1. Mainstreaming Adaptation into National Development Plans By Dr
Mainstreaming Adaptation into National Development Plans By Dr. Bill Dougherty Dr. Balgis Osman Elasha

2. Outline of talk Overview of mainstreaming Perspective from Sudan
What does it mean?
Why is mainstreaming necessary?
What will it require?
Perspective from Sudan
What does it mean in the context of Sudan?
Why is mainstreaming necessary in Sudan?
What will it require in terms of near-term national action?

3. What Does Adaptation Mean? Definitions
Mainstreaming: used to describe the consideration of climate change adaptation in national (and regional) decision making processes (planning, budgeting etc.)
Integration: used when specific adaptation measures are added to the development plan or strategy

4. What Does Adaptation Mean? Basic Approaches
Mainstreaming from top-down:
General awareness building
Addressing adaptation concerns in new and existing national (and regional) development policies, plans and projects (“we should do…”)
Revising existing national development policies, plans and projects to address maladaptive elements (“we should avoid doing…”)
Mainstreaming from bottom-up:
Integrating adaptation components into new and existing community development projects and activities
Revising existing local development projects and activities to address maladaptive elements

5. What Does Adaptation Mean? Leverage Points
National sustainable development strategies
Poverty Reduction Strategy
Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan
Combating Desertification Strategy & Action Plan
Climate-related plans (NAPA, SNC)
Synergies (links between the MEAs)
Existing planning processes e.g. EIA
Sectoral policies and plans
Local and community-based natural resource management plans

6. Why is mainstreaming necessary?
Findings summarized in the IPCC/TAR (2001) and supported by the report "Poverty and Climate Change" (2003) indicate that the poorest people in the world are the most vulnerable to impacts of climate change. The main objective of adaptation is to reduce the vulnerability to climate change impacts
Adaptation no longer focused on predicting impacts; latest trends suggest adaptation should concentrate on strengthening adaptive capacity of social and ecological systems

7. Why is mainstreaming necessary? (2)
Urgency of the problem
Lack of definitive commitment to climate change adaptation in Africa
Difficulty of establishing a new stand-alone strategy for adaptation (priority issues)
Avoidance of negative impacts on adaptation (mal-adaptation)

8. Why is mainstreaming necessary? (3)
If developing countries need to focus on increasing adaptive capacity over the long term:
Ad hoc responses (short-term responses, uncoordinated processes, isolated projects, etc.) are not a solution
Solution will need to involve:
mainstreaming adaptation into national development processes
integrating adaptation into all relevant strategies, policies, programs and projects

9. Mainstreaming adaptation: What does it require?
Mainstreaming from top-down:
General awareness building
Working within key policy and planning “entry points”
Working with key “enabling” figures (influential policy-makers, ministries, etc.)
Mainstreaming from bottom-up:
Working within key local development “entry points”
Working with key local development “enablers” (e.g., decision-makers, NGOs, vulnerable populations)

10. Mainstreaming adaptation: What does it require? (2)
Mainstreaming from top-down (examples of key inputs):
Effective case for mainstreaming (links, efficiencies, no-regrets)
Political will of several key “enablers”
Strategy for effective policy integration
Dynamic leadership of mainstreaming process
Institutional awareness building
Mainstreaming from bottom-up (examples of key inputs):
Effective case for mainstreaming (links, opportunities, no-regrets)
Political will of several key local “enablers”
Practical guidance for local development activities
NGO and public awareness building campaign/outreach strategy

12. Perspective from Sudan: Why is mainstreaming necessary?
Sudan is highly vulnerable to climate impacts, in particular drought; through its First National Communications, Sudan has identified key climate change vulnerabilities
Much of Sudan’s vulnerability stems from low adaptive capacity – a result of poor development and poverty
Effective adaptation will address these root causes
For a range of reasons (competing priorities, efficiency, etc.) adaptation should work through existing efforts to address root causes

13. Perspective from Sudan: What does mainstreaming mean?
In Sudan, examples of mainstreaming opportunities include:
UNCBD: National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)
UNCCD: National Action Programme
National Environmental Policy and Policy Act
Roll Back Malaria Plan of Action
25-Year Strategy
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper

14. Perspective from Sudan: What does mainstreaming mean? (2)
Adaptation within the Poverty Reduction Strategy Process (PRSP)
The Poverty Reduction Strategy Process (PRSP) started in A higher council {HC} chaired by the President of the Republic was established by presidential decree in year 2000, to supervise the preparation and implementation of a comprehensive program for Poverty Reduction.

15. Perspective from Sudan: What does mainstreaming mean? (3)
PRSP main objectives:
Maintaining Economic Stability.
Ensuring Political Stability (through Peace Process).
Achieving Social Stability.
Increasing Standards of living
Assist in achieving Debt Relief
Assist in the flow of External Funding.

16. Perspective from Sudan: What does mainstreaming mean? (4)
Main PRSP Pillars
Economic Stability
Environmental Integrity
Social Stability
Political Stability

17. Perspective from Sudan: What does mainstreaming mean? (5)
Hypothetical demonstration
To demonstrate the possibility of mainstreaming of adaptation into the Sudan poverty reduction strategy, we are going to consider specific adaptation measures adopted by the rural communities in Western Sudan, (pilot case study)
This example represents an opportunity for linking both top-down (PRSP) and bottom-up (community-based project) mainstreaming

18. Mapping adaptation against the PRSP:
Perspective from Sudan: What does mainstreaming mean? (6)
Mapping adaptation against the PRSP:
Pillars of the
Economic stability
Social stability
Environmental integrity
Political stability
Poverty Reduction
strategy
SL Generic -
Average
income levels -
Migration (slowed, -
Land degradation (slowed -
Reduced conflicts over
indicators
(stabilized or increased);
stabilized, or reversed
or reversed);
natural resources -
Participation of local -
Condition of the vegetation
communities in community
cover
(stabilized or
works
and in the decision
improved);
making processes -
Soil and/or crop (
improved or decreased )
productivity (stabilized or
increased);
Adaptation -
Introduction of -
Community development -
Rangeland rehabilitation -
Institution building
Strategies
revolving credit -
Training
& capacity -
Water harvesting and -
Increasing number of
Building
management -
Conflict resolution
livelihood alternatives -
Community institutional -
Stabilization of sand dunes
(income generating
structure created -
Creation of windbreaks
activities

19. Perspective from Sudan: What does mainstreaming require?
Opportunities for enhancing integration of adaptation
objectives of adaptation could be translated into community resource management strategies and mainstreamed into development plans
this will lead to the achievement of many economic, environmental and social benefits resulting from the sustainable management of natural resources

20. Perspective from Sudan: What does mainstreaming require? (2)
Opportunities for enhancing integration of adaptation
The integration will as well assist in exploring indigenous knowledge and its importance to local livelihoods.
Development of the Adaptation Policy Framework: A Guideline for Policies to Facilitate Adaptation to Climate Change can improve the knowledge, awareness and government preparedness.

21. Perspective from Sudan: What does mainstreaming require? (3)
Obstacles to enhancing integration of adaptation:
Win-win options which support both adaptation and development objectives tend not to be promoted in development policy and planning as sectoral strategies favour short term economic interest without accounting for longer term impacts on the natural resource base on which poor rural communities depend for their livelihood.

22. Perspective from Sudan: What does mainstreaming require? (4)
Obstacles to enhancing integration of adaptation:
development plans are mostly not finely-tuned to the specific needs, priorities and capacities of local communities (North Models).
Local communities are rarely consulted or able to influence decision-making .
Lack of attention among scientists to identify links to sectoral policies and plans and develop mechanisms for integration

23. Perspective from Sudan: What does mainstreaming require? (5)
Obstacles to enhancing integration of adaptation:
Not engaging all major stakeholders' especially local communities in the process of development planning at the national level.
Lack of sufficient communication and awareness among different stakeholders needed to integrate adaptation in routine development activities.
Tension between the different planning departments which rarely encourage cross-sectoral thinking or approaches

24. Perspective from Sudan: What does mainstreaming require? (6)
Recommendations:
Focus on priorities, outcomes and means of implementation to develop a strategic planning at the national level which is agreed amongst all sectors and levels;
Use a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches beginning at local level and then moving up;
Establish a well defined mechanism for coordination, provide necessary guidance, capacity building and resources;
Institutionalize adaptation planning within each sector and highlight potential incentives;

25. Perspective from Sudan: What does mainstreaming require? (7)
Recommendations:
Secure high level political commitment to support the process of integrating adaptation in the development plans;
Demonstrate through the results of case studies that adaptation is central to key concerns of poverty, social marginalization, conflict and instability etc;
Demonstrate the ways in which adaptation can reinforce existing specific natural resource policies and institutional frameworks (enabling environment);
Provide a framework for monitoring and measuring performance within each sector to be established

26. Thanks
Develop & Adapt
Conserve the Environment