UNFCCC Post-2012 Negotiations and the Nairobi Work Programme on Adaptation

1. UNFCCC Post-2012 Negotiations and the Nairobi Work Programme on Adaptation Youssef Nassef Manager of the Adaptation Subprogramme UNFCCC Secretariat ynassef@unfccc.int http://www.unfccc.int IPCC Scoping Meeting for a potential Special Report on "Extreme Events and Disasters: Managing the Risks" Oslo, Norway, 23-26 March 2009

2. Messages • Extreme events are not mentioned in the UNFCCC, but are referred to in a number of mandates and deliverables; • In addition to the dedicated area of work on “climate related risks and extreme events” under the NWP, reference to this issue also appears under ongoing discussions on insurance, NAPA implementation, adaptation planning, and integration into national policy; • We are at a stage where the needs relating to managing risks of extreme events are well documented in the context of UNFCCC negotiations and related outputs; • Negotiations under the Bali Action Plan are likely to move this issue forward as part of the future agreement.

3. Outline Adaptation under the Convention Ongoing adaptation work SBI – Decision 1/CP.10 and NAPAs SBSTA – Nairobi work programme Post-2012 negotiations AWG-LCA – the Bali Action Plan Insurance-related actions Towards COP 15, Copenhagen, and the future agreement

4. 1. Adaptation under the Convention

5. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC Provisions • All Parties shall: …formulate, implement, publish and regularly update national and ... regional programmes containing measures to facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change[Article 4.1 (b) ] • All Parties shall: …Cooperate in preparing for adaptation to the impacts of climate change … [Article 4.1 (e)] • The developed country Parties…shall also assist the developing country Parties… in meeting costs of adaptation to those adverse effects [Article 4.4] • The Parties shall give full consideration to actions necessary to meet the specific needs and concerns of developing countries arising from the adverse effects of climate change, including actions related to funding, insurance and transfer of technology …[Article 4.8] • 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 [Article 4.9]

6. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Complementary Tracks Technical/methodological aspects and knowledge sharing Post-2012 negotiations Implementation aspects Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) 1/CP.10 NAPAs Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) Nairobi work programme Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA) Bali Action Plan Financial and technological support, Capacity-building

7. 2. Ongoing adaptation work • Subsidiary Body for Implementation • Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice

8. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) • Decision 1/CP.10: Buenos Aires programme of work • Responding to the adverse effects of climate change in line with Article 4 of the Convention • Information exchange and integrated assessments to assist Parties in identifying region-specific gaps, needs and concerns(workshop reports and synthesis report available from the UNFCCC website) • National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) • Process for assessment and communication of urgent and immediate adaptation needs in LDCs, drawing on existing information and community-level inputs; • 39 NAPAs submitted, including 437projects, such as: • 30 projects – disaster management and early warning systems; • 2 projects – insurance.

9. Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA)

10. Relevant areas of work under the Nairobi work programme • Climate-related risks and extreme events • Promoting understanding of impacts of, and vulnerability to, climate change, current and future climate variability and extreme events, and the implications for sustainable development • Adaptation planning and practices • Collecting, analysing and disseminating information on past and current practical adaptation actions and measures, including adaptation projects, short- and long-term adaptation strategies, and local and indigenous knowledge • Facilitating communication and cooperation among and between Parties and relevant organizations, business, civil society, and decision makers, and other stakeholders

11. Examples of relevant outcomes from the Nairobi work programme so far… Gaps, needs, opportunities (through workshop reports): Climate related risks and extreme events: workshop held in Cairo, June 2007 (Report of the workshop: FCCC/SBSTA/2007/7) Adaptation planning and practices: workshop held in Rome, September 2007, in collaboration with FAO (Report of the workshop: FCCC/SBSTA/2007/15) Integrating practices, tools and systems for climate risk assessment and management and DRR strategies into national policies and programme: workshop held in Havana, March 2009, in collaboration with UNISDR (Report forthcoming) Current practices and information analyzed (through technical papers): Physical and socioeconomic trends in climate-related risks and extreme events, and their implications for sustainable development (FCCC/TP/2008/3) Integrating practices, tools and systems for climate risk assessment and management and disaster risk reduction strategies into national policies and programme (FCCC/TP/2008/4) Knowledgeand information on adaptation undertaken by a wide range of partner organizations, shared through: Adaptation practices interface (http://unfccc.int/4555.php) Adaptation private sector initiative (http://unfccc.int/4623.php) User-friendly ourreaching materials in UN languages United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

12. Examples of needs in risk management identified by the Nairobi work programme … Guidance on the links between disaster risk reduction strategies and adaptation. Access to information on data archives/databases for risk assessment and prediction. Capacity to integrate climate-based information and services through collaboration dialogues, such as agricultural/food security outlook forums or health outlook forums. Risk-mapping of health impacts. Standardized indicators for changes in health impacts and for effectiveness of risk reduction and adaptation measures. Analysis of links between livelihoods and ecosystem services provided by coral reefs, mangroves and wetlands with a view to identifying/disseminating options for risk management, particularly for vulnerable coastal communities. Insurance-related instruments for coping with climate variability and change and promoting adaptation, and analysing their role in decision-making towards risk reduction. Documenting, cataloguing, using and disseminating traditional knowledge to assist climate risk reduction and adaptation planning, including how to blend indigenous practices with scientific knowledge in assessing, predicting and managing risks. Enhanced efforts to develop and apply methods to assess costs and benefits ofadaptation options, and costs of inaction, in all sectors, including non-monetary costs associated with impacts on ecosystem services and indigenous cultures. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

13. 3. Post-2012 Negotiations Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA)

14. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Post-2012 negotiations: AWG-LCA 1/CP.13: Bali Action Plan (BAP) • Five pillars • Enhanced action on adaptation includes: • International cooperation to support urgent implementation of adaptation actions; • Integration of adaptation actions • Means to incentivize the implementation of adaptation actions, • Risk management and risk reduction strategies; • Disaster reduction strategies and means to address loss and damage associated with climate change impacts in developing countries; • Economic diversification to build resilience; • Strengthening the catalytic role of the Convention.

15. Relevant outputs under the BAP so far… • In-session workshops (reports available) • Advancing adaptation through finance and technology, including NAPAs (AWG-LCA2); • Four components in adaptation deliberations • National Planning for Adaptation • Streamlining and scaling up financial and technological support • Enhancing knowledge sharing • Institutional frameworks for adaptation • Risk management and risk reduction strategies, including risk sharing and transfermechanisms, such as insurance (AWG-LCA4) • Thematic documents • Technical paper on mechanisms to manage financial risks from direct impacts of climate change in developing countries(FCCC/TP/2008/9) • Adaptation-related activities within the United Nations system (FCCC/AWGLCA/2008/INF.2) • Ideas and proposals on paragraph 1 of the Bali Action Plan (Assembly paper, FCCC/AWGLCA/2008/16/Rev.1) • Fulfillment of the Bali Action Plan and components of the agreed outcome (FCCC/AWGLCA/2009/4 part I & II)

16. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Discussions on adaptation focusing on risk under the BAP • Ways to deal with risks, including insurance-related mechanisms for reducing risk • Formulating and implementing adaptation plans that integrate, prioritize and effectively use scientific information • Enabling environments • Incentivizing adaptation • Economic diversification • Knowledge sharing • Employing financial resources and technology Possible need for a new risk mechanism, under the UNFCCC, incorporating such areas as insurance, rehabilitation/compensation and risk management

17. Insurance-related actions • Current and potential mechanisms to manage financial risks from direct impacts of climate change • Discussed in the UNFCCC technical paper (FCCC/TP/2008/9) • Need for a portfolio of mechanisms • Proposals put forward by Parties and organizations at the risk management in-session workshop • AOSIS: Multi-Window Mechanism • MCII: Risk Management Framework • EU: Framework for Action on Adaptation • Areas of convergence • Development of enabling environment is essential • Financial mechanisms for risk sharing and transfer have the potential to stimulate preventive action • Support of international community in developing, adopting and scaling up financial mechanisms is essential • Joint schemes, and international and regional coordination and cooperation need to be promoted

18. 4. Towards COP15, Copenhagen, and a future agreement

19. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Time table 2009 • NWP workshops • Increasing economic resilience to climate change and reducing reliance on vulnerable economic sectors. 28-30 April, Egypt • Advancing the integration of various approaches to adaptation planning, including scaling up of local and community-based adaptation. September • Negotiating sessions • AWG-LCA 5: 29 March – 8 April, Bonn • AWG-LCA 6& SB 30: 1 – 12 June, Bonn • AWG-LCA 7: 28 Sept – 9 October, Bangkok • AWG-LCA 8, COP 15 and CMP 5: 7 - 18 December, Copenhagen

20. Thank you!For further information on the Nairobi work programme, see <http://unfccc.int/nwp>For further information on adaptation, see <http://unfccc.int/4159> Youssef Nassef Manager of the Adaptation Subprogramme UNFCCC Secretariat ynassef@unfccc.int