ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE: UNEP-Supported Options for Closing the Gap. Valerie Kapos UNEP-WCMC

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1 ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE: UNEP-Supported Options for Closing the Gap Valerie Kapos UNEP-WCMC

2 The Adaptation Gap Goals... Finance - $ Bn/year by 2050 Increasing adaptation effort Impact reduction achieved Adaptation cf $23-26 Bn spend in gap Technology - needs vs transfer, uptake, capacity Tolerated impacts Knowledge - production, integration, transfer/access Technical and physical limits to adaptation

3 UNEP's adaptation work covers four, overlapping areas: 1. direct support for adaptation action; 2. ecosystem based approaches; 3. finance for adaptation; 4. analytic, scientific and knowledge exchange

4 Global Environment Facility M$ - active M$ (co-finance) GEF Adaptation Portfolio: Funding Number of projects: M$ - GEF sec cleared 50 M$ - Pipeline Portfolio Growth active projects: 34 (28 single country, 5 global, 2 regional) technically cleared: 4 Pipeline:

5 Mission: Stimulate technology cooperation and enhance the development and transfer of technologies to developing country Parties at their request. Services: Climate Technology Centre & Network Mandate 1. Technical assistance to developing countries 2. Knowledge sharing and training Mitigation Energy, Forestry, Transport Adaptation Water resources, Industry, Coastal, Terrestrial, Infrastructure & Settlement, Health, Tourism, Forestry, Agriculture, Early warning/drr... Value proposition: Unlocking barriers to investment climate smart technology solutions

6 Dominican Republic: Early Warning Protocol Challenge/Request: Increased frequency and intensity of extreme storms. Mechanisms exist to gain early warning information. But the system for communicating it to the public needs improvement. CTCN Response: Help strengthen communications protocols Identify new technologies (including mobile phone app) Help broker private financing for development and scale up of communication. Result: Save life and sustain economy through improved early warning communications protocol

7 Ecosystem-based Adaptation - EBA Ecosystem-based adaptation is the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall adaptation strategy to help people to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2009). Connecting Biodiversity and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: Report of the Second Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Biodiversity and Climate Change. Related concepts: soft engineering ; eco-disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR); nature-based defences, green infrastructure

8 Takes account of dependencies Source: adapted from Jupiter et al. (2013). Symbols used in diagram are courtesy of the Integration and Application Network, University of Maryland Centre for Environmental Science (ian.umces.edu/symbols/)

9 Examples of EBA-relevant interventions Interventions covered in the peer-reviewed and grey literature (from Doswald et al. 2014) Intervention Sustainable forest management Reforestation Tree shelterbelts Agroforestry/silvopastoralism Livelihood diversification/alternative strategies Integrated watershed management Managed realignment Integrated coastal zone management Mangrove restoration Coastal vegetation buffer sustainable management Wetlands restoration Floodplain management Rangeland management Conservation agriculture Soil conservation Impact/hazard addressed Reductions in productivity Flooding/erosion/water regulation Drought Drought/ reductions in productivity Drought Drought Sea-level rise/storm wave induced erosion Sea-level rise/storm wave induced erosion Sea-level rise/storm wave induced erosion Sea-level rise/storm wave induced erosion/storm surges Surface water shortage and flooding Flooding Loss of husbandry water source/grazing Reductions in productivity Reductions in productivity

10 State of the evidence-base Many anecdotal case studies few reviews Broad range of literature makes up evidence-base Need consolidation to enable decision-making CambridgeConservationInitiative

11 Does EBA work? Systematic review, Doswald et al. (2014): Ecosystem based approaches are not novel they have a long history EBA has been used to address a broad range of climate change hazards and impacts The majority of fully analysed studies concluded that EBA was an effective approach Conclusion: EBA approaches are effective; deserve greater policy attention & political support to reach full potential Gaps in knowledge Comparisons needed between EBA and alternatives 10% peer-reviewed literature Costs - economic (inc. operational, opportunity), social, environmental Whether EBA is supported by policies Temporal and spatial aspects of effectiveness

12 Does EBA work? There is considerable evidence about the contribution that healthy, natural or modified ecosystems make to reducing the risks of climate extremes and disasters. There is a range of physical and biophysical defensive measures which can reduce the direct impact of extreme weather on people. Engineering options tend to be effective in offering protection, but can have other negative impacts. Ecosystem-based approaches tend to offer more additional benefits, including protection against multiple hazards, but evidence regarding their effectiveness varies. Hybrid approaches can combine the advantages of both types of option.

13 Timeframes EBA can be slower management implications Long-term resilience is crucial

14 Thresholds & Limits Limit to climatic impacts for which EBA can provide adaptation benefits Wetlands can prevent flooding only up to a certain threshold Corals can dissipate wave energy, provide natural beach nourishment, serve as a nursery for fish (important in the context of livelihoods), but they can t stop sea level rising.

15 Potential for Maladaptation climate sensitivity, species choice Forest diebacks in China not adapted species Allen 2009, Unasylva

16 EBA effectiveness is contingent on the impacts of other pressures

17 Reducing existing pressures may be needed to maintain resilience

18 Low environmental impact especially in comparison to hard adaptation approaches Matthew Barker AP Bradbury

19 Low cost?

20 Resilience to extremes Engineering options Often most effective in reducing impacts Few additional benefits Evidence base strong Ecosystem-based options Often most affordable Have positive additional consequences, (but often not as effective at reducing impacts) Evidence-base weaker -> uncertainty re: effectiveness. Hybrid options Medium effectiveness & affordability Often positive additional consequences Evidence strength variable; generally >ecosystem-based options.

21 Challenges in implementing EBA Conflicting demands on land Securing stakeholder/community support Funding Current knowledge not always adequate for effective design - Data - Technical knowledge/communication of technical concepts - Documentation of good practice or successful examples Elements of success: stakeholder engagement and communication, and monitoring and adaptive management

22 EBA? (Ecosystem service delivery) healthy biodiversity Some ecosystem-based solutions may not be beneficial for, or depend on biodiversity Focal ecosystem for adaptation may not be the same as focal ecosystem for conservation

23 Ways forward Understanding climate uncertainties & improving projections Improving vulnerability assessments - taking account of ecosystem services Identifying potential complementarities (and differences) with biodiversity conservation needs Understanding ecosystem resilience and its limits Improving the evidence base (specific approaches and conditions often context dependent) Filling knowledge gaps

24 2014 EbA Resolution Requests the Executive Director in partnership with Governments, scientific institutions, United Nations agencies, civil society and other relevant stakeholders to support developing countries for ecosystem-based adaptation programmes and activities through, inter alia, practical tools and pilot projects Encourages all countries to include and improve ecosystem-based adaptation in their national policies Calls upon countries in position to do so to support projects and development policies for adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change that take into account ecosystems

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26 UNEP s EBA Portfolio UNEP specifically works on EBA in: Mountain, Agricultural, River Basin, Coastal, Urban and Periurban areas, Wetlands, and Desert Ecosystems

27 Ecosystem Based Adaptation in Mountain Ecosystems Nepal Peru Uganda

28 Building Capacity for Coastal Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in Small Islands Developing States To strengthen the climate change resilience and adaptive capacity of communities and societies in SIDS with high dependence on ecosystem services provided by healthy tropical coastal ecosystems Enhance planning tools, build capacity and share best practices globally Grenada and Seychelles

29 Urban EBA An emerging field, which focuses on ecosystems in peri-urban areas Large urban areas cannot survive without healthy surrounding peri-urban areas that can supply the urban populations with fresh water, clean air, timber resources, fodder and energy sources

30 Supporting Access to the Green Climate Fund UNEP recently accredited as a GCF Implementing Entity GCF Readiness and Preparatory Support Programmes: Benin, Colombia, El Salvador, Fiji, Ghana, Kenya, Nepal, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Comoros, Djibouti, Vanuatu and others to come Supporting: The Gambia, and several sub-saharan African countries to develop full proposals, more to come

31 PROVIA PROVIA is a global initiative which aims to provide direction, and capacitybuilding at the international level for research on vulnerability, impacts and adaptation Parent organizations UNEP, UNESCO and WMO; Secretariat at UNEP; counterpart to WCRP 31

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33 Conclusion Enhancing progress on adaptation Finance and access to resources Technology & Capacity enhancing transfer & uptake Knowledge Better understanding of Vulnerability Resilience Effectiveness Evidence & Experience Base Uncertainties

34 Thank you!