1. 5/9/2019
Reporting on vulnerability assessment, climate change impacts and adaptation, and research and systematic observation Olga Pilifosova UNFCCC Secretariat
My name is O.P. My presentation will address two issues: Reporting of information on vulnerability assessment, climate change impacts and adaptation measures, and reporting on research and systematic observation
5/9/2019
UN ECE Energy Efficiency 21 Project

2. Vulnerability assessment, climate change impacts and adaptation
5/9/2019
Purpose/mandate
Article 4.1(b) and 4.1 (e): All Parties shall formulate, implement, cooperate in, publish and regularly update national and regional programmes containing measures to … facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change ...
Reporting and problems:
good representation of information on impacts ASSESSMENT based on climate change scenarios,
a lack of information on adaptation and “formulation and implementation” of measures
more information available during IDR
“good practices”: reporting on measures designed to target other current needs but which facilitate adaptation to cc
Purpose/mandate. Article 4.1(b) commits Parties to “formulate, implement, publish and regularly update national and … regional programmes containing measures to … facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change”. Further, Article 4.1 (e) requests “cooperate in preparing for adaptation to the impacts to climate change…”.
Reporting and Problems. :
Most Parties reported, in various degrees of detail, on the vulnerability of ecosystems, economic sectors and society, and the related expected impact of climate change. A few Parties reported on undertaking specific programmes to adapt to climate change. Especially Parties vulnerable to sea level rise are responding to this threat by developing coastal defence mechanisms..
In-depth review did not reveal serious problems in the reporting, although more information than reported was often available to the reviewers. In most cases Parties limited their reporting to information about V&A ASSESSMENT based on climate change scenarios. The issue of “formulation and implementation” of measures and national programmes containing measures on adaptation received less attention.
The main reason for Parties not reporting in more detail is that most adaptation measures are still at the research stage. Another reason could be that reporting guidelines are very flexible that implies that this issue is not a high priority, in the sense of reporting, for Annex I Parties.
Some Parties reported on measures that were designed to target other current needs, but which also facilitate adaptation to climate change. Some Parties for example mentioned such supporting measures to achieve better adaptation as administrative changes, improving management plans and strategies, water management and erosion control etc.
5/9/2019
UN ECE Energy Efficiency 21 Project

3. Vulnerability assessment, climate change impacts and adaptation
5/9/2019
New reporting guidelines
request “to include information on the expected impacts of climate change and an outline of the action taken to implement Article 4.1(b) and (e) with regard to adaptation”
specify sectors and methods for V&A assessment
use mandatory language (“shall”) and encourage to report in more detail on:
A. Expected impacts of climate change
B. Vulnerability Assessment
C. Adaptation measures
Conclusion
reporting on V&A assessment and implementation becomes very important
New Guidelines
First of all, this section almost has not been changed in the new guidelines.
In spite of the long title of the section it consists of only 1 paragraph, which requests Parties “to include information on the expected impacts of climate change and an outline of the action taken to implement Article 4.1(b) and (e) with regard to adaptation.” It specifies sectors for which such assessment is especially important and encouraged Parties to use IPCC technical guidelines for assessment and methodologies summarized in the UNEP Handbook on Methods for Climate Change Impacts Assessment and Adaptation Strategies”.
The new guidelines allow a lot of flexibility in reporting, but still the language now is more demanding/mandatory (shell). Note that the word “brief” referring to reporting has disappeared from the guidelines. More important is that they refer to the Articles of the Convention which [back to 1st slide] commit Parties to “publish and regularly update national and regional programs containing measures to facilitate adaptation to cc.”
In conclusion. Now improved reporting on the issue is becoming more important than probably ever before:
In the UNFCCC process adaptation one of the emerging issues for non-Annex I Parties, and a number of decisions regarding implementation of adaptation under the Convention and Kyoto Protocol are under negotiation now.
IPCC explicitly stated as one of the scientific findings of the Third Assessment Report (TAR), which has recently been approved, that “Adaptation is a necessary strategy to compliment climate change mitigation effort”.
A more detailed reporting on your national programs, experiences in adaptation, research in the area of V&A assessment would be extremely helpful means to encourage South -Noth cooperation and share experience and good practices in this area with non-Annex I countries.
Taking an opportunity I would also like to draw your attention to the work that the UNFCCC secretariat on collection and dissemination of information on methods and tools to assess vulnerability and adaptation that also might be useful in your work. Please see me regarding the detail if interested.
5/9/2019
UN ECE Energy Efficiency 21 Project

4. Research and systematic observation
5/9/2019
Research and systematic observation
Purpose/mandate:
Articles 4.1 (g) and (h), 5:
...shall promote and co-operate in … research and systematic observation and development of data archives”, “fully participate in the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) process, and support international programs and networks...”
Decisions 14/CP4: requests submit information on national plans in re- participation in GOS
Decisions 5/CP5: adopts UNFCCC reporting guidelines on global climate observing systems.
RESEARCH AND SYSTEMATIC OBSERVATION.
Purpose/mandate. Several clauses in the Convention and a number of decisions of the Conferences of Parties refer to the issue of Research and Systematic Observation.
Articles 4.1(g) and (h), 5 of the Convention, request Parties to “promote and co-operate in … research and systematic observation and development of data archives”, “fully participate in the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) process, and support international programs and networks.
Decision 14/CP.4, requested Parties to submit information on national plans and programmes in relation to their participation in global observing systems for climate, in the context of reporting on research and systematic observation, as an element of Annex I Parties national communications and, as appropriate, from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention (non-Annex I Parties).
Decision 5/CP.5 adopted the UNFCCC guidelines for reporting on global climate observing systems.
5/9/2019
UN ECE Energy Efficiency 21 Project

5. Research and systematic observation
5/9/2019
Research and systematic observation
Status of reporting
Research: specific problems raised by climate change - GHG mitigation and V&A; building research capacity in developing countries, participation in international research programmes
Systematic observation: data monitoring, collection and archives; involvement in relevant international programmes; promoting regional co-operation
Problems
no problems in reporting
scope, coverage and level of detail of the reporting varied considerably, that made analysis pursuant 14/CP4 difficult
On the issue of research Parties reported on national programmes that focused on specific solutions to the problems raised by climate change. These included research on improving technologies, particularly in the energy sector, understanding the impact of climate change, as well as possible adaptation strategies in different sectors, including agriculture, forestry, water resources and ecosystems. Some Parties, [including Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States], referred to programmes designed to built research capacity in developing countries. Regarding the international research activities, Parties indicated involvement in a number of programmes ( International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the International Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Programme (IHDP).)
On systematic observation Many Parties indicated that their participation in SO were very important international activities. Altogether twenty-five Parties reported on research and systematic observation within their second national communications. Of these, 23 Parties reported at varying levels of coverage on data monitoring, collection and archives. Parties also mentioned their involvement in other relevant international programmes including the World Weather Watch (WWW), the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW), the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) and the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). Activities aimed at promoting regional cooperation in systematic observations were reported by a large number of Parties.
Problems. As in the case of reporting on V&A, in-depth review did not reveal serious problems in the reporting on R&SO. However, further work relating to decision 14/CP4 revealed that the scope, coverage and level of detail of the reporting varied considerably, and it made analysis of climate observing network pursuant the decision difficult. The former guidelines were very flexible in their requirements for the reporting on SO, and that was probably the main reason of such a diversity of reporting on the matter.
5/9/2019
UN ECE Energy Efficiency 21 Project

6. Research and systematic observation
5/9/2019
Research and systematic observation
New reporting guidelines
Parties shall communicate information on their actions relating to research and systematic observation and action taken to support related capacity-building in developing countries
Outline for reporting
A. General policy on and funding of research and systematic observation
B. Research
C. Systematic observation.
To guide reporting under, parts A and C, Parties should refer to the UNFCCC reporting guidelines on global climate observing systems.
Parties shall submit separate report on GCOS according to the guidelines and provide summary information in their NCs.
New reporting guidelines on R&SO:
It is a bit tricky.
The guidelines provide an outline for reporting and request Parties to communicate information on their actions relating to research and systematic observation, address both domestic and international activities; and reflect action taken to support related capacity-building in developing countries.
The outline for reporting includes three sections:
A. General policy on and funding of research and systematic observation;
B. Research
C. Systematic observation.
To guide reporting under, parts A and C, Parties should refer to the detailed guidance provided in the UNFCCC reporting guidelines on global climate observing systems. The information identified in these guidelines shall be communicated by the Party in a single (supplementary) document. In their national communications Parties shall provide only summary of this report on global climate observing system activities.
5/9/2019
UN ECE Energy Efficiency 21 Project

7. Research and systematic observation
5/9/2019
Research and systematic observation
UNFCCC reporting guidelines on global climate observing systems
Purpose: to assist Parties in reporting their actions with regard to global climate observing systems, development of observational networks and, as appropriate, support for non-Annex I Parties to the Convention,
Outline for reporting
A. General approach to systematic observation
B. Meteorological and atmospheric observation
C. Oceanographic observations
D. Terrestrial observations
E. Space-based observing programmes
Conclusion
reporting according to new guidelines would allow to more adequately identify the existing deficiencies in observational networks and address Articles 4.1(g) and (h), 5 and 12.1(b)
The purpose of the UNFCCC guidelines on GCOS is to assist Parties in reporting in their actions with regard to global climate observing systems, development of observational networks and, as appropriate, support for non-Annex I Parties to the Convention.
The guidelines provide an outline of the reporting requesting to report on: see slide
The guidelines provide standard templates of tables to fill in order to facilitate reporting in more comparable and precise manner as well as facilitate integration of national reports.
In Conclusions. The adoption of the new guidelines on R&SO marks an important achievement, since it request Annex I Parties to provide more uniform and comprehensive information about their activities. I would like to refer again to the IPCC TAR, WGI report highlighted in the section regarding future needs, that “A serious concern is the decline of observational networks.” It defined reversing “the decline of observational networks in many parts of the world” as the first in the list of high priority areas for action. It is our hope that the UNFCCC reporting on systematic observation according to the guidelines will subsequently allow to undertake more comprehensive syntheses of the information, and more adequately identify the existing deficiencies in observational networks and address respective Articles, and help to contribute to the science of climate change as well.
Good luck with your reporting.
5/9/2019
UN ECE Energy Efficiency 21 Project