Adaptation, Loss and Damage Update from COP 22

13 November 2016: The pace of the international climate change negotiations is picking up as the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 22) enters its second week. Parties are expected to make progress on a number of issues relating to adaptation and loss and damage, including: adaptation communications registry under the Paris Agreement; further guidance in relation to the adaptation communication, including as a component of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs); national adaptation plans (NAPs); and review of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts (WIM). Alongside the negotiations, numerous side events were also held during the first week of COP 22.

Side Events Highlight LEG, AC Progress on Paris Mandates, CBA, Resilience

On 8 November, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Expert Group (LEG) convened a side event titled ‘Work of the LEG in supporting the LDCs on adaptation,’ discussing the experiences and progress made by the LDCs in addressing adaptation, and the support provided to them. The event focused on the process to formulate and implement NAPs as well as on the national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs). [Side Event Programme] [Side Event UNFCCC Webpage] [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule]

On 10 November, the UNFCCC Secretariat held a joint Adaptation Committee (AC) and LEG side event on interim results towards the implementation of their shared mandate emanating from the Paris Agreement, which includes areas of adaptation efforts of, and support for, developing countries. [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule] [Decision 1/CP.21 Adopting Paris Agreement]

Throughout the first week of the COP, the UNFCCC Climate Change Studio held a number of side events related to adaptation, including community-based adaptation (CBA). Those included the launch of the ‘Adaptation Good Practice Checklist’ by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and partners, and of a NAP Global Network guidance note, as well as events on: ‘Permaculture and Climate Change Adaptation’ on 9 November 2016; ‘Implementing the Paris Agreement: Prospects for CBA’ on 11 November, including the launch of a book titled ‘Enhancing Adaptation to Climate Change in Developing Countries Through Community-based Adaptation,’ which presents evidence on how adaptation technologies, resources and expertise can be devolved to the local levels through CBA approaches; and progress of sub-nationals leading climate adaptation in regions on 12 November. [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule] [Adaptation Good Practice Checklist] [African Centre for Technology Studies Announcement of ‘Enhancing Adaptation to Climate Change in Developing Countries Through Community-based Adaptation’ Book Launch] [IISD RS Sources]

A number of side events addressed loss and damage and resilience issues. On 12 November, the World Bank, African Union Commission (AUC), African Development Bank (AfDB) and UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) presented the African Climate Resilient Development Facility (AFRI-RES), which is one of the components of the World Bank’s US$16 billion Africa Climate Business Plan. [Africa Climate Business Plan: Accelerating Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Development] [IISD RS Sources]

Loss and damage and resilience issues were also discussed at:

‘Loss and Damage Due to Climate Change: Understanding Values, Vulnerability and Livelihood Security’ presented by the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), An Organization for Socio-Economic Development (AOSED), Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and Pennsylvania State University (PSU) on 12 November 2016 [Side Event Agenda] [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule]
‘Loss and Damage Perspectives and Options’ presented by Practical Action and Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS) on 7 November 2016 [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule] [IISD RS ENBOTS Coverage]
‘Reshaping Development Pathways Towards Climate Resilience’ presented by the UN Secretary General’s Climate Resilience Initiative: Anticipate, Absorb, Reshape (A2R), UN Environment (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) on 11 November 2016 [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule] [IISD RS ENBOTS Coverage] [UN Press Release]
‘Building Resilience and Adaptations Measures with Co-mitigation Benefits in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf’ convened on 10 November 2016 by Saudi Arabia and the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule]
‘Building Resilience for Climate Change Adaptation in Archipelagic and Small Island Developing States (SIDS)’ held by Indonesia, the International Coastal and Ocean Organization (ICO) and World Ocean Network (WON) on 11 November 2016 [Side Event Concept Note] [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule]
‘Demonstrations of Combining Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in Development’ convened on 12 November 2016 by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Foundation for Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions (FDDM), the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) [Side Event Agenda] [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule] [IISD RS ENBOTS Coverage]
‘Insurance in the Context of Adaptation: What next after the Paris Agreement?’ presented by Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII) and Munich Re Foundation (MRF) on 8 November 2016 [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule]

Other topical issues discussed at COP 22 side events included climate change adaptation and health, NAPs, climate change-induced migration and the role of traditional knowledge (TK) in climate change adaptation. Events that addressed those issues included:

‘Tenth Focal Point Forum of the Nairobi Work Programme (NWP) on Health and Adaptation’ convened by the UNFCCC Secretariat on 9 November 2016 to discuss new actions that could respond to key challenges in the area of climate impacts on human health [Tenth Focal Pont Forum UNFCCC Webpage] [IISD RS ENBOTS Coverage]
Understanding the NAPs and NDCs linkages: Experiences from the Philippines’ presented by Ateneo De Manila University School of Government on 7 November 2016 [Side Event Concept Note] [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule] [IISD RS ENBOTS Coverage]
‘Climate Adaptation Policies, NAPs and Stakeholder Engagement’ convened on 11 November 2016 by Sri Lanka and Centro Alexander von Humboldt [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule]
‘Paris Implementation: Sustained Peer Learning, Coordination and Support in the NAP Global Network’ held on 9 November 2016 by Grenada and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule] [IISD RS ENBOTS Coverage]
‘Climate-Related Displacement and Migrants: Rights and Responsibilities After Paris’ presented by ActionAid, Asian Peoples Movement for Debt and Development (APMDD), Climate Action Network (CAN) South Asia, the Coastal Association for Social Transformation Trust (COAST Trust), Friends of the Earth International and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) on 10 November 2016 [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule] [IISD RS ENBOTS Coverage]
‘Traditional Indigenous Peoples Knowledge as a Viable Way for Climate Change Adaptation’ presented by Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), Tanzania Indigenous Peoples Taskforce on Climate Change (TIPTCC), Pastoralists Indigenous Non-Governmental Organizations Forum (PINGOs Forum), Congrès Mondial Amazigh (CMA), Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) and Mainyoito Pastoralists Integrated Development Organisation (MPIDO) on 8 November 2016 [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule] [IISD RS ENBOTS Coverage]
‘Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17 (Partnership for the Goals): Science for Informed Mitigation and Adaptation Choices’ presented by the UN on 11 November 2016 [Side Event Concept Note] [Side Event Agenda] [COP 22 Side Events and Exhibits Schedule]

Regional Conferences Promote DRR, Adaptation in Water Sector

Prior to COP 22, the Asian Ministerial Conference on DRR (AMCDRR) 2016 and EUROPE-International Network of Basin Organizations (EUROPE-INBO) 2016 addressed regional challenges to climate change adaptation.

AMCDRR 2016 convened in New Delhi, India, from 2-5 November, and resulted in the adoption of the Asia Regional Plan for Implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR 2015-2030, as well as the New Delhi Declaration 2016, in which ministers and heads of delegation to the AMCDRR call on governments and stakeholders to, inter alia, pursue a “paradigm shift” from DRM to DRR. It was also announced that full-scale monitoring of the Sendai Framework for DRR will commence in 2020. [AMCDRR 2016 Website] [Asia Regional Plan for Implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR 2015-2030] [New Delhi Declaration 2016] [Summary of Statements by Ministers and Heads of Delegation] [UNISDR Press Release on Asia Adopting Regional DRR Plan] [Opening Remarks by UNISDR Head Robers Glasser] [Closing Remarks by UNISDR Head Robert Glasser] [Speech by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon] [UNISDR Press Release on India Hosting AMCDRR 2016] [UNISDR Press Release Highlighting Developments from Sendai to New Delhi] [UNISDR Press Release on India’s PM Urging AMCDRR 2016 to Embrace Sendai Spirit] [UNISDR Press Release Announcing Sendai Framework for DRR Monitoring]

EUROPE-INBO 2016 was held in Lourdes, France, from 19-22 October. One of the key issues addressed by the conference was climate change adaptation, with specific focus on: resources management, scarcity and drought; and knowledge of flood risks, management of aquatic environments and preventive measures in the basins. [EUROPE-INBO 2016 Website] [EUROPE-INBO Declaration of Lourdes] [EUROPE-INBO 2016 Webpage of Euro-Mediterranean Information System on Know-how in the Water Sector] [Climate-ADAPT Press Release]

UNHCR Answers FAQ on Climate Change Displacement, Publications Enhance Global Cooperation on Adaptation

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) answered frequently asked questions (FAQ) on climate change-induced displacement, including on: the number of people already displaced by climate change and how many will be displaced in the future; regions most at risk; the definition of a “climate change refugee”; how the Paris Agreement on climate change addresses displacement; and the UNHCR’s expectations for COP 22. [UNHCR FAQ on Climate Change and Disaster Displacement]

A number of recently issued publications enhance adaptation good practice and cooperation, including: a policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) titled ‘Transnational climate change impacts: An entry point to enhanced global cooperation on adaptation?’; and a ‘Responding to climate change’ fact sheet by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). [Transnational Climate Change Impacts: An Entry Point to Enhanced Global Cooperation On Adaptation?] [Publication: Responding to Climate Change]

European Climate Change Adaptation Conference 2017 Registration Open

Registration is now open for the European Climate Change Adaptation conference 2017 (ECCA 2017). Themed ‘Our Climate Ready Future,’ ECCA 2017 will take place in Glasgow, UK, from 5-9 June 2017. [ECCA 2017 Registration Webpage] [Climate-ADAPT Press Release]