Transcript Policy Brief_RHF - Regional Climate Change Adaptation

TOWARDS CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE BUILDING
OF VULNERABLE MOUNTAIN PEOPLE AND THEIR
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
(POLICY BRIEF)
Jagadish Chandra Baral
May 10, 2012
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Vulnerability context to climate change
National context
Ramechhap context
Synoptic overview of the vulnerable
International policy initiatives
National policy/framework
Key policy gaps
Recommendations
Conclusion
areas
Vulnerability context to climate change
National Context
Nepal the 4th most vulnerable country
Attributable to
- High exposure
0.04 degrees against .0074 global
averages
-High sensitivity
Young geology/steep slopes
-Low adaptive capacity
Extreme poverty/difficult access
Vulnerability context to climate change…
Ramechhap Context
Top-most vulnerable country (in rural
settings) score .995
19 VDCs declared drought prone
Vulnerability context to climate change…
 Synoptic situations in four vulnerable areas
as defined by district stakeholders
- Synoptic issues and adaptation /coping
practices
SN
VDCs
Issues
Adaptation Practices
1
Pakarbas
•Huge Scarcity of Drinking water
•Drying of spring/well (out of 20 well,
limited water in 5/6 well)
•Paddy Cultivation just a story
•Reduction in Grass/Fodder
•Havoc of Invasive species
•Erratic Climatic Pattern
•Low Agriculture Production
•Change in livestock holding and rearing
•Padlocking well
•Initiation of
Rainwater Harvesting
•Paddy cultivation
over come by maize
•Initiation of Cash
crops like
coffee/Avocado
•Forest Conservation
2
Majhuwa
•Less drinking water (previous 24 hr
supply; now 2 hrs/day)
•Erratic Climatic Pattern
•Reduce in Agriculture Production
(Especially paddy)
•No more production of Masyang/Gahat
•Less buffalo or cow/HH; high no of
goats
•Plantation around
water sources
•Cultivation of
Rajma/Bean instead
of Masyang/Gahat
•Forest Conservation
SN
VDCs
Issues
Adaptation Practices
3
Deurali
•Drying of water sources/less drinking
water supply
•Reduction in Agriculture Production
•Decrease in livestock
•Less Grass/Fodder
•Erratic Climatic Pattern
•Appearance of Mosquitoes
•Changing of Intake
for water supply
•Forest Conservation
4
HImaganga
•Drastically shrinking of water sources
(24 hr Water Supply to 1 hr daily
supply)
•High pest infestation in crops
•Erratic climate pattern
•Reduce in Agriculture
production/Cultivation
•Almost no more Production of
Masyasng/Gahat due to pest
Infestation
•No vegetation cultivation now
•Reduce in Large livestock rearing
•Dying of trees in forest
•Water Storage in plastic
tank
•Change in Livestock rearing
(Hybrid goats)
•Optional profession
•Use of Chemical fertilizer
and pesticides (Not effective)
•Forest Conservation
•Cash Crops (Junar)
Field Reality
Padlocking Well
PROBLEMS
-Commonality
-Erratic rainfall
-Ever depleting water sources
-Crop failure and
-Loss of biodiversity
Problemcenteredaroundwaterstress
-Priority Order 1: Drinking water
-Priority order 2: Irrigation water
 Poor Support from the central government and
the district agencies
 Increasing level of hardships to sustain local
livelihoods
 Desperate attempt to cope
 Tendency to drift temporarily/permanently if
favors
-Temporary drift by way of getting
employment (Headquarter Region, Kathmandu,
Overseas)
-Permanent drift by way of
Property shift/Matrimony
DAG can hardly get this opportunity
INTERNATIONAL POLICY INITIATIVES
IPCC 1988
UNFCCC 1992
Attempts for ambitious targets for mitigation
and adaptation is on…
NATIONAL POLICY/FRAMEWORK
 CC policy 2011
 NAPA 2010
 LAPA framework 2012
 Toolkits for CCVA: Draft
Key policy gaps
Lack of effective integrating agency at the central level to
push the climate agenda in a holistic and effective way
Lack of two-way communication mechanisms among and
between the center and the local levels
Weak arrangements to rightly identify and to intervene
the vulnerable areas and communities
Role and space for ‘learning by doing’ is not adequately
emphasized by policies and programmes
Details of policy gaps
1. Lack of effective integrating agency at the
central level to push the climate agenda in effective
and holistic way
•CCC not afford to do it-too high an authority for this
•MOE has its limitations
•NAPA overlooks the role of MLD
•LAPA risks of being it for ‘nobody’
•Water problem at the core: govt structures
(water supply and irrigation offices) are yet to
realize this
Details of policy gaps…..
2. Lack of two-way communication mechanisms among
and between the center and the local levels
Poor coordination among sectoral ministries
Disproportionately low attention at the grassroots
-Towards desperate community needs
-What they have to offer
-What project experience has to offer
A sort of reflective shield is at work
MCCICC does not have constituency at the grassroots
Ensuring adaptation as rights looks uphill struggle in the
face of local understanding that problem is linked with
divinity
Permeability class 2
UNFCC
Permeability class 1
National
Scientist
IPCC
Permeability class 3
National
Government
National Benefit
International Benefit
Permeability class 4- Impermeable
Science knowledge
Policy/program knowledge
International Policy process
Reflective Shield

Local plight

Local Opportunities

Local knowledge

Local limitations
Level of Reflectivity vary
Details of policy gaps…..
3. Weak arrangements to rightly identifying and to
intervening the vulnerable areas and communities
•Vulnerability: just a NAPA Basis-Optional thereafter
•Vulnerables are too weak to make their voices heard
•Vulnerability changes over small space: thus capturing it is
difficult
•Lack of adequate/reliable data can a take a toll on
vulnerable communities: Eg PPCR
Details of policy gaps…..
4.Role and space for ‘learning by doing’ is not adequately
emphasized by policies and programmes
•CC is a new area requiring more than a sectoral intervention
•Need to go ‘out of box’: NAPA does not really conceive this
issue
•Only a learning by doing might figure out 1) what process
2) approach 3) program) coordination mechanism works
• The vulnerability tool kits have limitation:
oNot all 7 steps of LAPA framework have been dealt
oLacks experiential learning base
Recommendations
Issue 1: Lack of effective integrating agency at the central level to
Push the climate agenda in a holistic way
•Establish Climate Change centre with a mandate to
Research and inter-sectoral integration
Backstopping the role of climate change council and the MoE
•MoE to start empowering/backstopping other sectors to shoulder
burden of NAPA fund raising and implementation
- An idea of separate unit may be useful
•Make some agency functionally responsible for LAPA implementation
- MLD could be rightly placed for that
•Focus adaptation on water stress through:
Revised NAPA
NAP
•More exclusive agency for handling water conservation and supply.
Recommendations…………..
Issue 2: Lack of two-way communication mechanisms among and
between the center and the local levels
•MOE should start communicating better with
Rest of the sectoral ministries
Grassroots:
oFor indigenous knowledge/Opportunities
oFor past leaning from intervention
•MCCICC need to be crafted right up to the grassroots
•Work towards ‘adaptation as rights than a conventional aid’
oThough not easy requiring an extension
 to defy the old conviction that it is the divine phenomenon
to convince that it is the GHG for which industrialized world
is responsible
Recommendations…………..
Issue 3: Weak arrangements to rightly identifying and to intervening
the vulnerable areas and communities
•Make mandatory arrangements in a way that vulnerable communities/
places get first priority by interventions
•Empower vulnerable communities to make their voices heard
- Institution building may be an entry point
Make use of NAPA information to identify vulnerable districts.
However, be aware that
NAPA’s identification of an entire district ‘vulnerable’ or
‘non- vulnerable’ is not always helpful
Supposedly non vulnerable/less vulnerable areas may have
inclusion of vulnerability. Opposite may also be true.
(example: all Ramechhap may not be vulnerable and part of
Sindhuli may be vulnerable)
Recommendations…………..
•Aim for more data (met and socio-economic) that covers
micro catchment.
•Use truly participative PRA
until detailed data are available
for validation of ‘statistical data’
•Gear towardsbetter research to develop drought resistant varieties of
crops and livestock
•Pilot crop and livestock insurance system with a focus on drought
prone areas
Recommendations…………..
Issue 4: Role and space for ‘learning by doing’ is not adequately
emphasized by policy
•Given the new field where uncertainties abound and there is no known
method, program and approach ‘learning by doing’ should be the basis
•Piloting should be
Based on indigenous knowledge system
Process than blueprint
Holistic than sectorally segregated
Empowerment focused than centrally sponsored
Vulnerability centric than vulnerability blind
Recommendations…………..
•Should initially be done along the 5 physiographic transact from north
to south
•Named as community based climate learning school
•Replicate/expand the model with necessary modifications
•Modify the toolkits based on new knowledge
•The overall task may be a collaborative effort among the local
communities and sectoral agencies under the
facilitation/support/patronage of MLD/NAST
•MoE must ensure necessary backstopping
The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same
level of thinking with which we created them. Albert Einstein
Think Out of Box by Way of Putting
Vulnerable Communities at Centre
Reflection over Nepal’s concerns
National Climate Change policy,2011
Major Targeted dates
•Establishment of a Climate Change Center
by 2011
•Initiation of community-based local adaptation
by 2011
• Preparation of a national strategy for carbon
trade in order to benefit from the CDM by
2012
•Formulation and implementation of a low
carbon economic development strategy
by 2014
Reflection over Nepal’s concerns……..
NAPA
USD 350 million (estimated cost)
 6 thematic Areas
• Agriculture and food security
• Water resources and energy
• Climate induced disasters
• Forest and biodiversity
• Public Health
• Urban settlement and infrastructure
Reflection of Nepal’s concerns……..
NAPA………………
9 combined profiles
•Community based adaptation through Integrated Management of
Agriculture, Water, Forest and Biodiversity
•Building and Enhancing Adaptive Capacity of Vulnerable Communities
Through Improved System and Access to Service Related Agriculture
Development
•Community Based Disaster Management For Facilitating Climate
Adaptation
•GLOF Monitoring and Disaster Risk Reduction
•Forest and Ecosystem Management For Supporting Climate Led Adaptation
Innovations
•Adapting to Climate Challenges in Public Health
•The Ecosystem Management for Climate Adaptation
•Empowering Vulnerable Communities Through Sustainable Management of
Water Resources and Clean Energy Supply
•Promoting Climate Smart Urban Settlement
Institutional structure including
DCC/VCC/Reginal technical suuport/MCCICC
Reflection of Nepal’s concerns……..
LAPA framework
•Meant for local level
•7 steps starting from vulnerability assessment
Reflection of Nepal’s concerns……..
LAPA toolkits
•Vulnerability mapping and planning
•Basic premise of vulnerability assessment:
V=f(exposure*sensitivity*adaptive capacity)
Main concern of current work
Do those national initiatives address
conditions such as Ramechhap?
Community Interaction in Pakarbas VDC
Ramechhap Climate Change Issues
SN
VDCs
Issues
Adaptation Practices
1
Pakarbas
•Huge Scarcity of Drinking water
•Drying of spring/well (out of 20 well,
limited water in 5/6 well)
•Paddy Cultivation just a story
•Reduction in Grass/Fodder
•Havoc of Invasive species
•Erratic Climatic Pattern
•Low Agriculture Production
•Change in livestock holding and rearing
•Padlocking well
•Initiation of
Rainwater Harvesting
•Paddy cultivation
over come by maize
•Initiation of Cash
crops like
coffee/Avocado
•Forest Conseervation
2
Majhuwa
•Less drinking water (previous 24 hr
supply; now 2 hrs/day)
•Erratic Climatic Pattern
•Reduce in Agriculture Production
(Especially paddy)
•No more production of Masyang/Gahat
•Less buffalo or cow/HH; high no of goats
•Plantation around
water sources
•Cultivation of
Rajma/Bean instead
of Masyang/Gahat
•Forest Conservation
Ramechhap Climate Change Issues…
SN
VDCs
Issues
Adaptation Practices
3
Deurali
•Drying of water sources/less drinking water
supply
•Reduction in Agriculture Production
•Decrease in livestock
•Less Grass/Fodder
•Erratic Climatic Pattern
•Appearance of Mosquitoes
•Changing of Intake
for water supply
•Forest Conservation
4
HImaganga
•Drastically shrinking of water sources (24 hr
Water Supply to 1 hr daily supply)
•High pest infestation in crops
•Erratic climate pattern
•Reduce in Agriculture
production/Cultivation
•Almost no more Production of
Masyasng/Gahat due to pest Infestation
•No vegetation cultivation now
•Reduce in Large livestock rearing
•Dying of trees in forest
•Water Storage in plastic
tank
•Change in Livestock
rearing (Hybrid goats)
•Optional profession
•Use of Chemical fertilize
and pesticides (Not
effective)
•Forest Conservation
•Cash Crops (Junar)
SN
Policy Issues
VDCs
Pakarbas
Majuwa
Deurali
Himganga
1
NCCP
Not Known Not
Known
Not
Known
Not Known
2
NAPA
Not Known Not
Known
Not
Known
Not Known
3
LAPA
Not Known Not
Known
Not
Known
Not Known
4
CC program in
budget
Not
included
Not
included
Not included
Not
included
Way forward for the district level
Orient yourself with
International initiatives
National initiatives NAPA/LAPA/CC policy
Identify vulnerable communities
Do not bulk all VDCs in one basket
Do not follow a blanket approach
‘Water’ at the centre of intervention
Raise awareness: CC policy
Follow the LAPA steps: show diagram
Collaborate with existing NGOs/Organizations
Purposeful lobby as a last resort for securing
financial and technical support