Guidelines for non-Annex I National Communications Implications for Assessment of Impacts of, and Adaptation to Climate Change Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop Bangkok, Thailand March 2003 Graham Sem Non-Annex I Implementation Programme UNFCCC secretariat

Information to be communicated in national communications (Article 12.1) In accordance with Article 4.1, each Party shall communicate to the COP, through the secretariat, the following elements of information: A national inventory of anthropogenic emission by sources and removals by sinks of all GHGs not controlled by the Montreal Protocol, to the extent its capacities permit, using comparable methodologies to be promoted and agreed upon by the COP; A general description of steps taken or envisaged by the Party to implement the Convention; and Any other information that the Party considers relevant to the achievement of the objective of the Convention and suitable for inclusion in its communication, including, if feasible, material relevant for calculations of global emission trends.

Initial NC Guidelines on vulnerability and adaptation (decision 10/CP.2) Policy frameworks for implementing adaptation measures and response strategies in the context of coastal zone management, disaster preparedness, agriculture, fisheries, and forestry,with a view to integrating climate change impact information, as appropriate, into national planning processes (c) Programmes containing measures the Party believes contribute to addressing climate change and its adverse impacts, including the abatement of increase in greenhouse gas emissions and enhancement of removals by sinks (e) General description of steps (par. 15) … the initial communication should seek to include, as appropriate: …… Financial and technological needs and constraints (par.22) … the assessment of national, regional and/or subregional vulnerability to climate change

National communication submissions by region Asia-Pacific region 52 Parties 31 submitted 9 LDCs

Methods and tools –IPCC Technical Guidelines (1994) –UNEP Handbook (1998) and the International Handbook (USCSP) –GCM-based scenarios –MAGICC-SCENGEN –Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) –Own models for water resource assessments Impacts being experienced already Impacts will be exacerbated in the future Main problems –Methodological –Institutional –Financial and technical Vulnerability and adaptation information from developing countries

Methodological problems Climate change versus climate variability Climate change scenarios Climate change as a dominant driver of change Incompatibility with local capacities

Institutional problems Lack of appropriate institutions Lack of participation by policy-makers Lack of structures/mechanisms Lack of capacity

Financial/technical problems Data acquisition Institutional strengthening Capacity building

Guidelines adopted at COP8 (Decision 17/CP.8) Guidelines contained in the annex to decision 17/CP.8, together with the guidance to an operating entity of the financial mechanism provided in decision 6/CP.8, should be used for the preparation of second and, where appropriate, third and initial national communications

Guidelines adopted at COP8 (Decision 17/CP.8)  Section I: Objectives  “shall”, “should”, “may”, “are encouraged”  consistent, transparent, comparable, flexible  the extent to which developing country Parties … will depend on the effective implementation by developed country Parties of their commitments under the Convention relating to financial resources and transfer of technology.  Section II: National circumstances  Section III: National GHG inventory  Section IV: General description of steps  programmes containing measures to facilitate adequate adaptation  programmes containing measures to mitigate climate change  Section V: Other information  transfer of technologies (4/CP.7)  research and systematic observation (5/CP.5)  education, training and public awareness (Article 6)  capacity-building (2/CP.7)  information and networking  Section VI: Constraints and gaps  Section VII: Submission

General description of steps (paras ) Programmes containing measures to facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change Each Party shall … provide to the COP information on the general description of steps taken or envisaged towards formulating, implementing, publishing and regularly updating national and, where appropriate, regional programmes containing measures to facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change, … Non-Annex I Parties should provide information on their vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change, and on adaptation measures being taken to meet specific needs and concerns arising from these adverse effects.

Methodological approaches Non-Annex I Parties may use appropriate methodologies and guidelines they consider better able to reflect their national situation for assessing their vulnerability and adaptation to climate change, provided that these methodologies and guidelines are consistent, transparent and well documented. Non-Annex I Parties are encouraged to use, for the evaluation of adaptation strategies and measures, appropriate methodologies they consider better able to reflect their national situation, provided that these methodologies are consistent, transparent and well documented.

Reporting Encouraged to provide information on: the scope of their V&A, including vulnerable areas most critical (32) the description of approaches, methodologies, tools (scenarios and uncertainties) the vulnerability to impacts of, and adaptation to, climate change in key vulnerable areas — “ direct and indirect effects” allowing for an “integrated analysis” (34) the evaluation of strategies and measures for adapting in key areas of the “highest priority” (35) the policy framework such as NAPAs for LDC for developing and implementing adaptation strategies and measures (36)

Non-Annex I Parties may include information on opportunities for the implementation of adaptation measures, including pilot and/or demonstration adaptation projects being undertaken or proposed. Non-Annex I Parties may also provide information on barriers to the implementation of adaptation measures. Non-Annex I Parties may include, as appropriate, information on how support programmes from Parties included in Annex II to the Convention are meeting their specific needs and concerns relating to vulnerability and adaptation to climate change. (p. 53) Reporting

UNFCCC Guidelines and their implications for AIACC Flexibility, provided that methods are consistent, transparent and well documented Identify the most critical areas for countries Document “uncertainties” Account for direct and indirect effects Allow for integrated analysis Identify for all countries key areas and determine what should have the highest priority Incorporate policy analysis (eg. NAPAs) in order to develop and implement adaptation strategies and measures Limited resources