Discussion over Science Based Climate Change Adaptation and Outreach in Cambodia

Transcription

1 Vol. 1 Issue 3, Jul-Sep 2012 Preparation of a Strategic Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) Project The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) through the Climate Change Department of the Ministry of Environment (CCD-MoE) is under-taking a Preparation of a Strategic Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) Project - Phase I (November 2010 to January 2013). The project is financed by the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) and jointly implemented by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank Group. It focuses on 3 sectors such as Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Infrastructure. Contents: Outline Master Plan on Gender Page 3 08 months in 2012 Cambodia Discussion over Science Based Climate Change Adaptation and Outreach in Cambodia Royal Government of Cambodia Page 4 Working Group Discussed Existing.. Page 5 Climate Change related Information. NCDM and Prey Veng s Provincial. Page 6 You are warmly welcomed to PPCR newsletter and do strongly hope that this third issue will raise awareness on implementation of PPCR project in Cambodia. At the same time, respective stakeholders help hand-on dissemination to stakeholders to build their capacity in climate change adaptation and building resilience which is our obligation. In cooperation with line ministries-institutions, civil societies, private sectors and development partners, PPCR is being toward to enhance capacity of Cambodians for climate change adaption and building resilience. Your comments and information request relates to project implementation are highly appreciated and welcomed. Best regards, Newsletter Production Team Findings identified after study and researches through technical service provided by Hatfield in Component 4 and 5 of the PPCR project including 1.A current status of hydrology and meteorology monitoring networks in Cambodia. 2.Downscaling the site-specific climate change data in Cambodia.3. Vulnerability and adaptation (V&A) assessment for key sectors at target provinces (Kampong Thom, Battambang, Stung Streng, and Prey Veng).4.Appropriate conditions and relevance of currently available climate Resilient Decision Support Tools in Cambodia, were discussed and recommended further by line ministries-institutions and development partners, took place on August 2012 at Himawari Hotel, Phnom Penh. These documents are essential-spirit-aid tool towards practical implementation in phase 2 of PPCR which is called SPCR. Moreover, draft website under address of PPCR is also posed to declare website s address to stakeholders that is an easy way to share relevant documents in our outreach activities to raise awareness on climate change as well as to request for comments and recommendations if any. Continued on page 2 Page

2 Discussion over Science...continued from page 1 This discussion was conducted during the Consultation Workshop and Training on Science Based Climate Change Adaptation and Outreach organized by the Ministry of Environment in cooperation with the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology including Hatfield s technical assistance. As climate change is cross-sectoral influence and caused various disaster risks including global warming, seasonal variability, drought, flood, storms, rainfall patterns changes, damage of ecological systems, loss of diversity and outbreak of strange diseases to lose human life and death of animals, these issues have adverse effects on socioeconomic development and public welfare. On the occassion of the opening of the Consultation Workshop and Training, H.E. Thuk Kroeunvutha, Secretary of State, the Ministry of Environment and PPCR Project Coordinator provided his valuable recommendations for immediate actions are supposed to be done such as 1. Identify and review existing documents on vulnerability and adaptation assessments in Cambodia and other countries in Great Mekong Sub-region; 2. Assessment of issue and aspect of vulnerability and adaptation for target provinces and target sectors on literacy review in detail with maping vunerability and climate change risks; 3. Consultation conducted with national and provincial stakeholders to raise awareness and validation of data and 4. Idenified adaptation signature based on impacts and vulnerability caused by climate chnage; and development strategy and action plans and national, provincial and local programmes of existing sectors. Dissemination on this issue to all level publics is important for all to receive information, knowledge, climate change and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in contribution to support, manage, and maintain natural disaster and protect quality of environment on our planet, saying that balancing socioeconomic development in sustainability in terms of economic growth, evironmental sustainability with low carbon emission development and full scale of society and food security. Meanwhile, H.E. In Vithurak, Under Secretary of State, the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MOWRAM) highlights that floods and droughts pose major threats to crops, rural infrastructure, lives of human beings and animals and rural livelihoods. These events are not only more difficult to predict accurately, but also require overall science based information, tools, and modern materials as well as qualified expert officials to support information management on climate change which is occurred frequently. In addition to that, he also stressed that recent flood events caused by extreme weather conditions, have shown that the degree of vulnerability that current development and management regimes are exposed to, and stress the vital importance of data and information collection, dissemination and application to improve preparedness well before and response after each extreme climatic event. All reports and researches are expected to be finalized by the end of December 2012 so they will be enabled to put to uses officially as for references in the future activity implementations. Page 2

3 Outline Master Plan on Gender and Climate Change ( ) will be Finalized Soon The overall draft updated Master Plan on Gender and Climate Change ( ) under the facilitation between the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Women s Affairs (MoWA) will be presented in the final output review workshop sometimes in November 2012 to finalize it. Through the consultative meetings with key stakeholders of this master plan development, the key findings have been raised as below: Awareness raising, capacity building at national, sub-national and grass-root levels on gender and climate change mainstreaming supported by policy, strategy, plan and program/projects are the key essences of building climate resilience recommended by the stakeholders. Substantial gender-responsive collaboration, coordination and partnership with private sectors, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), academia etc. will be enhancing to reduce climate change vulnerability. Addressing of science based adaptations and preparedness against natural disaster, manmade and biological epidemics/pandemic will be working as the safeguard for all investment programs. Master plan on gender and climate change would contribute significantly in awareness raising, institutional and community capacity building, preparedness against all forms of climate variability and disasters fostering the risks reduction approaches, and enhancing economic empowerment particularly women and highly vulnerable people in Cambodia. Leveraging gender responsive policy-strategy reform, development and enabling environment for enhancing climate change adaptation and building resilience for greening economic growth sustainable development issues need to be prioritized. Promotion of gender-responsive Public Private Partnerships (PPP) is very important for the economic growth, risks reduction from climate vulnerability and climate change; science based adaptation & mitigation approaches/initiatives etc.; are needed to consider as fundamental concerns. The PPP should be encouraged to promote the gender-responsive improved-integration of resilience into country development strategies, policies, plans and program/ projects at all levels. The PPP joint efforts should be encouraged to increase gender-segregated capacity to recover from Climate Change & Climate Vulnerability effects in investment programs/projects, specific priority sectors like infrastructures, costal, agricultural, water interventions, social safety-nets, insurance-schemes etc. The greening economic growth, sustainable development, poverty reduction and particularly ensuring safer investments can only be possible through improved institutional capacity, structures and mechanisms, reduced risks from response climate change and biological events/hazards. Multi-sectoral like agriculture and natural resource management, energy, finance, transport and ICT, water resources supply and management, renewable energy, investment funds, micro-finance and micro insurance, contractual savings, water for safer life; balanced development of urban, peri-urban and remote communities; rural transportation and development are highly crucial where gender-responsive mechanism should be established and maintained organically. Gender-responsive PPP, sustained institutional and technical capacity to integrate gender and Climate Change concerns into the development processes, integration of adaptation and mitigation measures into priority sectors; developed risk screening tools to apply for projects in irrigation, food preventions, agriculture, biodiversity, roads & infrastructures, water supply and sanitation and urban development approaches can reduce risks from cumulating of climate variability and climate change ; and enhance greening economic growth, low carbon emission, and sustainable development for Cambodia. The Master Plan on Gender and Climate Change ( ) has been drafted through desk review for understanding the overall progress trend and challenges and meeting with individual professionals and institutions/agencies, CSO and networks, Development Partners, provincial officials as well as consultative workshop at Phnom Penh on April and on June in Siem Reap province. Several meetings with the MoWA officials held at technical levels and a meeting held with the Management Team chaired by H.E. Dr. Ing Kantha Phavi, Minister of Women's Affairs, Royal Government of Cambodia. As a result, it is expected that the Master Plan on Gender and Climate Change will be able to serve as the roadmap in developing policy & strategy on gender and climate change in MoWA, line ministries and institutions that work in the gender and climate change fields in Cambodia, and meet the requirements of the commitments of the Royal Government of Cambodia. Page 3

4 08 months in 2012 Cambodia has been affected by Several Disasters Wednesday, 29 August 2012 reported by DAP Phnom Penh: for the last period of 8 months in 2012 Cambodia has been affected by several disasters which caused losses of infrastructure and crops as well as lives of people. According to the report of National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) of Office of Council of Ministers revealed that for a period of 8 months in 2012, there were inflicted severe effects especially windstorms, floods, drought, fire and infectious diseases. This report has revealed that good distribution of rainfall and scattered about from Mid-January through April and from this month on the mild rain had fallen at some places and short time. Mild rain had and even there was no rain at all in some places from June through week 3 of August, Cambodia had suffered the first regional windstorms (Parkha) in April and eight windstorms (Tycente) in July caused heavy rain in the coastal areas and strong winds. There have been 136 cases of windstorms in 21 municipal-provinces and the most affected provinces were Kampot, Banteaymeanchey, Battambang, that caused 20 deaths and 59 injuries and thunder struck hit with 81 deaths, and 69 injuries. Fire inflicted with 211 cases in 21 municipalities provinces caused 5 deaths and 9 injuries and damages of other properties. 5 deaths of bird flu, 30 deaths of dengue fever and 56 deaths of EV-71. The report highlighted also on productivity activity has got 82% of plan, quantity of production was slower than last year about 6% due to drought. Phnom Penh and 14 provinces has suffered drought which inflicted hectares of nursery seedlings and damages of 704 hectares of seedlings. There should be a reminder of Mekong and Tole Sap water situation and if it is forecasted in the last time by MoWRAM remained the same stance and water may flood to the similar level as Royal Government of Cambodia Has Readily Prepared to Address 2012 Disasters Wednesday, 29 August 2012 reported by DAP Phnom Penh: National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) has met line ministry-institutions and 32 non-governmental organizations to discuss readiness preparation to prevent disasters happening in upcoming time and this is also responded to 11 recommendations of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC). Senior Minister and First Vice Chairman of NCDM on 29 August 2012 stressed to Ministries-Institutions and NGOs in the meeting that their entities have readily prepared to address disaster which may happen specially floods in water rise in upcoming time. He added that RGC has not much things to prepare; it has only established a reserve food committee led by Samdech Techo HUN SEN as a chair meaning that readiness prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries and medicines by the Ministry of Health, and rice by the RGC and fund by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), but has not yet determind. Mr. Phearum, representative of 10 NGOs in that meeting claimed that those 9 NGOs and his has readiness prepared to contribute to the RGC to address flood disaster in He added that objective of 10 NGOs have readiness to support to 13 of 24 provinces as some NGOs have bought some other materials to strengthen their work therefore, amongst the NGOs we have targeted areas for response to disaster especially floods in all 13 provinces. Referring to response report to disaster of NCDM revealed that RGC has set forth 11 principals to strengthen work, prevention to respond and restore when there will be upcoming disaster (Notice No.221 សជណ.សរ dated 24 February 2012). Decision made to offer tasks to leaders of line-ministries and institutions with 06 additional points. In this case, the MEF has cooperated with line ministries-institutions; decree draft to prepare relief foods for disaster time with 16,000 tons; out of this there are 6,000 tons is kept in cash at the MEF, and other 7,000 tons are stored in Green Trade storage of the MEF and 3,000 tons are kept in private storage. Page 4

5 Working Group Discussed Existing Monitoring and Evaluation on Climate Adaptation in Cambodia Cambodia is a showcase country on lessons learned on monitoring and evaluation on climate adaptation with stakeholders, the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience countries and interested development partners. The showcase countries will present PPCR monitoring and evaluation systems in 2012 partnership platform which will be held in 7 and 8 November 2012, in Istanbul, Turkey under organization of Climate Investment Funds. In order to prepare the showcase the workshop of monitoring and evaluation on climate change adaptation at national level was organized on 04 th and 05 th October 2012 for SPCR of PPCR country in cooperation with line ministries - institutions, the Ministry of Planning, Asia Development Bank, World Bank, Civil Society Organizations and other relevant agencies. This workshop focused primarily on M&E systems in Cambodia, obstacles in result frameworks of PPCR project and contribution gaps on M&E capacity by seeking for potential ways that could be smoothly solved, and enhanced understanding and awareness for policy makers on logic model and result framework of PPCR and challenges in setting target indicators and baselines suitable for Cambodia and discussion over technical support on both soft and hard and necessary capacity building for design and management of M&E approaches for SPCR The discussion showed that all indicators that we will raise in discussion results on how enabling us to achieve simplification, sufficient resources and institutional capacity building on M&E processes of PPCR and SPCR in Cambodia to be more effective, on timing in climate adaptation and climate resilient mainstreaming into development plan, programmes, project and strategies at national and sub-national levels. Results of this workshop assisted in basis for preparation of showcases on M&E system of Cambodia to present in 2012 partnership platform. Page 5

6 Climate Change Related Information in Cambodia will be Widely Disseminated through Website, Face book and Skype PPCR Project s website at the Ministry of Environment is under preparation to widely disseminate information and key information-sharing related to climate change issues that attention is being paid by the Royal Government of Cambodia to have preparedness for addressing issues in enthusiastic manner. Apart from website with its address PPCR also has the Face book with address (Preparation of a Strategic Pilot Program for Climate Resilience) and Skype with address (ppcr.moe) to simplify in dialogue for sharing knowledge, experiences, and communication with updated information with ministries-institutions, private sectors, and social organizations. Interested audiences participated in these networks will discuss preparedness and prevention including before, during and post disaster events and climate change, policy support and dissemination for awareness rising. If you interested in participation or suggest any topics for discussion, please feel free to send your Face book and Skype address to you_porny@yahoo.com. NCDM and Prey Veng s Provincial Authority Requests ADB to Donate for Another Flood Protected Embankment Dam in the Provincial Town Friday, 07 September :11 by (DAP) Pa ChethaID-014 Prey Veng : Vice-Chairman of National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) Senior Minister H.E. Nhim Vannda, and Prey Veng Provincial Governor H.E. Has Sareth, including other provincial officials on the fifth of September 25,2012 and ADB officers took a visit to monitor the general status of Prey Veng Provincial flood protected dam embankment in order to provide ability to give assistance in an embankment construction before the upcoming flooding. Senior Minister H.E. Nhim Vannda said that the embankment which was requested to ADB called the Elephant Shelter embankment dam with 752 meters in length that is important for provincial town. He hoped that after taking into account ADB will support it. Prey Veng Provincial Governor Mr. Sin Sarak said that functions of the Elephant Shelter embankment dam is a strategic embankment to prevent flood in the east town which is under construction financed by ADB because its roles is to protect people s lives, infrastructure of one part of provincial town that lives with 5,000 families. He added that we worried about this embankment dam when flooding that was the reason why we invited ADB to monitor. We has prepared bags to prevent against floods but no effectiveness was assured as well as the safety. H.E. Has Sareth, Provincial Governor of Board Governors added that the Elephant Shelter embankment is needed to be constructed to prevent people s lives in the provincial town, therefore, he hopes that ADB will provide possibility to support the province in support to construct the safe embankment. He added, if the request for support to ADB is impossible, we will consider proposing the Ministry of Public Work and Transportation to help make intervention. However, in this regard, Mr. Peter Brimble, vice chair of ADB took into account before response. In this relation of flood prevention in 2012, Prey Veng Governor was recently nominated Mr. Has Sareth told DAP news that Prey Veng has preparedness to prevent and rescue vulnerable people from flood in the whole province. He added, our province has preparedness to safeguard when floods arrive through dissemination to people to alert and we has also prepare for means and materials as well as some resources to rescue when flood. It should be noted that Prey Veng is one of vulnerable province to flood such as flood in 2011 as an example which caused infrastructure, rural roads that the RGC has put its effort to restore continuously. Editor Mrs. You Porny Translator Mr. Soeurn Thab Photos from the PPCR Project PPCR Contact Ministry of Environment (MoE) Climate Change Department (CCD) # 48, Samdech Preah Sihanouk Blvd Sangkat Tonle Bassac, Khan Chamkarmon Phnom Penh, Cambodia Tel: +855 (0) ppcr.moe@gmail.com Websites: Page 6