1. european capacity building initiativeecbi What is for LDCs in the Adaptation negotiations? By: Sumaya Ahmed Zakieldeen (CLACC Fellow, SECS Sudan & Assistant Professor Institute of Environmental Studies) zakields@yahoo.com 27/11/2010 european capacity building initiative initiative européenne de renforcement des capacités ecbi for sustained capacity building in support of international climate change negotiations pour un renforcement durable des capacités en appui aux négociations internationales sur les changements climatiques

2. european capacity building initiativeecbi Commitments under the Convention Article 4 of the Convention is about commitments. Article 4.3, 4.4, 4.5 clearly state financial commitments for adaptation and technology transfer

3. european capacity building initiativeecbi Con.. Article 4.1e “Cooperate in preparing for adaptation to the impacts of climate change; develop and elaborate appropriate and integrated plans for coastal zone management, water resources and agriculture, and for the protection and rehabilitation of areas, particularly in Africa, affected by drought and desertification, as well as floods”

4. european capacity building initiativeecbi Map of the LDCs Article4.9: The Parties shall take full account of the specific needs and special situations of the least developed countries in their actions with regard to funding and transfer of technology

5. european capacity building initiativeecbi What was done in adaption under UNFCCC? In spite of the clearly spelled commitments in the articles of the Convention very little was achieved some programmes (e.g. 1.CP/10, NWP, LEG) and Funds (e.g. Adaptation fund, LDCs Fund) for adaption, however they are not adequate compared to what vulnerable countries are facing and expected to face.

6. european capacity building initiativeecbi During the past 3 year 12 session of AWG-LCA negotiations were held, the whole process was not an easy one (went from exchange of view to formulation of negotiating text) In adaptation LDCs similar to other developing countries repeatedly express that adaptation situation in the UNFCCC process has not been satisfactory (fragmentation of programmes) Accordingly in their positions, LDCs and all the developing countries expressed that they claim a comprehensive process for adaptation that could be implemented through efficient institutional structure and supported by all the means of implementation

7. european capacity building initiativeecbi LDCs faced a lot of difficulties (preparation, financing, implementation etc) when they were/are working on their National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA). The NAPA experience was significantly helpful in the formulation of LDCs positions NAPA experience put the LDCs ahead of many Groups and Parties regarding assessment of vulnerability and identification of adaptation options (recognition of NAPA process and experience in adaptation text)

8. european capacity building initiativeecbi Main cluster of issues in adaptation text (a) Objectives, Scope and Guiding Principles (b) Adaptation Actions (c) Means of implementation (d) Institutional arrangement (e) Risk reduction and management (f) Monitoring and Reviewing

9. european capacity building initiativeecbi Scope of Adaptation The scope is the most difficult area for adaptation negotiation as it contain two difficult issues: Definition of Vulnerability and Issue of Response measures The two issues were considered of high political nature that require political decision

10. european capacity building initiativeecbi Adaptation framework, o In Copenhagen Parties generally agreed to frame the adaptation work with framework order to enhance the implementation of adaptation under the Convention. o While Developing countries wanted the framework for the implementation, as they don’t want to end up with an empty programme/Framework o Developed countries gave lot of emphasis to role of the international cooperation for support of urgent implementation of adaptation action.

11. european capacity building initiativeecbi Institutional arrangement Strengthening of existing institutions vs. establishment of new institutions (at different levels) During this year most of the time allocated for adaptation was given to institutional arrangement (mainly to Adaptation Committee) Adaptation Committee under the Convention in order to provide coherence in the implementation of enhanced action under the Convention Equitable geographical representation in Adaptation Committee !

12. european capacity building initiativeecbi Adaptation Actions There was agreement among Parties that enhanced action on adaptation should follow: a country driven, gender sensitive, participatory approach and be base and guided by the best available science. Large agreements on most of the actions (disagreement only on actions related to response measures)

13. european capacity building initiativeecbi Means of implementation Finance Technology transfer Capacity building  What to be financed?  How to be financed? Many issues in adaptation are still depending on agreements to be made by finance group It has been agreed that: Sources, scale and institutional arrangement were to be determined by finance Group While priorities for support and specific modalities for provision of finance for adaptation, to be determined by the adaptation group

14. european capacity building initiativeecbi Con.. Developing countries claim that they shall be provided with long-term scaled up, adequate, new and additional to ODA commitments and predictable grant based finance, mainly from public sources of developed countries for the whole range of implementation of urgent, short-, medium- and long-term adaptation actions, Amount of support for adaptation (1.5% of GDP by LDCs) Priority: Developing countries stated that the allocation of finance shall be expeditious and directly accessed and the priority given to particularly vulnerable developing countries.

15. european capacity building initiativeecbi Monitoring and Reviewing It has been clearly stated that the COP should assess the delivery of the means of implementation by developed country parties in line with article 12.3 of the Convention with the aim of indentifying insufficiencies and discrepancies between support provided and received recommending further action when needed

16. european capacity building initiativeecbi LDCs’ Proposal Decides to establish a process to provide financial and technical support in accordance with article 4 paragraph 9 of the Convention for least developed country Parties to formulate and implement national adaptation plans, with the technical advice from the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) that build upon the experience of the national adaptation programmes of action, as a means of identifying medium- and long term adaptation needs and developing and implementing strategies and programmes to address those needs; and for other vulnerable developing country Parties that have set up national adaptation plans, programmes, or activities to be provided with financial and technical support to implement them,

17. european capacity building initiativeecbi Para 7 of the Chair’s new text Decides to establish a process to enable least developed country Parties and other interested developing country Parties that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change to formulate and implement national adaptation plans, building upon the experience of the least developed country Parties in preparing and implementing national adaptation programmes of action, as a means of identifying medium and long-term adaptation needs and developing and implementing strategies and programmes to address those needs;

18. european capacity building initiativeecbi EU option Invite parties to strengthen the efforts of Least Developed Country Parties to formulate and implement national adaptation plans building on the experience of the national adaptation programmes of action, and to enhance their capacities to identify medium- and long term adaptation needs and develop strategies and programmes to address those needs

19. european capacity building initiativeecbi Current Status of adaptation in negotiation Text s are on the table: Text from Tianjin very limited progress was achieved, will be very challenging to get agreement with that text New chair text on adaptation - includes most of the elements - did not mention anything about the adaptation committee - elements of mechanism of loss and damage

20. european capacity building initiativeecbi Thank You