30 October 2012: The UNFCCC Secretariat has published the report of the Consultative Group of Experts on National Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention (CGE) on a hands-on training workshop for the Asia and Pacific region on vulnerability and adaptation assessment (FCCC/SBI/2012/32). The workshop was held in Vientiane, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, from 8-12 October 2012.

The report outlines the workshop proceedings and contains the feedback and recommendations from the participants relating to the updated CGE training materials on vulnerability and adaptation assessment, and the financial, technical and institutional issues in the context of national communication preparation. Presentations during the workshop included: country presentations outlining domestic institutional arrangements to undertake vulnerability and adaptation assessments; vulnerability and adaptation frameworks; and vulnerability and adaptation assessment scenarios, including baseline socioeconomic and climate change scenarios. Sectoral training sessions were also carried out on specific issues, including on: human health, water and coastal resources and agriculture.

Participants highlighted, among other useful aspects of the workshop, the opportunity to understand various approaches for national communications, adaptation options and general information on cross-sectoral and multisectoral integration, as well as the practical application of models, including the interpretation of their results for policymaking. [Publication: CGE’s Progress Report on the Asia Pacific Training Workshop]