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Transparency and the Paris Agreement : driving ambitious action in the new climate regime
This working paper aims to stimulate the debate around the transparency system in the new climate regime.
It proposes the roles and objectives which the authors see for the transparency system under the new agreement and provides an overview of the current transparency system under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), identifying weaknesses and strengths based on the output generated so far. The paper goes on to develop the main principles of the new transparency system and provides concrete proposals for how to ensure its effective ...
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Promoting the use of climate information to achieve long-term development objectives in sub-Saharan Africa : results from the Future Climate For Africa scoping phase
This report is based on initial research into the use of long-term (5-40 year) climate information in Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia and the coastal cities of Accra, Ghana and Maputo, Mozambique to achieve long-term development objectives in sub-Saharan Africa . The study also assesses how long-term climate information is being used by planners of large dams and ports in Africa. The research finds that governments and businesses are failing to consider long-term climate information in investment planning: in most of the case study countries, not a single example of climate information being effectivel ...
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The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report: what’s in it for Latin America?
This report, compiled by a wide range of experts from the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), presents key findings from the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) for Latin America. It extracts Latin America-specific data, trends and analysis directly from AR5, summarising it in a short volume to make it accessible to all audiences, and highlights key opportunities to achieve adaptation, mitigation and development.
The report distils the richest material on climate impacts and trends in small islands, and Latin America’s ...
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Review of the zero draft of the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction
This paper presents the Overseas Development Institute and CDKN experts' analysis and suggestions for improvement of the latest draft of the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction (DRR), which governments will look over in Geneva on the 17th and 18th November. This meeting represents the last major gathering before the World Conference on DRR in Sendai, Japan in March 2015.
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Facing Uncertainty : the value of climate information for adaptation, risk reduction and resilience in Africa
This report puts participatory scenario planning (PSP - a multi-stakeholder platform for making seasonal climate forecasts useful) into the broader context of climate communication, with a focus on Africa.
It is aimed at new users and intermediaries interested in integrating climate information into adaptation, resilience, disaster risk reduction (DRR), early warning, agriculture and other sector-based development programmes and related work. It explains why and how climate information is a valuable resource for informing responses to climate variability and change. Based on lessons fro ...
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The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report : what’s in it for Small Island Developing States?
This report distils the richest material on climate impacts and trends in small islands, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS)’ experiences in adaptation and mitigation from the thousands of pages of the Fifth Assessment Report and complemented with similar, peer reviewed case studies from such countries. It aims to make the IPCC’s important material more accessible and usable and responds to wide demand for this type of information.
The guide is part of a suite of materials to promote the key findings of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report, which include companion volumes f ...
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Integrating urban agriculture and forestry into climate change action plans: Lessons from Sri Lanka
This case study aims to illustrate how the Western Province in Sri Lanka is promoting urban and peri-urban agriculture and forestry as a strategy to reduce vulnerability to climate change, while at the same time enhancing urban liveability and livelihoods. Key messages include that the province is promoting the rehabilitation of flood zones through their productive use as a strategy to improve storm water infiltration and mitigate flood risks. It is recommended that future upscaling of these interventions will need new urban design concepts and the development of a provincial climate change ...
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Local approaches to harmonising climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction policies: Lessons from India
The Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) conducted research in the disaster-prone arid zones of India, Leh and Barmer to determine how best to overcome the challenges of integrating effective disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation into development planning. This brief describes the team’s research and observations, and suggests how other communities can address similar challenges by using windows of opportunity in post-disaster situations. The paper argues that special planning and response mechanisms need to be developed at the national level to meet the ...
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Natural catastrophes and man-made disasters in 2013 : large losses from floods and hail; Haiyan hits the Philippines
This Sigma report gives a global and regional overview of catastrophes in 2013 when almost 26,000 people died in disasters. It also takes a special look at fostering climate change resilience. Typhoon Haiyan was the biggest humanitarian catastrophe of the year and Asia had the highest economic losses. Worldwide economic losses from catastrophes worldwide were US$ 140 billion in 2013. The report predicts that climate change could contribute to rising losses in the future as the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events increase. It is argued that dealing with climate change requires a r ...
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Water resources - management and strategies in Nigeria: In AFRREV STECH, Vol. 3(1)
This journal paper focuses on water development. It argues that because of the lack of sound early development policy and meaningful investments, the rational use of water resources poses a great problem and challenge to the country. The River Basin Development Authorities, set up to manage the resources, along with the state government ministries and the private sector have all impacted on the management of water resources. The paper examines the sources of surface and ground water resources in Nigeria; the goal and present organisation of water management in Nigeria groundwater protection an ...
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Exploring the role of climate science in supporting long-term adaptation and decision-making in sub-Saharan Africa
The working paper is intended to identify key gaps in science and capacity to feed into the scoping phase of the Future Climate For Africa (FCFA) programme. It brings together information from 1) A review of articles and ‘grey’ (unpublished) literature on knowledge gaps and areas needed to support the capacity of African decision-makers and 2) Two regional activities: a workshop in and a side-event to the Africa Climate Change Conference 2013 in Arusha, Tanzania.
It argues that ensuring that policy-makers are able to respond to the medium- and long-term implications of climate change is ...
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How to scale out community-based adaptation to climate change
This working paper explains how to increase the scale and impact of community-based adaptation (CBA). It argues that CBA is a viable way to build communities’ resilience to climate change, particularly those most vulnerable to its impacts. CBA puts them in the driving seat when it comes to designing and delivering adaptation options. However, until recently, analysis of the impacts beyond the immediate beneficiaries was not possible because not enough CBA projects had been implemented. As a result, most of the lessons about best practice have yet to be scaled out or included in wider developm ...
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What does it take to mainstream disaster risk management in key sectors?
This guide draws on the experience of CDKN’s programmes on climate-related disaster risk management (DRM) within the context of climate compatible development. It explores why mainstreaming DRM into development policy has had widely varying results between countries. In doing so, this guide attempts to delve beneath the surface of mainstreaming and identify the ways forward for integrating short- and long-term considerations for disaster risk reduction in important development sectors.
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What climate change means for farmers in Africa: A triptych review middle panel: Introductional matters and consequences of global warming for African farmers: In African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development (Vol. 14 No. 1)
This paper deals with the consequences of climate change for farmers in Africa, including increasing temperatures and changing rainfall, increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide content and impacts on agricultural production. The paper attempts to illustrate local conditions that must be taken into account to understand the impacts/consequences of climate change for African farmers and how they may cope with them. The review is in three parts; climate change is approached by dealing with the three sides from which the danger comes: (i) global warming, (ii) increasing climate variability, (iii) mo ...
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How can the Green Climate Fund initiate a paradigm shift?
The objective of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is to achieve a paradigm shift towards low-carbon and climate-resilient development pathways. The brief asserts that ambition is required in the design of funded activities and in the provision of financial resources to the Fund. The authors explain that a paradigm shift might imply moving to more programmatic approaches and that strong country ownership is essential as it will ensure that new ways of working endure in the long term. They argue that the GCF needs to provide clear incentives and guidance for ambitious proposals by governments and su ...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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Climate finance: challenges and responses
^This policy brief by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) estimates that the cost of tackling climate change in developing countries could reach some hundreds of billions of US dollars annually over the coming decades. Low-emission and climate-resilient development options often require upfront investments that can be costlier than conventional solutions. It points out that currently there is not a comprehensive global climate finance approach and it will take time before the Green Climate Fund (GCF) will be operationalised. Developing countries require support in their effort ...
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Embedding climate change resilience in coastal city planning: early lessons from Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
This ‘Inside story on climate compatible development’ by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network summarises guidelines for climate change adaption in the coastal city of Cartagena de Indias in Colombia. It outlines the process leading to creation of the guidelines and highlights how they lay the foundation for a full municipal adaptation plan. According to the brief, the government of Colombia is also closely following the progress of this municipal process, which will influence the implementation of the National Adaptation Plan and similar approaches in other coastal cities and towns in ...
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Climate legislation study: a review of climate change legislation in 33 countries
CDKN, 2013This review of climate change legislation in 33 countries shows that developing countries are leading action on climate change. Overall, there has been significant progress in the climate and/or energy-related legislation of almost all major economies, but a great amount of the 2012 effort took place in emerging countries. In particular, among major economies Mexico and China are leading the action against climate change thanks to their recent steps to cut carbon emissions and raise energy efficiency. The study aims to support legislators advancing climate-related legislation by providing deta ...
Tackling exposure: placing disaster risk management at the heart of national economic and fiscal policy
As a follow-up to a first paper A preliminary analysis of flood and storm disaster data in Viet Nam, this Quang Binh case study provides a more in-depth disaster profile of one particular province in Viet Nam, including specific temporal and spatial distribution patterns while using district aggregated data. It also looks deeper into the relationship between disasters and poverty through analysis of various indicators: number of deaths, impact on housing and agricultural produce, poverty rate and the percentage of poor households.
The first part of this paper examines the disas ...
Managing climate extremes and disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean: lessons from the IPCC SREX reports
This summary highlights the key findings of the IPCC Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) report including an assessment of the science and the implications of this for society and sustainable development. It includes material directly taken from the SREX report, where the underlying source is clearly referenced, but it also presents synthesis messages that are the views of the authors of this summary and not necessarily those of the IPCC. It is intended to illuminate the SREX report’s vital findings for decision maker ...
Managing climate extremes and disasters in Asia: lessons from the IPCC SREX reports
This summary highlights the key findings of the IPCC Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) report from
an Asian perspective, including an assessment of the science and the implications of this for society and sustainable development. It includes material directly taken from the SREX report, where the underlying source is clearly referenced, but it also presents synthesis messages that are the views of the authors of this summary and not necessarily those of the IPCC. It is intended to illuminate the SREX report’ ...
Managing climate extremes and disasters in Africa: lessons from the IPCC SREX reports
This summary highlights the key findings of the IPCC Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) report from an African perspective, including an assessment of the science and the implications of this for society and sustainable development. It includes material directly taken from the SREX report, where the underlying source is clearly referenced, but it also presents synthesis messages that are the views of the authors of this summary and not necessarily those of the IPCC. It is intended to illuminate the SREX report’s vita ...
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Arab Environment : Climate Change. Impact of Cilmate Change on Arab Countries
CDKN, 2009In this report, the editors state that the Arab countries are in many ways among the most vulnerable in the world to the potential impacts of climate change, as the region already suffers from aridity, recurrent drought and water scarcity. The report highlights that virtually no work is being carried out to make the Arab countries prepared for climate change challenges. Specifically, no concerted data gathering and research efforts could be traced regarding the impacts of climate change on health, infrastructure, biodiversity, tourism, water and food production. Reliable records on climate pat ...
Climate planning - Climate compatible Development Tools: a guide for national planning
This project has been prepared in response to demand from a range of practitioners and government officials in developing countries, including demand expressed through members of the Coordinated Low Emissions Assistance Network (CLEAN).
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