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Exploring opportunities for climate change adaptation in semi arid areas of Tanzania: A case of Nzega District in Tabora region: In African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
The University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania through the Institute of Resource Assessment (IRA) implemented a three years research program to study the implications of climate change on natural and social systems in three agro-ecolocilal zones in Tanzania. The paper presents findings obtained from one of the zones studied.
The study was conducted in two villages: Upungwe and Mbogwe located in Nzega District, Tabora region. Interviews with a sample size of 99 people – 10 per cent of the total number of households – were used. A total of 40 people were involved in focus group discussions – ...
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Climate change guidelines for forest managers
FAO, 2013In 2010, FAO prepared guidelines to support policy-makers in integrating climate change concerns into new or existing forest policies and national forest programmes. This document serves as a companion to those 2010 guidelines in order to aid sustainable forest management.
This document provides guidance on what forest managers should consider in assessing vulnerability, risk, mitigation options, and actions for adaptation, mitigation and monitoring in response to climate change.
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Cities and Climate Change: Global Report on Human Settlements 2011
This comprehensive report by UN-Habitat, the Global Report on Human Settlements, examines the issue of climate change and urban areas, two areas whose effects are converging in dangerous ways that threaten environmental, economic, and social stability. The authors argue that global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from cities could be as high as 70 per cent, although without a globally accepted method of determining the scale of emissions it is hard to be sure. This report presents extensive analysis on all aspects of the issue in depth, with data provided in the annex.
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Adapting to climate change in European forests – results of the MOTIVE project
This booklet provides an overview of major research activities and achievements of MOTIVE. It represents the state of the art in science-based information on adaptation of European forests to climate change. Topics covered include: Information on climate change projections for Europe with emphasis on implications for forest management; shifts in potential tree species ranges based on climate projections; genetic adaptation of tree species to climate change; mapping of disturbance risks to European forests with focus on wind, fire and bark beetles; decision support tools for adaptive fore ...
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Acting on climate change and disaster risk for the Pacific
World Bank, 2013This booklet reports on World Bank's support in the Pacific through investments in disaster and climate risk assessments, and on risk reduction across a range of areas through community driven development, water and coastal management, transport and agriculture. It provides a snapshot of the challenges posed by climate change and natural hazards in the Pacific, policy recommendations, and details of the World Bank Group's work across the region in helping build resilience to disasters and climate change. It is structured as follows: (i) part one presents Pacific island as the most vulnerable i ...
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Ecosystem approach to disaster risk reduction: basic concepts and recommendations to governments, with a special focus on Europe
The goal of this publication is to develop a more robust understanding of ecosystem-based approaches to disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) in the European context, including the economic rationale, tools and practices, while contributing to the growing literature on this subject. It is intended to fill a science-policy gap on the role of ecosystems for DRR, specifically for Europe and the Council of Europe’s member states. It provides the rationale for a more systemic approach to reducing disaster risk, exploring how ecosystem management can be incorporated in a ...
Southern African agriculture and climate change: a comprehensive analysis
This study analyzes the range of plausible impacts of climate change by the year 2050, focusing almost entirely on crops. It builds on previous research that focused on regional and global effects of climate change. The first chapter provides a regional overview for southern Africa. Eight chapters look at the effects of climate change on eight countries in southern Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It is intended to provide policymakers and others concerned with climate change, agriculture, and food policy with guidance on the range o ...
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Disaster risk reduction and livelihoods
FIC, 2013This study seeks to improve the overall knowledge of the relationship between disaster risk reduction (DRR) and livelihood strategies, to improve the understanding and gaps in knowledge, practice, and policy, and to improve the impact of donor-funded DRR programs carried out by implementing agencies. The report is organized as follows: (i) a comprehensive literature review on existing DRR practices is included, identifying gaps that should be explored in future research; (ii) the Haiti case study explores financial resilience in urban settings; (iii) the Nepal case study looks at traditional D ...
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Cambodian agriculture: Adaptation to climate change impact
Cambodia is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change because of the predicted changes in temperature and precipitation, the share of labour in agriculture, and low adaptive capacity due to widespread poverty. This study uses climate data from four general circulation models (GCMs) to evaluate the impact of climate change on agriculture in Cambodia by 2050.
An evaluation of crop yields was undertaken as well as exploring potential gains from changing fertiliser levels and using irrigation to compensate for rainfall changes. A survey of 45 communes was also conducted using f ...
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Impact of climate change on ASEAN food security: downscaling analysis and response
This Issues Brief is based on the proceedings of the Expert Group Meeting on the Impact of Climate Change on ASEAN Food Security held in June 2013. This meeting called for higher priority to be given to research on climate shifts, a greater focus on agricultural research and development and also highlighted the need for resource and knowledge inputs from those involved in food value chains across Southeast Asia.
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Report of the 4th Africa regional platform on disaster risk reduction: protect development gains and build resilience of African nations
UN/ISDR, 2013This report covers the proceedings of the 4th Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (AfRP) from 13 to 15 February, 2013 in Arusha, Tanzania hosted by The African Union Commission (AUC) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Regional Office for Africa. The 4th AfRP focused on the progress made at the national, sub-regional, and regional levels in the implementation of the Africa Regional Strategy for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and its Programme of Action, and the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA). The theme of the 4th AfRP was ‘protecting developmen ...
The demography of adaptation to climate change
UNFPA, 2013The document consolidates the knowledge, methods, and practices that emerged from the 2010 expert group meeting entitled "Population Dynamics and Climate Change II: Building for Adaptation" organized by UNFPA, IIED and the Colegio de México in Mexico City.
It intends to catalyze action in global, national and local communities around a more informed, data driven adaptation process, and to bring together disparate disciplines, from environment science to planning to social science and beyond. The use of spatial data is at the core of this agenda.
It is divided in ...
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Climate change, water conflicts and human security
UNU, 2013This report presents a comprehensive regional assessment of the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Sahel in terms of climate change impacts, vulnerabilities, conflict/cooperation and human security at various scales and in a variety of contexts. The Climate Change, Hydro Conflicts and Human Security (CLICO) project builds on interdisciplinary and cross-comparative research covering a variety of geographical scales and historical contexts to unravel social, political, environmental/ ecological and economic conditions in relation to the environment.
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Cost-efficient climate change adaptation in the North Atlantic
Schechtman Judd; Brady Michael; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - United States of America - gov, 2013The purpose of this report is to provide National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with best practice information to assist with ongoing climate change adaptation outreach in the North Atlantic region of the United States and to identify and collate cost-effective adaptation projects implemented at the municipal level. The report is divided into three sections: (i) section one introduces the study and explains the background of the region; (ii) section two defines the goals and objectives of the study, explains the research methods, and defines key terms; (iii) and section three c ...
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Farmers' perceptions and adaptation measures towards changing climate in South India and role of extension in adaptation and mitigation to changing climate
This document examines the ways in which farmers in rural India are adapting to climate change in order to preserve their livelihoods. The document is comprised of seven sections: (i) section one introduces the idea of indigenous knowledge in relation to climate change; (ii) section two explains the agricultural impacts of climate change in India; (iii) section three discusses methods of climate change adaptation; (iv) section four outlines the methodology and scope of this study; (v) section five presents and discusses extensively the results of the study regarding the ways in which farmers h ...
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Scenario planning for climate change adaptation: a guidance for resource managers
This document is intended to be a step-by-step guide to using scenarios to plan for climate change adaptation. The document aims to aid natural resource managers, planners, scientists and other stakeholders working at a local or regional scale to develop resource management approaches that take future possible climate change impacts and other important uncertainties into account.
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Organizational and institutional issues in climate change adaptation and risk management
IFPRI, 2013This report explores the challenges and opportunities for building human, organizational, and institutional capacity for more effective climate change adaptation in developing countries. It particularly focuses on climate change issues related to the agriculture sector and rural livelihoods in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Mali.
The report is part of a larger research project titled “Enhancing women’s assets to manage risk under climate change: potential for group-based approaches,” which is being conducted to help organizations better understand ways in which development pr ...
Farmers’ response and their adaptation strategies to climate change in Mafeteng District, Lesotho
This study assesses the response of farmers to climate change, impacts of climate change to their livelihoods, and the potential of the three agricultural systems, agro-forestry, conservation agriculture and conventional agriculture, as adaptation strategies to climate change in Ts’akholo and Kolo communities in Mafeteng District, Lesotho. The study has contributed to knowledge in the field of global environmental change and its relationship with agriculture, food security and general livelihoods, especially for farmers and policy-makers in Lesotho.
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Understanding the policy contexts for mainstreaming climate change in Bhutan and Nepal: a synthesis
This report is a synthesis of two Adaptation Knowledge Platform studies that sought to understand the policy contexts for addressing climate change adaptation and key conservation issues in Nepal and Bhutan. The report is divided into six main sections: (i) section one introduces the background of the study; (ii) section two explains the methodology used; (iii) section three presents overviews of the two countries; (iv) section four reviews the policies relevant to climate change adaptation which exist in each country; (v) section five outlines the key insights derived from the policy review; ...
Increasing resilience to climate change in the agricultural sector in the Middle East: the cases of Jordan and Lebanon
Verner Dorte - World Bank, 2013This report aims to assist decision-makers in Jordan and Lebanon in understanding the specific challenges and opportunities posed by climate change in the agricultural sector and to develop local-level priorities, informed by stakeholder input, in order to build agricultural resilience in the two countries. The report is divided into four chapters: (i) chapter one introduces the background of the study and the structure of the report; (ii) chapter two provides a synthesis of evidence of climate variability and change in Jordan and Lebanon; (iii) chapter three explains the methodology of the st ...
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The state of adaptation in the United States
Hansen Lara - EcoAdapt, 2013This report provides illustrative examples of the variety of work on climate change adaptation that is underway in the United States and insight into the resultant gaps and opportunities available for advancing this essential aspect of sustainability. The report focuses on four areas of activity: agriculture, natural resources, human communities, and policy.
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Disaster risk management in Asia and the Pacific: issues paper
This paper explores various issues surrounding disaster risk reduction in the Asia-Pacific region, a region which experiences high vulnerability to disasters.
The paper is divided into three sections: (i) section one explains the background and scope of the study, highlighting recent disaster data organized by disaster type, continent, and number of lives lost; (ii) section two explains the major issues found in the course of the study and the coordinating recommendations, including recommendations for compound disasters and climate change adaptation; (iii) section three summar ...
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The cost of adapting to climate change in Ethiopia: sector-wise and macro-economic estimates
Robinson S.; Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI) ; International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) - EDRI, 2013This paper uses spatially-explicit analyses of climate change effects on selected key sectors of Ethiopia’s economy to estimate both sector-wise and economy-wide estimates of impacts and adaptation costs. It also provides sector-specific insights on impacts and adaptation options in agriculture, road transport, and hydropower. In particular, rapid development of Ethiopia’s hydro-potential, upgrading of the road design standards, and gradual diversification of the economy away from the more climate vulnerable sectors are likely to be important elements of any climate-resilient development strat ...
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Using climate information to support adaptation planning and policy-making: a step-by-step guide
This guide describes how weADAPT can be used together with the Climate Information Portal (CIP) to quickly and easily access climate data for many locations across Africa, using an interactive map. By linking the two portals, users are able to see climate data context and find data to support their own research, project planning or policy design in a specified place or area.
The document offers a step-by-step guide to using the linked resources through weADAPT and CIP, including: defining the question; searching nearby climate stations and uploaded data; historical data accessed ...
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Analysis of farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate change in cocoa production in Kwara State: In Journal of Agricultural Extension, Vol. 17 (1), June 2013
Agbongiarhuoyi A.E. - 2013Changing climate and weather patterns are predicted to have severe negative impacts on food production, food security and natural resources in the immediate and coming years. Climate change alters the development of cocoa pods, insect pests and pathogens which translate into lower crop yields and impact farm income. This study examined the climate change adaptation strategies of cocoa producing farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria.
Findings include: most farmers observed an extension beyond the normal dry months: November-February. The main climate change strategies adopted by farmers includ ...
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Disquiet on the weather front : the welfare impacts of climatic variability in the rural Philippines
World Bank, 2013Three recent rounds (2003, 2006, and 2009) of the Family Income and Expenditure Survey are matched to rainfall data from 43 rainfall stations in the Philippines to quantify the extent to which unusual weather has any negative effects on the consumption of Filipino households. It is found that negative rainfall shocks decrease consumption, in particular food consumption. Rainfall below one standard deviation of its long-run average causes food consumption to decrease by about 4 percent, when compared with rainfall within one standard deviation. Positive deviations above one standard deviation h ...
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Nationally appropriate mitigation actions for grassland and livestock management in Mongolia
This policy brief by the Asian Development Bank argues that, given the negative impact of climate change on Mongolia, it is crucial to select mitigation actions that reduce vulnerability to climate change, support the achievement of national development goals, and are feasible given local constraints.
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The climate and development challenge for Latin America and the Caribbean : options for climate-resilient, low-carbon development
Climate change is already affecting the foundations on which Latin American societies rely for sustenance and welfare. Addressing these impacts, this report was prepared by a task force of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC).
Although the carbon footprint of Latin America and the Caribbean is modest and appears to be decreasing, efforts to further reduce that footprint are required if global climate stabilization goals are to be achieved. A substantial contribution of this r ...
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National climate change legislation: the key to more ambitious international agreements
The information contained in this paper is drawn from the 3rd GLOBE Climate Legislation Study and direct conversations and correspondence with legislators. Although the factors that determine a country’s negotiating position are many and complex, the authors find that advancing domestic climate change legislation has a positive influence on the high international ambition at the UNFCCC. National legislation could form the basis of an “outcome with legal force” in 2015 under the Durban Platform of the UNFCCC. Therefore, the advance of national legislation in key countries, combined with strengt ...
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Mainstreaming climate change adaptation in the Pacific: a practical guide
SPREP, 2013The Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) project has put together this guide as a response to the need from PACC-participating countries to integrate climate change risks into their national and sector strategies and plans, and budgetary processes. The guide aims to provide a practical step-by-step framework on how to mainstream climate change into Pacific island countries and territories development planning and decision-making processes.
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Gender, climate change, agriculture and food security: a CCAFS training-of-trainers (TOT) manual to prepare South Asian rural women to adapt to climate change
This manual provides users with the information, tools and training skills required to deliver Capacity Enhancement Workshops (CEWs) to rural women farmers and rural elected women leaders to raise their awareness of the causes and effects of climate change, especially on agriculture and food security; help empower them to adapt successfully to projected changes by being aware of available government plans and programmes and field-based adaptation models by non-government actors; make them aware of gender-differentiated impacts and the different roles that men and women need to play in adapting ...
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Climate & environment assessment: Building an evidence base in Yemen
Venton C.C. - Evidence on Demand, 2013Evidence on Demand was requested by DFID to carry out a climate and environmental assessment. This was for part of the Business Case for building an evidence base in Yemen by gathering high quality, nationally representative data on key poverty indicators and living conditions.
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Developing a methodology to evaluate climate services for farmers in Africa and South Asia workshop report
CCAFS, 2013This report summarizes the proceedings of the international expert roundtable on “Developing a Methodology to Evaluate Climate Services for Farmers in Africa and South Asia” held in Kaffrine, Senegal on May 19-25, 2013. The roundtable brought together global experts in the area of gender-responsive impact assessment for farmers, to develop a useable monitoring and evaluation (M&E) protocol to guide baseline data collection, identify the locally-specific function, benefits, and beneficiaries of climate services, and measure the added-value of climate services for farmers. This protocol links to ...
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Fourth session of the global platform for disaster risk reduction proceedings
UN/ISDR, 2013The proceedings of the Fourth Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction highlight the four days of deliberations, discussions and presentations via various forums, which called for a shared vision and commitment for the next 30 years – a trans-generational compact for the sustainability of development. This Session generated critical and substantive advice for the preparation of the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction, commonly called “HFA2”, and for the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, which will take place Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture in March ...
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Economics of Climate Change in the Pacific
ADB, 2013The Pacific region—a diverse array of 7,500 islands of varying topographies, cultures, and economies—is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with significant economic costs. This study provides fine-scale climate–economic information that is critical for making development and adaptation planning decisions in Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Pacific developing member countries (DMCs). Economic assessment associated with climate information helps identify priority sectors, estimate funding needs, and prepare for economy-wide climate change impacts. Projections of total econom ...
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The poverty impact of climate change in Mexico
This paper examines the effects of climate change on poverty through the relationship between indicators of climate change (temperature and rainfall change) and municipal level gross domestic product, and subsequently between gross domestic product and poverty. The evidence suggests that climate change could have a negative impact on poverty by 2030. The paper proposes a two-stage least squares regression where it first regresses temperature and rainfall (along with geographic controls and state and year fixed effects) on municipal gross domestic product per capita for 2000 and 2005 The result ...
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New pathways to resistance: outcomes of the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa research and capacity building program 2006-2012
This report presents a brief and interactive summary of the Climate Change in Africa research and capacity program’s chief contributions. It provides a guided tour of the program’s efforts and legacy – its aims and means, the principal outcomes of the funding and mentoring it provided to African researchers, and the lessons it offers for future adaptation efforts in Africa and elsewhere. Throughout this report, there are links to programme and project resources, and directions for delving further into its scientific findings.
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Feeding an urban world: a call to action
This report focuses on the specific issue of urban food security, describing the demographic and environmental trends as well as food production and infrastructure challenges that impact supply and demand for food in urban areas. Before providing specific examples of the food security challenges faced by cities around the world, the authors propose a framework, or matrix, of issues for policymakers to use in developing and assessing urban food security strategies. The report focuses on case studies in the United States before looking in depth at Chicago, highlighting the city’s challenges as w ...
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Unlocking the power of local knowledge : a novel framework to cost community-based adaptation to climate change
Current approaches to identify the costs and benefits of adaptation are primarily quantitative, using top-down methodologies that may grossly underestimate the true costs. This policy brief argues that global policies require credible evidence from the local level. Given that a single generic adaptation model is unworkable, the policy brief introduces a new analytical costing framework – Participatory Social Return on Investment (PSROI) – which has been piloted successfully in subsistence farming communities in East and West Africa.
Although the Kenyan example is very specific, the PSRO ...
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China and south-south scoping assessment for adaptation, learning and development
This report, produced by Adapting to Climate Change in China amongst others, identifies key opportunities and avenues for South-South learning and cooperation to address climate change, is a critical tool for international development organisations, national governments and policy-makers. It outlines how best to channel resources to share China's and developing countries' experiences of integrating climate adaptation into the development process, thereby facilitating developing countries’ improved adaptation, learning from each other and avoiding the risk of maladaptation to climate change. Th ...
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Agricultural water storage in an era of climate change: assessing need and effectiveness in Africa
This report, produced by the International Water Management Institute of Sri Lanka, describes different agricultural water storage options and some of the possible implications of climate change. It also describes the development of a simple diagnostic tool, based on a set of biophysical and demographic indicators, which can be used to provide a rapid (first-cut) evaluation of the need and effectiveness of different water storage options, under existing and possible future climate conditions.
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Enhancing resilience to shocks and stresses
This document explains resilience in the context of disaster and climate change, giving nine examples of case studies from Action Contre la Faim (ACF) resiliency projects around the world. The document is comprised of six sections: (i) section one defines resilience and the effects of shocks and stresses; (ii) section two explains ACF's target groups for resilience (individuals, households, and communities); (iii) section three explains how to measure resilience and the characteristics of disaster resilient communities; (iv) section four offers three strategies to operationalize resilience to ...
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Climate-Related Disasters in Asia and the Pacific
ADB, 2013Natural disasters are on the rise worldwide. There are more and more intense natural disasters—which are defined to cause at least 100 deaths or to affect the basic survival needs of at least 1,000 people—resulting from floods and storms as well as droughts and heat waves. The Asia and the Pacific region has experienced some of the most damaging disasters in recent decades, with alarming consequences for human welfare. At the same time, the climate in the region has been changing. Temperatures have been higher, on average, and also more variable and more extreme. Rainfall has also been more va ...
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The Pacific experience in developing policy and legislation on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation
UN/ISDR, 2013Taking into account the strong basis of learning the Pacific offers in the area of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA), this study explores and unpacks what were the drivers and process to develop joint national action plans on disaster risk management and climate change (JNAPs), primary DRM legislation, and sustainable development plans addressing DRR and CCA in Pacific islands countries. Their impact and potential in facilitating effective DRM and CCA is assessed, as well as potential linkages between legislation and policy documents The three Pacific islands co ...
Strengthening hydro-meteorological services in Southeast Asia
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR); World Bank the; et al. - UN/ISDR, 2013The Country Assessment Reports for Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Philippines and Viet Nam investigate the capacity of the national hydrological and meteorological services (NHMSs) and recommend improvements through a regional approach.
Initial assessments in the reports show the cost-effectiveness of strengthening national hydro-meteorological services through regional cooperation for reducing adverse impacts of natural hazard-induced disasters and climate change which know no national boundaries.
The World Bank and UNISDR produced the reports in collaboration w ...
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Cities in developing countries and their development in response to climate change
Future Fit is a DFID Executive Management Committee initiative, to produce a vision and strategy for DFID’s response to the challenges and opportunities that climate change and resource scarcity pose for poverty reduction and development. The Future Fit strategy asks the question what strategic shifts in front line sectors - Food, Water, Energy, and Cities - are needed to protect development gains and respond to the challenge of climate change and resource scarcity. Answers to this question will feed into the review of the DFID business model and resource allocation. As part of this strategy D ...
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Large-scale implementation of adaptation and mitigation actions in agriculture
This paper identifies sixteen cases of large-scale actions in the agriculture and forestry sectors that have adaptation and/or mitigation outcomes, and distils lessons from the cases. The cases cover policy and strategy development (including where climate-smart objectives were not the initial aim), climate risk management through insurance, weather information services and social protection, and agricultural initiatives that have a strong link to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
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Low carbon agriculture
UNEP, 2013The change to a green and better fed world depends on the development of low carbon agriculture. Improving food and nutrition security while protecting the earth’s natural resource base will require a smarter, more innovative, better focused and cost-effective approach.
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Topics geo natural catastrophes 2012: analyses, assessments, positions
Munich-Re, 2013This report shows that the natural catastrophe statistics for 2012 were largely dominated by atmospheric events, with no catastrophic earthquakes. Due to a number of major weather-related catastrophes, including severe tornado outbreaks in the spring and a record drought in the US Midwest, the USA accounted for an exceptionally high proportion of natural catastrophes. However, Russia also experienced unusually hot, dry conditions, and vast tracts of land were devastated by wildfires.
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Profile of emissions reduction potentials in developing countries
UNEP, 2013UNEP Risoe, with the support of the UNFCCC Secretariat and the ACP-MEA Programme (www.acp-cd4cdm.org), has decided to assess the emissions reduction potential in 15 diverse countries. 15 country reports have been developed, from which this synthesis report gathers the main messages. The definition of sectors and technologies used in these country reports takes its point of departure from UNEP Risoe’s CDM Methodology and Technology Selection Tool (www.cdm-meth.org). This tool has been specifically developed for the identification of technologies and related CDM methodologies for exploitation o ...
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An investigation of the evidence of benefits from climate compatible development
The purpose of this paper is to assess evidence of ‘triple wins’ on the ground, and the feasibility of triple wins that do not generate negative impacts. It describes the theoretical linkages that exist between adaptation, mitigation and development, as well as the trade-offs and synergies that might exist between them. Using four developing country studies, the authors make a simple assessment of the extent of climate compatible development policy in practice through the lens of ‘no-regrets’, ‘low regrets’ and ‘with regrets’ decision making. The lack of evidence of either policy or practice o ...
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Climate Communication for Adaptation: In Joto Afrika, Issue 12 June 2013
2013Farmers and pastoralists, as well as policy makers, development and humanitarian programmes in Africa are searching for the best ways to adapt to the impacts of climate variability and change. Changes in seasonal rainfall patterns and more unpredictable, severe and frequent extreme events like floods and droughts are already being observed, threatening livelihoods in vulnerable communities.
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Building resilience to climate change through indigenous knowledge: the case of Bolivia
This case study asserts that indigenous knowledge plays an important role in the way communities interact with their climate in many countries, particularly in Bolivia. It contributes to weather forecasting at the community level, and to the preservation of vital ecosystem functions that help to buffer communities against climate change impacts. However, the increasing incidence of extreme weather events and disasters is taking a toll. This situation calls for new partnerships between indigenous people and the scientific community – an area where Bolivia could lead the way.
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Flood risk management in Europe: European flood regulation
Utrecht University, 2013This report focuses on the issue of European flood regulation, including issues related to mandatory flood risks assessments, flood risk maps, flood risk management plans, the involvement of the public and stakeholders, the science-policy interface, and uncertainties related to climate change. The report identifies the challenges and knowledge gaps regarding the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Floods Directive (FD).
This report is the third in a series of four which were compiled by the STAR-FLOOD project.
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Approaches to Economic Empowerment of Rural Women for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: Implications for Policy: In Journal of Agricultural Extension, Vol. 17 (1), June 2013
There are several ways of promoting women’s economic participation while also counteracting climate change. One approach in the field of climate mitigation is the promotion of renewable energies that can help avoid greenhouse gas emissions. It is observed that less attention is paid to the potential that lies in the combination of climate mitigation/ adaptation and the economic empowerment of rural women; yet mitigation or adaptation activities offer opportunities to advance the economic empowerment of women. In particular, this applies to work that is already being undertaken by women or acti ...
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Glacier Systems and Seasonal Snow Cover in Six Major Asian River Basins: Water Storage Properties under Changing Climate
The current status, recent and potential future changes of glacier systems and seasonal snow cover in the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Amu Darya, Syr Darya and Mekong river basins are for the first time systematically analyzed at the basin scale. The baseline (1961-1990) status of each basin’s glacier system is evaluated using a comprehensive meta-database for the 48,607 glaciers, which represents a new data product in its own right compiled specifically for this study. The data gaps in existing glacier inventories are identified and filled with expert estimates. It is illustrated that structur ...
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Strengthening responses to climate variability in South Asia
This executive summary is based on the findings from desk and field research conducted by International Alert and the South Asia Network for Security and Climate Change (SANSaC) in nine sub-national locations across Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. The research looks at the root causes of vulnerability and non-adaptation in fragile contexts and at the opportunities for strengthening resilience to combined risks of climate change and conflict. The academic literature on climate change and security is still characterised by the drive to establish or refute direct causality between climate ...
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Climate Change, growth, and Poverty in Ethiopia
Climate change is now a global phenomenon with growth, poverty, food security, and stability implications. Because of significant dependence on the agricultural sector for production, employment, and export revenues, Ethiopia is seriously threatened by climate change, which contributes to frequent drought, flooding, and rising average temperatures. To examine the impact of climate change on agricultural production and to quantify the resulting lost output, this study conducts a time series analysis using country and regional level data. The econometric application on the appropriate production ...
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Momentum for Change in 2012 : change for good
UNFCCC, 2013In 2012, with the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, from among 116 activities submitted, we selected and showcased 9 lighthouse activities. These activities result from collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors and bring multiple benefits to the urban poor in developing countries.
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Institutionalising Disaster Risk Management: Latin America’s systems approach
Watanabe Masahiro - ELLA, 2013How are Latin American countries mainstreaming decentralised, democratic and participatory strategies to disaster risk management across public policy?
Through a systems approach, the region is making important advances. Against a backdrop of inadequate disaster preparedness and repeated humanitarian aid interventions, Latin American countries have driven forward the institutionalisation and mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in public policy. Based on a systems approach, Latin American governments are establishing coherent policy and regulatory frameworks for DRM f ...
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Guidebook - Increasing Climate Change Resilience of Urban Water Infrastructure : Based on a Case Study from Wuhan City, People’s Republic of China
ADB, 2013Th is guide describes a practical approach to bridge the gap between theoretical analyses of climate change impacts and the planning decisions that need to be made by city authorities and utility managers to increase climate change resilience of the water sector in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It focuses on answering the questions currently being asked by city planners and managers all over the world.
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United Nations plan of action on disaster risk reduction for resilience
United Nations, 2013This plan of action presents a strategy for integrating disaster risk reduction into UN country level operations. It is intended to all partners committed to reducing the risks that disasters pose and making our societies more resilient. It aims to position the work of the UN in the context of: (i) the remaining term of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA); (ii) the development of a successor or post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction (HFA2); (iii) the post-2015 development agenda; and (iv) the UN Secretary-General's second mandate and Five-Year Action Agenda.
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FAO disaster risk reduction brief: West Bank and Gaza Strip
FAO, 2013This brief focuses on the key disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) carries out in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (WBGS). It seeks to give an overview of FAO's DRR strategy and briefly describe their activities in WBGS to protect livelihoods from shocks, to make food production systems more resilient and more capable of absorbing the impact of, and recovering from, disruptive events, such as floods, droughts, earthquakes, animal and plants pests and diseases.
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Climate change in the Himalayas : current state of knowledge
This paper reviews the literature on the potential biophysical and economic impacts of climate change in the Himalayas. Existing observations indicate that the temperature is rising at a higher rate in Nepal and Chinese regions of the Himalayas compared with rest of the Himalayas. A declining trend of monsoon in the western Indian Himalayas and an increasing trend in the eastern Indian Himalayas have been observed, whereas increasing precipitation and stream flow in many parts of Tibetan Plateau are noted. Glaciers in both the eastern and western Himalayas are mostly retreating, but the majori ...
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Pushing Through Reform: Lima's Disaster Risk Management Strategy | ELLA
Watanabe Masahiro - ELLA, 2013In recent years, there have been a number of important actions at the institutional level for promoting disaster risk management (DRM) in developing countries. Yet securing a city-level political commitment that ensures the required investment and specific action plans in big cities has remained a pending challenge. This Brief describes how the Municipality of Lima designed and implemented its Disaster Risk Management Strategy, in particular analysing how disaster risk management was successfully positioned through advocacy and communications efforts. This case highlights some particularly int ...
The Global Climate 2001-2010: a decade of climate extremes
This publication covers the first decade of the 21st century and aims at providing a decadal perspective of climate variability and change and its observed impacts on different sectors.
The Global Climate 2001-2010: a decade of climate extremes - Summary Report
A decadal perspective makes it possible to assess trends and anticipate the future. it can also inform efforts to develop operational climate services that provide information and forecasts for decision-making in agriculture, health, disaster risk, water resources and other sectors.
Turn down the heat: climate extremes, regional impacts, and the case for resilience
This report focuses on the risks of climate change to development in Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia and South Asia. Building on the 2012 report, Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must be Avoided, this new scientific analysis gives a more detailed look at how the negative impacts of climate change already in motion could create devastating conditions especially for those least able to adapt. It asserts that the case for resilience has never been stronger. This report demands action. It reinforces the fact that climate change is a fundamental threat to economic development and the ...
Workshop on Strategy for Implementation of Climate Services Information System (CSIS): final report
The workshop was presented with examples of available global and regional climate data, monitoring, prediction and projection information from global, regional and national entities and mechanisms (introductory overview see Annex V), such as WMO Global Producing Centres for 1 Long-range Forecasts (GPCs), the WCRP Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP), WMO Regional Climate Centres (RCCs; status document see Annex VI), the WMO RCC Tokyo (Japan), the WCRP Co-ordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX), Regional Climate Outlook Forums (RCOFs), the WMO Climate Watch concept, ...
Meeting on Sector Applications / Climate Observation Community dialogue: final report
Long-term observation of the atmosphere, land and ocean is particularly vital as a foundation for monitoring climate variability and climate change. It is necessary for evaluating the effectiveness of policies implemented to mitigate climate change and for improving climate prediction models and tools.
On the other hand observations are also essential for managing climate variability, including for assessing social and economic vulnerabilities and for developing climate services needed for adaptation.
The Meeting on sector applications and climate observation community dialogue ...
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Interventions for achieving sustainability in tropical forest and agricultural landscapes
The rapid expansion of commodity agriculture in tropical forest landscapes is a key driver of deforestation. To meet the growing demand from a more prosperous and expanding global population, it is imperative to develop sustainable commodity supply chains that support higher agricultural productivity, and that enable improved environmental, economic, and social outcomes. Interventions by community, market, and state actors can enhance the sustainability of supply chains by affecting where and how agricultural production occurs. These interventions—in the form of novel or moderated instit ...
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ESSP Working Paper, 53. The cost of adapting to climate change in Ethiopia: sector-wise and macro-economic estimates
This paper uses spatially - explicit analyses of climate change effects on selected key sectors of Ethiopia’s economy to analyse both sector-wise and economy-wide estimates of impacts and adaptation costs. Using four models to bracket the uncertainty surrounding future climate outcomes, the paper finds that by 2050 climate change could cause GDP to be eight to ten per cent smaller than under a no-climate change baseline; it could induce a two-fold increase in variability of growth in agriculture; and it would affect more severely the poor and certain parts of the country. The paper also finds ...
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Climate change and health: a tool to estimate health and adaptation costs
WHO, 2013The WHO Regional Office for Europe prepared this economic analysis tool to support health adaptation planning in European Member States. It is based on a review of the science. It is expected to be applied in Member States mainly by line ministries responsible for climate change adaptation.
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Report on the national platform for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, 14th may, 2013
Ghana - Government, 2013This document report on a meeting that brought together chairpersons of the Technical Committees, representatives from various ministries, departments, agencies, and other stakeholders, to discuss the progress of the national platform of Ghana and to deliberate on the way forward. It presents: (i) the National Co-ordinators opening address; (ii) a statement on behalf of the United Nations Country Representative; (iii) an overview of platform performance; (iv) a discussion of the Ghana action plan on disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA); (v) the achievements of the ...
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Understanding needs, meeting demands: A user-oriented analysis of online knowledge broker platforms for climate change and development
This IISD report examines the current state of alignment between climate knowledge brokering (CKB) platforms and the information-seeking and knowledge-sharing behaviour of users of online climate change information. It reviews the case for knowledge brokering and how brokering activities are put into practice online for climate change and development. The paper then outlines the results of research undertaken to understand how CKB platform users assess, access and apply knowledge.
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Climate-smart agriculture sourcebook
FAO, 2013Climate-smart interventions are highly location-specific and knowledge-intensive. Therefore, considerable efforts are required to develop the knowledge and capacities to make climate-smart agriculture (CSA) a reality. The purpose of this sourcebook is to further elaborate the concept of CSA and demonstrate its potential, as well as its limitations. It is aimed as a reference tool for planners, practitioners and policymakers working in agriculture, forestry and fisheries at national and subnational levels, dealing with the effects of climate change.
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Elements of a New Climate Agreement by 2015
A new global climate agreement by 2015 is crucial to keep global warming below the target of maximum 2 degree increase in this century. This will require enhanced ambitions by all Parties and need transformational change towards sustainable, low carbon development and green growth. Scenarios consistent with a likely chance to meet the 2 degree target have a peak of global emissions before 2020. Green growth and low-carbon development strategies show that economic growth and environmental sustainability are compatible objectives by making emission reductions an integral part of national ...
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A new global partnership: eradicate poverty and transform economies through sustainable development
United Nations, 2013This report sets out a universal agenda to eradicate extreme poverty from the face of the earth by 2030, and deliver on the promise of sustainable development. It calls upon the world to rally around a new Global Partnership that offers hope and a role to every person in the world. The report recognizes the need to build climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction into regional and national strategies, and encourage countries to focus on these plans.
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Indigenous peoples and climate change in Africa : Case studies exploring climate change impacts on indigenous peoples in Namibia and their adaptation strategies
Through two participatory case studies, this paper examines the impact of climate change on the indigenous peoples of Namibia. The objectives of the case studies are three-fold: to document how the indigenous peoples are affected by climate change; to analyse how they perceive, adapt to and leverage opportunities from climate change; and provide recommendations for strengthening the indigenous peoples’ engagement in national and international public climate change policy.
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Farmers’ perceptions and adaptations to climate change in sub-Saharan Africa: a synthesis of empirical studies and implications for public policy in African agriculture: In Journal of Agricultural Science, Vol. 5, No. 4
The problem of climate change in Africa has the potential of undermining sustainable development efforts if steps are not taken to respond to its adverse consequences. This study reviews existing and available literature on farmers’ perceptions and adaptations to climate change in sub-Sahara Africa.
It is evident that the majority of farmers in sub-Sahara Africa are aware of warmer temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns. To respond to these changes, farmers have adopted crop diversification, planting different crop varieties, changing planting and harvesting dates to corres ...
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Urbanization and climate change impacts on future urban flooding in Can Tho city, Vietnam: In Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 17
Huong H.T.L.; Pathirana A. - 2013Urban development increases flood risk in cities due to local changes in hydrological and hydrometeorological conditions that increase flood hazard, as well as to urban concentrations that increase the vulnerability. The relationship between the increasing urban runoff and flooding due to increased imperviousness is better perceived than that between the cyclic impact of urban growth and the urban rainfall via microclimatic changes. The large-scale, global impacts due to climate variability and change could compound these risks. We present the case of a typical third world city – Can Tho (the ...
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Asia Pacific synthesis report: consultations on the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction (HFA2)
UN/ISDR, 2013This paper synthesizes consultations held at the regional, national and community levels throughout the Asia-Pacific region on the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (the successor of the Hyogo Framework for Action or HFA2). The document is particularly targeted at countries and stakeholders from Asia Pacific for their engagement at the global deliberations on HFA2 at the Fourth Session of the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (4th GPDRR) in May 2013. It also informs all stakeholders and countries engaged in the HFA2 discussions.
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The policy climate
This report offers an overview of climate change policy issues across the world. It focuses on: 1) Brazil, China, India, Europe and the United States, which represent the majority of global greenhouse gas emissions but vary widely in terms of economic development, natural resource endowment, political system and climate policy; 2) The economic sectors that represent the greatest potential for greenhouse gas mitigation; and 3) A defined set of policy issues within these regions and key sectors that most affect climate change. For each of the sectors covered, the report provides facts and data a ...
Services météorologiques, hydrologiques et climatologiques: compétences requises des formateurs
Le présent document définit un cadre de compétence pour le personnel impliqué dans les activités de formation, mais il n’est pas nécessaire que chaque intervenant possède l’ensemble des compétences présentées. Toutefois, dans les conditions d’application énoncées ci-après, qui seront différentes pour chaque organisation, on s’attend à ce que tout établissement qui propose des services d’enseignement et de formation à des météorologistes ou à des hydrologistes en exercice ou en cours de formation soit doté du personnel susceptible de couvrir l’ensemble des compétences voulues.
Competency Requirements for Education and Training Providers for Meteorological, Hydrological, and Climate Services
This document sets out a competency framework for personnel involved in training, but it is not necessary that each person has the full set of competencies. However, within the following application conditions, which will be different for each organization, it is expected that any institution providing education and training services to current and future meteorologists and hydrologists will have staff somewhere within the organization who together cover all the competencies.
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Synthesis report on experiences with the application of the guidelines for the national adaptation plan process in the least developed country Parties
UNFCCC, 2013This report synthesizes the views submitted by Parties and relevant organizations on experiences with the application of the guidelines for the national adaptation plan (NAP) process in least developed country (LDC) Parties. It reports on the following: views on the priority and urgency of the NAP process; the application of the guidelines for the NAP process; experience gained under other adaptation planning processes and programmes; and support needs for the application of the NAP guidelines in LDCs. The report concludes with a summary of proposals for next steps.
Flood Risk Management: A Strategic Approach
ADB, 2013Over recent decades the concept of flood risk management has been cultivated across the globe. Implementation however remains stubbornly difficult to achieve. In part this reflects the perception that a risk management paradigm is more complex than a more traditional standard-based approach as it involves "whole systems" and "whole life" thinking; yet this is its main strength and a prerequisite for more integrated and informed decision making.
This book is the result of a collaborative effort between the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the General Institute of Water Resources ...
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Disaster response and climate change in the Pacific: country reports
Gero Anna; National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF); University of Technology - NCCARF, 2013This research paper examines the nexus between disasters, human health, and climate change in the Pacific in order determine methods of effective disaster response in a changing climate to enhance long term adaptive capacity. The aim of this paper is to identify gaps in post-disaster support and to disseminate information regarding those gaps among policy-makers so as to establish a society more resilient to disaster.
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Disaster response and climate change in the Pacific
Gero Anna; National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF); University of Technology - NCCARF, 2013This research paper examines the nexus between disasters, human health, and climate change in the Pacific in order determine methods of effective disaster response in a changing climate to enhance long term adaptive capacity. The aim of this paper is to identify gaps in post-disaster support and to disseminate information regarding those gaps among policy-makers so as to establish a society more resilient to disaster.
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Implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action: summary of reports 2007-2013
UN/ISDR, 2013This report shows the relationship of specific activities to the five priorities for action of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) and the strategic objectives governing them. It reveals the overall connection of national efforts to the expectations of the HFA and makes clear the significance of the progress that has been made since 2005, as described in voluntary self-reporting from countries and regional organizations. The report: (i) highlights some catalysts that engender progress in disaster risk reduction (DRR); (ii) presents an overview provided by individual countries regarding progre ...
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National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Baseline Scenarios : Learning from Experiences in Developing Countries
Xenarios Stefanos - RiceClima, 2013This report aims rather to contribute to a better understanding of the issues and challenges involved in drawing up baseline scenarios, by documenting and drawing lessons from the breadth of existing practices in a range of countries. This existing diversity is both a key asset for gradually increasing the robustness of baseline scenarios, but also the reason for a lack of comparability.
WMO Statement on the status of the global climate in 2012
The present Statement is based on datasets and information that were made available by WMO Members and partners for 2012 and assessed in their global and regional geographical context. Comparisons were made with climatological averages and records (historical background) whenever possible and appropriate.
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Climate Change Fuelling Resource-Based Conflicts in the Asia-Pacific
UNDP, 2013This paper aims to present a background to resource-based conflicts and how they may be influenced by climate change in the Asia Pacific region. In so doing, this paper first examines the relationship between security, natural resources, and climate change. Second, this paper looks specifically at this issue in the Asia-Pacific region, presenting case studies from South and West Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific. The paper also presents an appraisal of existing address of this issue and explores options for future action that may underpin peace and security in a climate change context at local ...
Adaptation in Europe: addressing risks and opportunities from climate change in the context of socio-economic developments
EEA, 2013This report provides policymakers across Europe, at different levels of governance and stages of policy formulation, with information that can be used to support adaptation planning and implementation. Specific parts of the report are therefore targeted at different audiences.
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Farmers' perceptions of climate change and adaptation strategies in northern Nigeria: an empirical assessment
This study examines farmer's perception of the causes, constraints and strategies towards effective climate change adaptation in northern Nigeria. Data were collected from 500 respondents using both qualitative and quantitative approaches through a multistage random sampling technique. The study results show that the respondents were informed of the incidence of climate change as regards uncertainties in terms of higher temperatures, unpredictability of rainfall patterns, extreme weather events and increased farming problems such as loss of soil fertility. Respondents perceived the causes of c ...
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Adaptation or development? Exploring the distinctions (or lack thereof) through case studies in Bangladesh and Vietnam
Using Bangladesh and Vietnam as ‘adaptation project-dense’ contexts, this study explores how adaptation is understood, mainly by practitioners in development projects, but also by government staff, donors, researchers and others who are involved in implementing projects. The study outlines the following three key messages. 1) Differentiating between adaptation and development may be an artificial exercise, because in project implementation this difference is mostly considered insignificant; 2) Development is considered a ‘safer’ objective than adaptation, due to the lack of tools to assess suc ...
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Climate resilience and disaster risk management: stories of change from CDKN
This brief presents results from projects supported by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) to assess vulnerability and mainstream climate resilience into development planning. Case studies from India, Ghana and Colombia illustrate the importance of involving diverse social groups in defining and monitoring vulnerability and delivering adaptation solutions. The paper highlights the use of innovative techniques such as role-playing games to raise people’s awareness of the tough challenges posed by decision-making in a changing climate. Examples include: an initiative to protect ...
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Changing wave heights projected as the atmosphere warms: In Australasian Science
2013Climate scientists studying the impact of changing wave behaviour on the world's coastlines are reporting a likely decrease in average wave heights across 25 per cent of the global ocean.
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Disaster risk management in post-2015 development goals: potential targets and indicators
Disasters can hamper economic growth, affect poverty levels and cause human suffering. This paper argues that including measures to promote disaster risk management (DRM) in the post-2015 development goals is needed to incentivise investment in advance of shocks to protect lives and livelihoods, but also to save money. It explores three scenarios for how DRM could be included in the post-2015 framework: a standalone goal on disasters, supported by targets; a target on disasters within a goal on resilience, security or tackling obstacles to development; integration of DRM into other goals. The ...
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Building resilience to climate change through indigenous knowledge: the case of Bolivia
Indigenous knowledge plays an important role in the way communities interact with their climate. However, according to this ‘Inside story on climate compatible development’ by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), the increase of extreme weather events and disasters calls for new partnerships between indigenous people and the scientific community – an area where Bolivia could lead the way. The brief finds that indigenous people have reported that traditional climatic indicators are no longer as reliable as in the past and provide little protection against the impacts of severe ...
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