco-DRR for a successful upscaling into key sectors (planning & finance, agriculture, water)
  • Showcasing EbA implementation to generate public & private funding for EbA, enhancing its upscaling
  • Providing and communicating robust data for EbA upscaling within policies and practice

You can find the presentations from the workshop here and a photo documentation of the event here.

The 3rd EbA Knowledge Day was organized by GIZ and IUCN under the Friends of EbA (FEBA) Network.

UNFCCC SB48 Side Event – Climate Risk Management for Infrastructure Investment

CSI

What are challenges and potentials of mainstreaming climate risk management into infrastructure investment planning? How can the mainstreaming of climate risk management into infrastructure planning serve NAP implementation? How can the use and provision of Climate Information and Services serve national adaptation planning and what are the associated challenges?

On Wednesday 2nd of May 2018 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. these questions will be adressed in an event titled “Climate Risk Management for Infrastructure – Building Adaptive Capacity and Furthering NAP Implementation” organised by the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO), Engineers Canada and the Deutsche Gesellschaft of Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment (MMA) Brazil and the Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE) Costa Rica, as well as the German Meteorological Service (DWD).

The objective of the event is to share and discuss the experiences of Brazil and Costa Rica in strengthening infrastructure resilience in the context of their national adaptation planning and to examine the challenges and opportunities of mainstreaming climate risk management into infrastructure planning. One key challenge discussed is that of enhancing the provision of, access to and use of the necessary Climate Information and Services in this context.

The port of Itajaí (Brazil) and the Guardia Bridge (Costa Rica) are presented as case studies of the application of the Protocol for the climate vulnerability assessment of infrastructure, developed by Engineers Canada. They serve as practical example for climate risk assessments as essential element of climate risk management.

Details

  •  Date: 2 May 2018
  • Time: 11:30 – 14:00 (including light lunch)
  • Place: GIZ HQs, Room “Saal Donau” (Ground Floor), Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 36, Bonn (Mäanderbau Building)

Contact: No registration or SBSTA accreditation required. To facilitate logistics, please kindly contact Katharina Lotzen (katharina.lotzen@giz.de) or Darrel Danyluk (mrdjd48@gmail.com) if you are interested in attending.

Speakers:

Andrea Meza, Costa Rica – Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE), Director of the Department of Climate Change

José Miguez (TBC), Brazil – Ministry of the Environment (MMA), Director of the Department for Climate Change Policy

David Lapp (FEC, P.Eng. IRP), Engineers Canada, Practice Lead, Globalization and Sustainable Development

Darrel Danyluk (P.Eng. FCAE, FEIC, FCSCE, FEC), Chair of the Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee (PIEVC) and the WFEO Committee on Engineering and the Environment

Stefan Rösner, Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Head of the Division for „Regional Climate Monitoring“

Benjamin Hodick, GIZ, Head of Project „Climate Services for Infrastructure Investments (CSI)“

2nd webinar, 7 March: Finance options and instruments for EbA – experiences from practicioners

Alexandra Köngeter

SAFE THE DATE: We invite to the 2nd webinar within our current discussion series on financing EbA. 

Finance options and instruments for EbA: Experiences from practicioners

Date/time: 7 March 2018, 9.00 am – 10.00 am CET

Agenda

  • National Funds in an EbA context: Experiences from the People’s Survival Fund in the Philippines
  • Accessing global funds: Coordination mechanism for the GCF in Tajikistan
  • Strengthening capacity of sector experts to access climate finance

This session is part of a series of webinar organized by GIZ for the international EbA Community of Practice. For further information, please contact alexandra.koengeter@giz.de

Registration:

  1. Click the link to register for webinar: Register to join the Webinar. Before joining, be sure to check system requirements to avoid any connection issues.
  2. Choose one of the following audio options: TO USE YOUR COMPUTER’S AUDIO: When the webinar begins, you will be connected to audio using your computer’s microphone and speakers (VoIP). A headset is recommended. In case of technical issues, please contact reichberg@in-line-consult.de

Please find the recording of the webinar here.

Looking forward to meeting you online!

Webinar on 27 February: Finance options and instruments for Ecosystem-based Adaptation

Alexandra Köngeter

We invite you to join the upcoming webinar on 

“Finance options and instruments for Ecosystem-based Adaptation: Overview and application of EbA-relevant finance sources”

Date/Time: Tue, Feb 27, 2018 3:30 PM – 4.30 PM CET

Agenda:

  • Finance options and instruments for Ecosystem-based Adaptation: Overview and application of EbA-relevant finance sources (by Climate Focus)
  • Experiences from practitioners (by GIZ)

This session is part of a series of webinar organized by GIZ for the international EbA Community of Practice. For further information, please contact alexandra.koengeter@giz.de

Registration:

  1. Click the link to register for webinar: Register to join the Webinar. Before joining, be sure to check system requirements to avoid any connection issues.
  2. Choose one of the following audio options: TO USE YOUR COMPUTER’S AUDIO: When the webinar begins, you will be connected to audio using your computer’s microphone and speakers (VoIP). A headset is recommended. In case of technical issues, please contact reichberg@in-line-consult.de

Please find the recording of the webinar here.

Looking forward to meeting you online!

Learning Briefs of the EbA Community of Practice now available online

Alexandra Köngeter

How to mainstream Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in national and subnational processes? How to generate evidence on effectiveness and what are success stories on communicating EbA to a wider audience? What are opportunities and instruments for financing EbA measures at different scales? And how to set up monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems and indicators to track adaption results?

At the 2nd International EbA Community of Practice Workshop, around 80 experts from governments, research and policy institutions, and civil society from 22 countries came together for a stocktaking on

  1. Entry points for EbA mainstreaming in national and subnational processes (NAP, UNFCCC & CBD synergies, linking national and subnational policies),
  2. Evidence on EbA effectiveness and its sucessful communication,
  3. Finance options to sustain EbA measures, and
  4. Monitoring and evaluation on EbA success.

Four learning briefs summarizing the outcomes of the workshop sessions are now available here.

 

About the EbA Community of Practice

The EbA Community of Practice, supported by the Global Project ‘Mainstreaming EbA’, which is funded through the International Climate Initiative of the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety and implemented by GIZ, is a knowledge and exchange network of EbA practitioners primarily from governments and international organisations as well as civil society and research institutions with an interest in strengthening ecosystem-based adaptation in planning and decision-making. 

Online Toolbox for linking the National Adaptation Plan process to the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions

Adaptation Community

How to achieve the adaptation goals contained in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in practice? On AdaptationCommunity.net we already present various tools for supporting policy-makers and key stakeholders in their efforts to develop, implement and evaluate adaptation measures. The GIZ Climate Policy Support Programme has developed a toolbox compiling all these tools and organizing them along a policy cycle on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The NDC Adaptation Toolbox  offers various instruments to facilitate the development and implementation of adaptation measures for achieving NDC adaptation goals. Most instruments were originally developed in the context of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, but might also be helpful in the context of the NDCs. As such, the NDC Adaptation Toolbox is organised along a policy cycle with five stages. These stages comply with the four NAP elements, as outlined by the NAP Technical Guidelines of the Least Developed Countries Experts Group, as well as with the NDC implementation guideline developed by UNDP and WRI. The stages are:

  • Stocktaking and Information Gathering
  • Planning
  • Developing Implementation Strategies
  • Implementing Adaptation Activities Examples
  • Monitoring & Evaluation

Furthermore, the Toolbox comprises two cross-cutting enabling factors, which are essential for the implementation of NDC adaptation goals: “Governance and Institutions” and “Capacity Building”. Finally, “NAP Process Country Case Studies” illustrate country implementation examples and related lessons learnt.

Access the toolbox here.

Interactive Online Tool for Assessing Adaptation in the Nationally Determined Contributions

Adaptation Community

Through the Lima Call for Climate Action, Parties were invited to communicate their adaptation planning efforts in their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). Unless countries chose to amend their INDCs prior to ratifying the Paris Agreement, these documents became their first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). As of October 2017, 162 countries have submitted NDCs of which 120 include adaptation. Now, after the Paris Agreement, governments turn towards translating their NDCs into action. Against this background, a new tool developed on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) informs about the various adaptation contents in the NDCs.

The Tool for Assessing Adaptation in the NDCs (TAAN) is an interactive knowledge platform that provides detailed information on adaptation in the (I)NDCs. In particular, it demonstrates objectives, priorities and vulnerabilities as well as country adaptation actions and measures as indicated in the (I)NDCs.

The current version of the online tool comprises two main sections:

  • A Quick Facts section which provides answers to relevant questions about the (I)NDC adaptation components enabling users to access key statistics around (I)NDC adaptation components. The section includes general infographics that summarise the most important data from (I)NDC adaptation components and a subsection devoted to aggregated sector-specific information.
  • A Country Information section with an interactive World Map, which allows accessing country-specific information. In this section, users may explore the content of and the differences between various (I)NDC adaptation components and compare measures that are planned and have been undertaken by different countries. Moreover, users may access individualized country factsheets.

Access the tool here.

 

 

New sourcebook “Valuing the Benefits, Costs and Impacts of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Measures”

Andrea Bender

Even though EbA is recognised to hold considerable potential to strengthen climate adaption, it is still yet to be fully mainstreamed into development policy and practice. Valuation can provide convincing – and usually much-needed – evidence of the benefits of investing in ecosystem-based approaches, in themselves, and in comparison (and combination) with grey measures. It offers a tool to guide better-informed decision-making, which results in the delivery of more inclusive, effective and sustainable climate adaptation actions.

GIZ has developed a sourcebook (and training module) to assist in building awareness, knowledge and capacity about why, how and in which contexts EbA valuation can be used to inform, guide and influence adaptation decision-making.

The sourcebook combines information on valuation theory and methods with 40 real-world examples and practical steps for commissioning, designing and implementing EbA valuation studies.

It is structured along the following chapters:

  1. Introduction: about the sourcebook
  2. The basics: understanding EbA values and valuation
  3. Defining the purpose: why and when to value EbA benefits
  4. Selecting the methods: how to value EbA benefits
  5. Enhancing the strategic impact: leveraging decision change and influence
  6. Delivering the assessment: commissioning, designing and implementing valuation
  7. Learning from experience: 40 case studies of EbA-relevant valuations
  8. References: key sources on EbA valuation techniques and applications

View the sourcebook here.

View the Spanish version here.

Side Event at COP23 – Progress towards achieving the adaptation goals

SV Klima FÖA

How can climate risks be addressed in an integrated way? How can National Adaptation Plans be used efficiently to serve the NDC adaptation goals? How can additional private sector finance be mobilized for successful adaptation? And what are the lessons learned from pioneer countries?

On Monday, the 6th of November 2017 from 4 – 5 pm, these and other questions will be addressed in a Side Event in the German Pavilion (Bonn Zone) at the COP23 . The event entitled ‘Progress towards achieving the adaptation goals – Promising ways to tackle climate risks’ is organized by GIZ on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and will host speakers and panelists from partner countries and organizations.

The event aims at reflecting on the status quo of adaptation efforts that have been undertaken since the adoption and under the framework of the Paris Agreement. Insightful keynote speeches by practitioners and country representatives will be followed by interviews with adaptation experts presenting “adaptation stories” and discussing linkages and challenges that lie ahead in achieving the adaptation goals. The event will present early successes of adaptation efforts along the “climate risk continuum” and provide a space for showcasing examples of NDC implementation through the NAP process as well as for innovative finance and insurance solutions in the field of adaptation.

The documentation will be made available on https://www.adaptationcommunity.net/.

Risk Assessments: Webinars on 24 October and 2 November 2017

Alexandra Köngeter

The international EbA Community in collaboration with the SNRD Asia Climate Change Adaptation Working Group are delighted to invite you to a series of two webinar on

Webinar 1: Climate risk assessments in the adaptation policy context, 24 October 2017, 8.00-9.00 CET

  • GIZ’s new Risk Supplement to the Vulnerability Sourcebook
  • Country insight: Reconciling risk & vulnerability assessment for land use planning in the Philippines

Please register here.

Webinar 2: Climate risk assessment fo Ecosystem-based Adaptation, 2 November 2017, 15.00-16.00 CET

  • Community NEWS: 2nd international EbA Community of Practice Workshop
  • Expert input: Climate risk assessment for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA)

Please register here.

 

The recordings will be made available on www.adaptationcommunity.net

Looking forward to meeting you virtually!

Risk Supplement to the Vulnerability Sourcebook

Adaptation Community

The Risk Supplement to the Vulnerability Sourcebook (PDF) introduces the IPCC AR5 risk concept and provides guidelines on how to conduct risk assessments using the Vulnerability Sourcebook’s approach.

The Vulnerability Sourcebook (PDF) provides step-by-step guidelines to conduct robust vulnerability assessments according to the IPCC concept of vulnerability. Since its publication in 2014, it has been widely used for vulnerability assessments in the framework of climate change adaptation planning from the local to the national level. The Fifth IPCC Assessment Report (AR5) moved from focusing on vulnerability to focusing on risk of climate-related impacts that may harm a system. To account for this change, in 2017 this Risk Supplement has been developed.

For more information please click here.

Largest expert meeting worldwide on Ecosystem-based Adaptation in 2017 took place in Bangkok

Alexandra Köngeter

What are the recent developments at global and national level and experiences on mainstreaming ecosystem-based adaptation? What are promising entry points for mainstreaming EbA? How to measure success of EbA to demonstrate and communicate EbA impacts? Which public and private options are available to sustainably finance EbA? And how to best generate and use evidence on EbA effectiveness?

At the 2nd International EbA Community of Practice Workshop, around 80 experts from governments, research and policy institutions, and civil society from 22 countries came together to exchange on selected topics defined during the 1st workshop in June 2016. The workshop was structured around plenary and parallel discussion sessions that aimed to contribute to four core objectives: Identifying entry points for EbA mainstreaming; monitoring and evaluation of EbA; financing challenges and opportunities; evidence of EbA effectiveness.

The documentation will be made available on the EbA subsection on www.AdaptationCommunity.net.

The workshop was organized by the global BMUB IKI-funded project “Mainstreaming EbA – Strengthening ecosystem-based adaptation in planning and decision-making processes” implemented by GIZ.

Guidance Note on Financing National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Processes

SV Klima FÖA

Financing is needed throughout the entire National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process – from its initiation to the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of prioritized adaptation actions. Many countries need assistiance with determining how to secure the financing for their NAP processes. Therefore, the NAP Global Network has recently published a new Guidance Note, increasing the likelohood of securing finance from different sources for countries and their governments. Entitled ‘Financing National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Processes: Contributing to the achievement of nationally determined contribution (NDC) adaptation goals’, the publication:

  • Presents a range of potential financing sources (domestic and international, public and private)
  • Identifies which sources are appropriate for different phases within the NAP process
  • Suggests practical steps for countries to take throughout the NAP process
  • Provides a number of concise case studies from a diverse group of countries

The guidance note was commissioned and co-authored by GIZ’s Climate Policy Support Program (co-authors Michael Brossmann & Sascha Oppowa) in cooperation with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). The publication is available in English and will become available in French and Spanish by November 2017.

 

Guidance for M&E of community-based adaptation

Timo Leiter

A new book chapter outlines M&E of community-based adaptation. The chapter presents results from the 9th Community-based Adaptation conference (CBA9) in Nairobi. Entitled “Key considerations for monitoring and evaluation of community-based Adaptation” it:

  • Introduces four considerations for the development of an adaptation M&E system (purpose, content, target audience, capacities & resources)
  • Discusses principles, frameworks and trade-offs for M&E of CBA
  • Recommends a theory of change approach such as GIZ’s “Adaptation made to measure”
  • Outlines how M&E of CBA can be linked to national Adaptation M&E systems

The chapter offers an introduction for practitioners working at the community level who are interested in advancing their knowledge about Monitoring & Evaluation. It also serves as background reading for GIZ’s adaptation M&E training course. Authored by Timo Leiter from the project “Effective Adaptation Finance (M&E Adapt)” funded by BMZ, the chapter is part of the book “Enhancing adaptation to climate change in developing countries” published by the African Centre for Technology Studies Press.  

NAP-GN webinar: “Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) in the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Process”

Joana Helms

This webinar, which took place on the 14th June 2017, explores how countries are developing national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems for adaptation in context of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process. Results of a survey of country needs and experiences regarding M&E from the NAP Global Network are presented along with the country example of  South Africa’s national adaptation M&E system.

You can watch the recording and view the presentations online at the NAP Global Network website.

NAP Global Network’s webinar series

Adaptation Community

The webinar series will deal with different topics related to the national adaptation plan (NAP) process, insights from the Network’s activities, as well as specific country experiences.

Sector Integration in the NAP Process
A NAP Global Network Webinar Tuesday, March 7th, 2017 | 10am-11am EST (3pm-4pm GMT)

Agenda:

– Introduction to the NAP Global Network and Webinar Series
– A Spectrum of Approaches to Sector Integration (Hayley Price-Kelly, NAP Global Network Secretariat)
– The Case of Jamaica: A hybrid approach to sector integration (Dr. Orville Grey, Jamaica’s Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation)
– Q&A
– Next steps and closing

Please register here.

For further information please contact the Network’s Secretariat (info@napglobalnetwork.org).

Evidence of EbA measures: Webinars in collaboration with UNEP-REGATTA/Practical Solutions

Adaptation Community

Why is it relevant to have evidence on the effectiveness of EbA, how to generate this evidence and communicate it to the target groups?

We are delighted to invite you to our webinar series on “Evidence of the effectiveness of Ecosystem-based Adaptation” in collaboration with the EbA Community of Practice of UNEP-REGATTA, managed by Practical Solutions.

The invitation for the online discussion and first webinar on 2nd March 9.00 – 11.00 am (Lima, Bogotá, Quito) is now available here.

Discussion series on EbA-relevant tools and methods: Outcome paper and further sources now online

Adaptation Community

We need effective and field-proven tools and methods to support adaptive management and decision-making and consider EbA measures within an overall adaptation strategy. From September-November 2016, the online discussion series of the International EbA Community of Practice centered around three key questions:

1) Which EbA-relevant tools exist already and have been used successfully at different stages of the mainstreaming cycle?

2) How to adopt existing tools to an EbA context?

3) How to make these tools available to a broader audience?

In addition to the webinar recordings, an outcome paper on EbA-relevant tools and methods and a list of further sources is now available here.

Sharing success in Ecosystem-based Adaptation – EbA Solution Portal now online

Adaptation Community

What if we could learn from each other’s success? The EbA Solution Portal fosters sharing of field-proven knowledge and experience on Ecosystem-based Adaptation in different regions and ecosystems around the globe. It shows that inspiring and replicable solutions can be found everywhere on this planet and that EbA or “green solutions” are a state-of-the-art-reply to climate change impacts and deliver a multitude of benefits for societies, economies and environment.

This new global exchange platform under the PANORAMA initiative was officially launched at CBD CoP 13 in Cancún. Now the portal is open to connect practitioners and decision makers and to solution providers from all countries, sectors and levels to share their stories.

Webinar invitation: “Identifying and prioritizing EbA Options”

Adaptation Community

The 3rd webinar Identifying and prioritizing EbA Options within the discussion series on EbA-relevant Tools & Methods will take place on November 24th, 4.00-5.30 h pm CEST.

Agenda

Community NEWS:

  • UNFCCC CoP 22: Side Event on sectoral NDC implementation
  • Habitat III: Financial instruments for urban EbA

Main thematic Input:

  • Tool to identify and prioritize Adaptation Options: Process of integrating EbA
  • Experiences from applying the prioritization tool in Colombia

We look foward to seeing you online! Please click here to enter the webinar room.

The EbA webinar recordings are available here.

NEW Publication: Stocktaking for National Adaptation Planning – Assessing Capacity for Implementing NDCs

Adaptation Community

The Stocktaking for National Adaptation Planning (SNAP) tool was developed by GIZ to assess, enhance, and monitor a country’s capacity for adaptation planning. This publication showcases the utility and use of the tool and highlights results from its application in various geographical terrains on national and subnational scale. The SNAP tool is one of the most widely used tools in GIZ’s armoury of support instruments for the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process.

Target group are NAP focal points, technical support units for NAP, donor agencies, organisations supporting NAP planning, and the wider public interested in the NAP process.

The publication can be downloaded here in English.

New section on Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA)

Adaptation Community

Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is a nature-based solution to increase people’s resilience in the face of climate change. A new section on EbA is now available on AdaptationCommunity.net. To support decision-makers at international, national and local level to mainstream (ecosystem-based) adaptation into policy and planning processes, practical tools and examples are provided. More details and materials can be found here

NEW: Vulnerability Sourcebook now available in French & Spanish

Adaptation Community

With the Vulnerability Sourcebook the GIZ has developed a very useful tool to enhance adaptation to climate change. This practitioner’s manual offers a step-by-step approach to conduct vulnerability assessments and monitor and evaluate changes of vulnerability over time. It can be applied from the local to the national level and to a broad range of sectors – as successfully done in Burundi, Mozambique, Bolivia and Pakistan. Besides that it is a very useful tool for further implementation of the National Adaptation Planning (NAP) process.

Download the Vulnerability Sourcebook now in French or Spanish from this website.

The publication contains eight modules, which provide detailed guidance on how to conduct a vulnerability assessment. They cover the preparation phase, the development of impact chains, the selection of indicators, how to gather the necessary data, how to process this data for vulnerability assessments, and how to present the findings. Furthermore, the Vulnerability Sourcebook highlights how practitioners can use vulnerability assessments for monitoring and evaluation (M&E).

NEW: National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process country-level training

Adaptation Community

The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process country-level training has been developed jointly by GIZ, the NAP GSP, UNDP, UNITAR and UNEP. It is supposed to assist multiple sectors at the country-level and constitutes the basis for a country upon which to strategize, steer and manage its NAP process. The overall aim of the training is to build capacities for the integration of a variety of sectors into the NAP process as well as to include adaptation to climate change into a country’s political- and budget planning.

Thus, the participants of the training work towards a common understanding of what NAP means for their country, which indicates that the training is tailored to the requirements of the group of participants and the country context. 

For further and more detailed information on how the training is conducted in particular, please visit the NAP country-level training section in our knowledge base.

General information on National Adaptation Planning can be accessed here.

Side Event: Monitoring & Reporting Adaptation: learning from pioneering countries

Adaptation Community

Tuesday, 9 June, 3:15 – 4:45 pm, Bundeskunsthalle (German Art Gallery)

How can countries track and report on their adaptation progress at national level? What is the purpose of national adaptation monitoring and reporting and what does it look like in practice? How can it support learning and decision making? At the Side Event, pioneering countries will present their approach followed by an interactive fishbowl discussion with the audience.

This Side Event at the UN Climate Change Conference (SB42) is organized by GIZ on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Speakers include:

  • Christina Chan, Adaptation Committee
  • Helena Gaddi, Climate Change Commission, the Philippines
  • Gottfried von Gemmingen, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
  • Susanne Hempen, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB)
  • Vhalinavho Khavhagali, Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa

Location: Bundeskunsthalle (German Art Gallery) which is located directly at the subway station “Heussallee/Museumsstraße” close World Conference Center Bonn. A map is included in the Side Event Flyer

Presentations from the Side Event can be downloaded here. If you have any questions please contact Timo.Leiter@giz.de

NEW: NAP Align – Aligning NAP with development and budget planning

Adaptation Community

NAP Align is an analysis tool designed to help countries align their national adaptation plan (NAP) processes with their overall national development goals, as well as budgets. It forms a supplement to the NAP technical guidelines developed by the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (UNFCCC) and provides further details of several steps outlined in the NAP technical guidelines. NAP Align highlights the importance of taking both the planning procedures and the budgeting framework of the country into consideration in the earliest stages of the NAP process.

NAP Align is targeted at various practitioners involved in the NAP process, including NAP multisectoral coordination committees, task forces and working groups. It assists them in analysing the individual country’s development planning and budgeting processes to find entry points for the alignment of NAP. It also describes the links between planning and budgeting cycles, particularly those regarded as central to adaptation planning.

The analysis comprises a set of questions which cover the following topics: development planning, donor coordination structures, financial and budget planning, financing climate change adaptation, medium term expenditure frameworks, and the budget cycle.

Find the full publication here.

WEBINAIRE: Les Fonds Nationaux pour le financement climatique

Adaptation Community

Les Fonds Nationaux pour le financement climatique

La GIZ et l’Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS) vous invitent au webinaire sur Les Fonds Nationaux pour le financement climatique. C’est le deuxième webinaire d’une série de quatre qui vont avoir lieu entre Septembre et Décembre 2014 traitant des différents sujets en relation avec la préparation pour des financements climatiques.

Le webinaire sur Les Fonds Nationaux pour le financement climatique aura lieu mardi le 7 octobre de 14.00 à 15.30 (CET)*. Pour participer, veuillez-vous inscrire via ce lien.

Le webinaire présente:

  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Appuyer un modèle: le Rôle des Fonds Nationaux Climat
  • 3. L’expérience du Mali avec l’établissement d’un fonds national pour le climat
  • 4. Discussion et échanges entre les participants

Ce webinaire est disponible en français seulement.

Exigences techniques:

Veuillez-vous assurer que le logiciel Java 6 est bien installé/activé sur votre navigateur et utiliser un casque à écouteurs. Pour vous assurer que votre système corresponde à toutes les exigences techniques, procédez à une vérification du système. Nous vous prions de tester bien en avance l’accès au système.

Au plaisir de vous accueillir prochainement!

*Fuseau horaire:  
Algérie 14:00 – 15:30h
Allemagne 15:00 – 16:30h
Benin 14 :00 – 15:30h
Burkina Faso 13:00 – 14 :30h
Burundi 15 :00 – 16 :30h
Cameroun 14 :00 – 15 :30h
Cap-Vert 12 :00 – 13 :30h
Comores 16 :00 – 17 :30h
Congo 13 :00 – 14 :30h
Cote d’Ivoire 13 :00 – 14 :30h
Djibouti 16 :00 – 17 :30h
Gabon 14 :00 – 15 :30h
Guinée 13 :00 – 14 :30h
Guinée Bissau 13 :00 – 14 :30h
Guinée équatoriale 14 :00 – 15 :30h
Libye 15 :00 – 16 :30h
Madagascar 16 :00 – 17 :30h
Mali 13 :00 – 14 :30h
Maroc 14 :00 – 15 :30h
Maurice 17 :00 – 18 :30h
Mauritanie 13 :00 – 14 :30h
Mozambique 15 :00 – 16 :30h
Niger 14 :00 – 15 :30h
République Centrafricaine 14 :00 – 15 :30h
République démocratique du Congo 14:00 – 15 :30h
Rwanda 15 :00 – 16 :30h
Sénégal 13 :00 – 14 :30h
Seychelles 17 :00 – 18 :30h
Tchad 14 :00 – 15 :30h
Togo 13:00 – 14 :30h
Tunisie 14:00 – 15:30h
     

 

The national funds for climate financing

The GIZ and the Observatory of the Sahara and the Sahel (OSS) are pleased to invite you to the webinar on The national funds for climate financing. It is the second of a series of four webinars that will take place between September and December 2014, covering various topics related to Climate Finance Readiness.

The webinar on the structure of climate finance will be held on Tuesday, the 7th of October, from 14:00 to 15.30 (CET)*. To participate, please register via this link.

The webinar presents:

  • Introduction
  • Support a model: the role of national climate funds
  • The experience of Mali with establishing a national climate fund
  • Discussion and exchange between participants

The webinar will be held in French.

Technical requirements:

Please use a headset and make sure that Java 6 software is installed/enabled on your browser. To make sure your system meets all technical requirements, perform a system check. Please test well in advance your access to the system.

We are looking forward to welcoming you!

*Time zones:  
Algeria 14:00 –   15:30h
Germany 15:00 –   16:30h
Benin 14 :00   – 15:30h
Burkina   Faso 13:00 –   14 :30h
Burundi 15 :00   – 16 :30h
Cameroon 14 :00   – 15 :30h
Cape   Verde 12 :00   – 13 :30h
Comoros 16 :00   – 17 :30h
Congo 13 :00   – 14 :30h
Cote   d’Ivoire 13 :00   – 14 :30h
Djibouti 16 :00   – 17 :30h
Gabon 14 :00   – 15 :30h
Guinea 13 :00   – 14 :30h
Guinea   Bissau 13 :00   – 14 :30h
Equatorial   Guinea 14 :00   – 15 :30h
Libya 15 :00   – 16 :30h
Madagascar 16 :00   – 17 :30h
Mali 13 :00   – 14 :30h
Morocco 14 :00   – 15 :30h
Maurice 17 :00   – 18 :30h
Mauritania 13 :00   – 14 :30h
Mozambique 15 :00   – 16 :30h
Niger 14 :00   – 15 :30h
Central   African Republic 14 :00   – 15 :30h
Democratic   Republic of Congo 14:00 –   15 :30h
Rwanda 15 :00   – 16 :30h
Senegal 13 :00   – 14 :30h
Seychelles 17 :00   – 18 :30h
Chad 14 :00   – 15 :30h
Togo 13:00 –   14 :30h
Tunisia 14:00 –   15:30h
     

 

WEBINAIRE – Architecture du financement climatique mondial et en Afrique (WEBINAR – Structure of climate finance: globally and in Africa)

Adaptation Community
Update: The recording of the webinar can be accessed here. Architecture du financement climatique mondial et en Afrique La GIZ et l’Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS) vous invitent au webinaire sur l’architecture du financement climatique mondial et en Afrique. C’est le premier webinaire d’une série de quatre qui vont avoir lieu entre Septembre et Décembre 2014 traitant des différents sujets en relation avec la préparation pour des financements climatiques. Le webinaire sur l’architecture du financement climatique aura lieu mercredi le 17 Septembre de 14.00 à 15.30 (CET)*. Pour participer, veuillez-vous inscrire via ce lien. Le webinaire présente:
  • Introduction
  • L’architecture du financement climatique mondial
  • Le financement climatique en Afrique
  • Discussion et échanges entre les participants
Ce webinaire est disponible en français seulement. Exigences techniques: Veuillez-vous assurer que le logiciel Java 6 est bien installé/activé sur votre navigateur et utiliser un casque à écouteurs. Pour vous assurer que votre système corresponde à toutes les exigences techniques, procédez à une vérification du système. Nous vous prions de tester bien en avance l’accès au système. Au plaisir de vous accueillir prochainement!
*Fuseau horaire:
Burkina   Faso 13:00   – 14:30h
Mali 13:00   – 14:30h
Maroc 13:00   – 14:30h
Mauritanie 13:00   – 14:30h
Sénégal 13:00   – 14:30h
Algérie 14:00   – 15:30h
Allemagne 14:00   – 15:30h
Benin 14:00   – 15:30h
Niger 14:00   – 15:30h
Tchad 14:00   – 15:30h
Tunisie 14:00   – 15:30h
Jordanie 15:00   – 16:30h
Libye 15:00   – 16:30h
  Structure of climate finance: globally and in Africa The GIZ and the Observatory of the Sahara and the Sahel (OSS) are pleased to invite you to the webinar on the structure of climate finance: globally and in Africa. It is the first of a series of four webinars that will take place between September and December 2014, covering various topics related to Climate Finance Readiness. The webinar on the structure of climate finance will be held on Wednesday, the 17th of September, from 14:00 to 15.30 (CET)*. To participate, please register via this link. The webinar presents:
  • Introduction
  • The structure of climate financing globally
  • The structure of climate financing in Africa
  • Discussion and exchange between participants
The webinar will be held in French. Technical requirements: Please use a headset and make sure that Java 6 software is installed/enabled in your browser. To make sure your system meets all technical requirements, perform a system check. Please test well in advance your access to the system. We are looking forward to welcoming you!
*Time zone:
Burkina Faso 13:00 – 14:30h
Mali 13:00 – 14:30h
Morocco 13:00 – 14:30h
Mauritania 13:00 – 14:30h
Senegal 13:00 – 14:30h
Algeria 14:00 – 15:30h
Germany 14:00 – 15:30h
Benin 14:00 – 15:30h
Niger 14:00 – 15:30h
Chad 14:00 – 15:30h
Tunisia 14:00 – 15:30h
Jordan 15:00 – 16:30h
Libya 15:00 – 16:30h
 

The Vulnerability Sourcebook

Adaptation Community

Climate change adaptation creates a significant reduction of vulnerability towards current and future climate change impacts; hence a good understanding of local vulnerabilities, the implementation of appropriate adaptation measures and the continuous review of their effectiveness are of importance. The GIZ has developed several approaches and tools to enhance adaptation to climate change among which the relatively new tool: the Vulnerability Sourcebook. This tool, among other purposes, is very useful for further implementation of the National Adaptation Planning (NAP) process.

The Vulnerability Sourcebook offers practitioners a step-by-step approach to conduct vulnerability assessments and monitor and evaluate changes of vulnerability over time. It can be applied from the local to the national level and to a broad range of sectors.

The Vulnerability Sourcebook contains 8 modules, which provide detailed guidance on how to conduct a vulnerability assessment. They cover the preparation phase, the development of impact chains, the selection of indicators, how to gather the necessary data, how to process this data for vulnerability assessments, and how to present the findings. Furthermore, the Vulnerability Sourcebook highlights how practitioners can use vulnerability assessments for monitoring and evaluation (M&E).

In practice: Tracking adaptation success using the Vulnerability Sourcebook in Bolivia

Bolivia is one of the four countries where the Vulnerability Sourcebook has been piloted. Within the context of the German-Bolivian agricultural development programme PROAGRO, a vulnerability assessment was carried out in the Andean community of Chullcu Mayu. Using the approach of the Vulnerability Sourcebook, it was analysed to what extent vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate impacts had been reduced by improving the community’s irrigation systems.

Read more about the application of the Vulnerability Sourcebook in Bolivia.

New factsheet: Overview of GIZ’s NAP support

Adaptation Community

At the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Durban (COP 17) in 2011, bilateral and multilateral agencies were invited to support the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process and to establish support programmes for developing countries. In providing such support it is important to recognise the flexible and country-driven nature of the NAP process. Following this trajectory, a number of NAP support activities have been established that assist countries in identifying their individual NAP framework.

GIZ, for instance, applies a mix of existing and newly developed tools and management approaches to facilitate the NAP process in its partner countries. A factsheet has been prepared to provide an overview of GIZ’s NAP support. This factsheet is now available in the Mainstreaming & NAP section of our knowledge base.

Side event on M&E of adaptation at SB40: 10th June 2014

Adaptation Community

Last Tuesday, 10th June, GIZ and IIED hosted a side event on “Measuring and reporting effective adaptation: challenges, approaches and ways forward“ at the UNFCCC SB40 in Bonn, Germany.

More information and background material can be found in the Knowledge section.

GIZ Side event Measuring adaptation - the panelists

Christoph Feldkötter, GIZ (left); Susanne Schwan, GIZ; Susannah Fisher, iied; Nguyen Huong Thuy Phan, Mekong River Commission; Irene Karani, LTS Africa; Gottfried von Gemmingen, BMZ.

WEBINAR: Insights into National Adaptation Planning on 26th May 10:30 am

Adaptation Community

Update: The recording of the webinar can be accessed here.

We are pleased to invite you to the webinar “Insights into National Adaptation Planning” which will take place on 26th May, from 10:30 am to 12 noon (CEST). It is the first session of a series of webinars for stimulating the technical discussion on the NAP process with a wider audience and in addition to the existing international conferences.

The webinar presents:

  • Welcome and opening
  • Background on the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process
  • Experiences on national adaptation planning in Norway
  • German NAP support: tools and experiences from application

The presentations are followed by a detailed Q&A session. The webinar will be held in English.

To participate, please click Access Webinar, enter your name, your email-address and click “Join webinar”.

Technical requirements: Please use a headset and enable Java in your browser. To make sure, that your system matches all requirements, conduct a system check.

This webinar is the first event in the new public Discussion Series on the NAP process organized by the Climate Protection Programme for Developing Countries implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

We are looking forward to welcoming you!

Webinar: Launching of the Climate Information System of Indonesia, 30 April

Adaptation Community

Dear colleagues, dear friends,

We are pleased to invite you to a new webinar that follows up on the 2013 discussion series on Climate Information & Services:

Webinar: “Launching of the Climate Information System of Indonesia: good practice and lessons learnt”

Date: 30 April 2014, 10 am – 11:30 am CEST (UTC+2), originally 9 April 2014

The 2013 discussion series included an overview of the “experiences with building up the national climate change information system of the national Met service in Indonesia” from a cooperation between GIZ and the Indonesian Weather, Climate and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). Now, the system has been further developed and will soon be launched and handed over by GIZ to the Climatology Department of the BMKG.

See what is different to other Climate Information Services and what has been done to get there! The webinar will demonstrate lessons learnt in Indonesia and a potential blueprint for other countries that require more detailed knowledge for improved adaptation planning.

For recordings of the previous webinars in the discussion series, please visit the Exchange section.

To participate, click Webinar Launching of the Climate Information System of Indonesia: good practice and lessons learnt, enter your name, your email-address and click “Join webinar”.

The respective times in different time zones are:If you need to convert the time of the webinar to your time zone, please visit here: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html

Technical requirements: Please use a headset and enable Java in your browser. To make sure, that your system matches all requirements, conduct a system check. If you should encounter problems, please contact support-gc21@giz.de a few days before the webinar takes place.

We are looking forward to welcoming you soon!

New Factsheets: Climate Impacts on Agricultural Crops

Adaptation Community

In order to support focused adaptation efforts in agriculture, GIZ commissioned a detailed study about how different crops are affected by climate change. Impacts do not only depend on the type of crop and its location, but also vary during a plant’s stages of growth. In addition, different aspects of climate change can have different adverse, but also beneficial effects. Detailed knowledge can help make the right decisions.

Fact sheets are now available for download for each of the studied crops – rice, maize, coffee, and sorghum and millet. They will give you an overview about how complex the effects of climate change can be. The full study, which is forthcoming, will elaborate on the effects and their consequences in more detail.

Adaptation Training in South Africa

Adaptation Community

Another instalment of the Training Course for Integrating Adaptation into Development Planning was conducted in South Africa from 13 to 16 January, and very well received. 26 participants studied an extended version of the basic training, covering topics such as assessing vulnerability, identifying adaptation options, and selecting adaptation measures. The course also included an exchange of personal experiences and an introduction to monitoring and evaluation (M&E).

More details about the content and reception of the course can be found in the training documentation. Modules on several other adaptation-related topics are available. Details and materials can be found in the Knowledge section. Consult the Training Cookbook for instructions on how to design training courses tailored to your audience and needs, or head to the Exchange section for reports from other trainings conducted in the past.

Revised Study on Economic Approaches for Assessing CCA Options

Adaptation Community

Adaptation practitioners often need to quantify costs, benefits, and avoided losses to inform their decisions on adaptation strategies. The study “Economic Approaches for Assessing Cimate Change Adaptation Options”, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), presents two economic methods which can be used in assessing vulnerability as well as selecting adaptation measures: a basic cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and a more sophisticated Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA). It has now been updated to cover the controversial issue of discounting more thoroughly.

Like before, two Excel tools for applying CBA and MCA are provided. Both approaches have been piloted by AdaptationCommunity.net’s partners in Mexico (Method Briefs on CBA and MCA are available on the website). And for yet another different take on quantifying the costs and benefits of CCA options, see the “Saved Health, Saved Wealth” approach which aims to avoid the problem of monetarising human life.

Planning Process Analysis, a tool for NAP integration

Adaptation Community

The “Planning Process Analysis” tool has been developed by GIZ to support the UNFCCC National Adaptation Planning (NAP) process in Least Developed Countries. The tool was piloted in Mauritania in October 2013 in cooperation with the Programme de Gestion des Ressources Naturelles (ProGRN), which GIZ is implementing on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The tool provides practical guidance for analysing national development and budgeting planning processes and assists in identifying strategic entry points for NAP. Stakeholders are interviewed with regard to formal and informal procedures of the country’s budgeting system. Using the identified entry points, adaptation can be placed on the national agenda as an intersectoral issue, therefore facilitating the integration of NAP into the different development and budgeting planning cycles. Furthermore, the tool outlines links between planning and budgeting processes in order to ensure that the adaptation plan is implemented in the medium and long term.

For further information, see the Mainstreaming and NAP section of AdaptationCommunity.net

Togo: Kick-off workshop of GIZ’s support activities for National Adaptation Planning (NAP)

Adaptation Community

In December 2013, more than 40 stakeholders from the public sector and the civil society assisted in the kick-off workshop for a new NAP support activity by GIZ and the Togolese Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources in Lomé, Togo. The objective of the measure is to improve the preconditions for effective medium and long-term national adaptation planning in Togo through capacity development, knowledge brokerage, and technical advisory, particularly focusing on strategy development.

During the workshop, the existing guidance on NAP by UNFCCC as well as GIZ’s approaches for supporting the process were presented. The Togolese UNFCCC focal point presented current climatic conditions and projected climate change impacts for Togo as well as first experiences with adaptation planning at various levels. The participants highlighted a need for capacity development on NAP and the participation of all key stakeholders in the process. In the afternoon session, specific know-how needs as well as relevant stakeholders were identified in working groups. Based on these consultations, an operational plan for the upcoming 18 months was developed.

For more information, visit the Mainstreaming and NAP section of the knowledge base.

A Cookbook for Tailor-Made Training Courses on Adaptation

Adaptation Community

Happy new year to all members and readers of AdaptationCommunity.net! For all of you who are interested in education and training about adaptation, the “cookbook” for customising the training course on integrating climate change adaptation into development planning has been finished and is now available in English, with Spanish and French translations in the works.

“Tailor made training courses on climate change adaptation”, as it is called in full, explains in detail how the CCA integration training can be customised to address different needs in learning about adaptation. The cookbook covers all the basic course formats, including the training of trainers and multipliers, as well as new modules on monitoring and evaluation, which are currently being field-tested in South Africa and will be published later this month.

See also a method brief from India, where a customised climate change adaptation training has been conducted in 2013.

Final version of CIFOR study on climate impact chains in coastal areas

Adaptation Community

CIFOR’s study on climate change impact chains in coastal areas, funded by the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), was presented already in two webinars this year. The final report has been finished just in time for the holidays and is now available for download on AdaptationCommunity.net. In the study, you can read how five different stressors may create hazards and affect the vulnerability of coastal ecosystems: ocean acidification, ocean warming, precipitation, sea-level rise, and tropical storms.

Of course the study points out a vast body of academic literature that can be used to inform planners in even more detail. Abstracts and methods are provided in an extensive annex. For practical use, it is also accompanied by two short policy briefs: one about the potential of ecosystem-based adaptation strategies in Indonesia and the Philippines, and another one giving a quick overview of the impact chains for those who are short on time.

This fair amount of reading should keep you busy for the next two weeks, when this website will be a bit quieter due to the Christmas holidays. For those of you who celebrate it, AdaptationCommunity.net wishes you a merry Christmas, and a happy New Year to you all!

Animated adaptation film now available in eleven languages

Adaptation Community

Our animated film “We know enough about climate change” explains the basics of climate change and how mitigation as well as adaptation will be necessary in the future. This week we added three new translations to the eight that had been available already. On GIZ’s YouTube channel, the film is now available in Hindi, Bengali and Tamil. Another recent addition is the Mongolian language version, which viewers might have already noticed.

Webinar on new developments in monitoring and evaluation (M&E)

Adaptation Community

On Tuesday, 10 December, the last webinar of 2013 will give an update on adaptation monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Come, listen and join the discussion! To participate, click on the link, enter your e-mail address and choose “attend in browser”.

Date: 10 December, 3 pm – 4:30 pm CET

Two guest speakers will share their expertise. First, Ms Christina Chan, Vice-Chair of the UNFCCC’s Adaptation Committee, will speak about results and insights from the Adaptation Committee’s workshop on M&E, conducted in September in Fiji, where progress indicators for adaptation were discussed.

Furthermore, Anne Hammill of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) will present the first systematic overview and assessment of national adaptation M&E efforts, published jointly by GIZ and IISD (available online at AdaptationCommunity.net). The webinar will discuss current trends, good practice examples and a repository of adaptation indicators at the national level.

As always, the presentations will be followed by a detailed Q&A session.

COP19 Side Event with the Climate Knowledge Brokers Group

Adaptation Community

At the 19th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC in Warsaw this month, GIZ-IMACC co-hosted a side event with the Climate Knowledge Brokers (CKB) Group. The discussion covered an important topic: How can we make use of the growing amount of climate information and knowledge websites that are available?

There is a risk that the growing number of different information services might confuse people who need to understand the impacts of climate change rather than informing their decisions. Find out more about the Climate Knowledge Brokers Group in our article and watch a video recording of the debate.

New Method Brief: Vulnerability Assessment in Madagascar

Adaptation Community

Our colleagues in Madagascar have prepared a new method brief about a vulnerability assessment they conducted in the Boeny region of north-western Madagascar. An integrated approach was used, combining a desk study of climate and economic data with a field study that took the knowledge and perceptions of local stakeholders into account.

In addition to the study, the impacts of climate change were discussed in a workshop in order to paint a better picture of vulnerabilities and adaptation needs. In this way, the approach can help focus resources on the most important adaptation needs and minimise the risk for maladaptation. The method brief is now available in the Vulnerability Assessment section of our knowledge base.

New Section on National Adaptation Planning (NAPs)

Adaptation Community

Successful adaptation needs long-term planning. AdaptationCommunity.net now devotes a new section to the National Adaptation Planning (NAP) process which was devised at the COP16 in Cancún. NAPs are meant to complement short-term adaptation projects by building long-term adaptive capacity, and can be a powerful tool to guide the process of adaptation.

AdaptationCommunity’s section on NAPs provides an overview of the UNFCCC’s NAP support structure and links to more detailed planning guidelines. It also outlines the different tools and materials offered by GIZ that help adaptation planners define and implement strategic adaptation needs and goals.

New version of the Climate Impacts: Global and Regional Adaptation Support Platform

Adaptation Community

A new page on AdaptationCommunity.net is dedicated to our partner project, the Climate Impacts: Global and Regional Adaptation Support Platform (ci:grasp in short). It describes in more detail how ci:grasp can provide knowledge about the impacts of climate change to adaptation practitioners and support them in their decisions and planning.

The updated version of ci:grasp has been made available at http://pik-potsdam.de/cigrasp-2/. ci:grasp was developed by the Potsdom Institute for Climate Impact Research (German abbreviation PIK).

Webinar: Climate Change Impact Chains in Coastal Areas on 1 and 2 October

Adaptation Community

The discussion series on Climate Change Impact Chains in Coastal Areas will continue with a second webinar beginning of October. The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) will join us to present their latest knowledge about climate change impacts in coastal zones. Come and join the debate!

Dates: 1 October, 9 am – 10:30 am CEST and 2 October, 4 pm – 5:30pm CEST

Dear colleagues, dear friends,

We are pleased to invite you to the second webinar conducted under the study Climate Change Impact Chains in Coastal Areas. CIFOR have created a literature review about the latest insights into the impacts of climate change in Coastal Areas, which will be presented and discussed in the webinar. Furthermore, we will discuss the usability of the results for planning adaptation interventions in coastal areas as well share our experiences with adaptation in in coastal zones, and ecosystem-based adaptation in particular.

The respective dates in different time zones are:

Time Zone

1 October

2 October
Mexico DF

2 am – 3:30 am

9 am – 10:30 am
Grenada

3 am – 4:30 am

10 am – 11:30 am
Peru

2 am – 3:30 am

9 am – 10:30 am
Bolivia

3 am – 4:30 am

10 am – 11:30 am
Tunisia

8 am – 9:30 am

3 pm – 4:30 pm
Germany (CEST)

9 am – 10:30 am

4 pm – 5:30 pm
South Africa

9 am – 10:30 am

4 pm – 5:30 pm
Jakarta/Indonesia (WIB)

2 pm – 3:30 pm

9 pm – 10:30 pm
Manila/Philippines

3 pm – 4:30 pm

10 pm – 11:30 pm
India

12:30 pm – 2 pm

7:30 pm – 9 pm

Check out all webinars.

To participate, please follow the links to either the session on 1 October or 2 October, enter your e-mail address, choose “attend in browser” and access the webinar.

Technical requirements: Please use a headset and enable Java in your browser. To make sure that your system matches all requirements, conduct a system check. For technical support click here.

We highly appreciate your participation in this webinar in order to make the study results as useful as possible for you!

Recommendation Paper on Adaptation M&E now online

Adaptation Community

Based on experiences in several countries currently setting up Adaptation Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) systems, a recommendation paper for M&E on the national level was developed.

It synthesises the experiences made so far with adaptation M&E to key messages for adaptation practitioners and decision-makers. It intends to supplement existing guidelines and training material by providing recommendations ‘from practice to practice’. It also includes comments from participants of several workshops.

You find the paper in the Knowledge section under M&E under Further reading.

Enjoy reading!

 

NEW Method Briefs showing practical adaptation experiences

Adaptation Community

Five new Method Briefs have been contributed by the community to the collection of Methods Briefs. They are now available in the Knowledge section of the AdaptationCommunity.net.

From South Africa: The Climate Information Portal – providing climate information to users

From Mexico: Piloting a Multicriteria-Analysis for prioritising adaptation measures for three sectors

From Germany: Mainstreaming adaptation into coastal protection

From India: Bottom-up vulnerability assessment

From the Philippines: Developing an M&E System for the National Climate Change Action Plan

Thanks to all contributors!