Transcript Technologies for adaptation to climate change under the UNFCCC

Technologies for
adaptation to climate change
under the UNFCCC process
Iulian Florin Vladu
Technology Sub-programme
Sustainable Development Programme
UNFCCC
June 2005
Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago
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OUTLINE

Technologies for adaptation under the technology
agenda item
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Some reflections based on the work done (technical
papers, scoping paper, regional workshop)
 What are technologies for adaptation to climate change?
 What technologies are reasonable for climate change?
 Analysis of needs and setting priorities
 Integration with sustainable development

Examples of technologies by sectors
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TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION
UNDER THE TECHNOLOGY AGENDA ITEM

Article 4.5 of the Convention: The developed country
Parties and other developed Parties included in Annex
II shall take all practicable steps to promote, facilitate
and finance, as appropriate, the transfer of, or access
to, environmentally sound technologies and knowhow
to other Parties, particularly developing country
Parties, to enable them to implement the provisions of
the Convention

Environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) under
Article 4.5 of the Convention, includes both
technologies conducive to mitigation of and adapting
to climate change
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TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION
UNDER THE TECHNOLOGY AGENDA ITEM

Examples of requests from COP and SBSTA:
 Prepare an inventory and assessment of environmentally
sound and economically viable technologies and know-how
conducive to mitigating and adapting to climate change
 Prepare progress reports on activities of Annex I Parties
relating to the introduction of adaptation technologies
 Compile a catalogue of adaptation technologies and knowhow
 Survey technology needs
 Provide support to Parties to assess their technology needs
 Synthesize and disseminate information on adaptation
technologies
 Prepare technical papers and organize this seminar

EGTT included also activities on technologies for
adaptation in its work programme for 2004 and 2005
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TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION
UNDER THE TECHNOLOGY AGENDA ITEM

Prepared a number of reports and technical papers
which are directly or partially relevant to adaptation:
 Initial report on technology inventory and assessment
 Technical paper on Adaptation to climate change: options
and technologies
 Technology and technology information needs arising from
the survey of developing country Parties
 Technical paper on Coastal adaptation technologies
 Technical paper on Enabling environments for technology
transfer
 Compilation and synthesis of Annex II National
Communications, with specific reference to adaptation
technologies
 EGTT scoping paper on Basic concepts of adaptation relevant
technologies
 Background paper on Technology to understand and manage
climate risks (prepared for this seminar)
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TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION
UNDER THE TECHNOLOGY AGENDA ITEM

Access to information - the secretariat has established a
technology information clearing house (TT:CLEAR) which includes
following elements relating to adaptation:
 Inventory of existing adaptation centres. Experts and organizations
 Cooperation projects on technology for adaptation (mainly from
national communications of both Annex I and non-Annex I Parties,
technology needs assessments and NAPAs)
 Case studies

Access to information - a pilot network of technology information
centres was established. The pilot network will be extended this
year to include three centres from developing country Parties, one
for each geographical region
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TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION
UNDER THE TECHNOLOGY AGENDA ITEM
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Provided support to non-Annex I Parties to conduct
technology needs assessments (TNAs)
 Some 80 TNAs conducted with support from UNDP
 Some 15 TNAs conducted with support from UNEP

UNDP prepared a guidebook on Conducting
technology needs assessments for climate change
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Started to work on summarizing the results of the
TNAs completed so far
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WHAT ARE ADAPTATION TECHNOLOGIES?

Many technologies have been used to adapt to
contemporary climate variability and extremes.
Examples of existing a technologies for adaptation
include air conditioning, flood-defence systems and
irrigation, but also monitoring, forecasting and earlywarning systems for natural hazards
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These technologies can also be used to adapt to
climate change, although they may need to be
improved and new technologies may need to be
developed because climate change is likely to impose
new and higher standards of reliability and
performance
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WHAT ARE ADAPTATION TECHNOLOGIES?

Attempting a definition of technologies for adaptation
to climate change poses significant challenges:
 Adaptation is a very broad term alluding to many diverse
sectors and systems, including human and natural systems
and their interrelationships, on which climate change impacts
are dependent on other considerations such as vulnerability,
sensitivity, resilience etc.
 In contrast, for mitigation, greenhouse gases are emitted
largely as a result of the application of technology itself, so
possible solutions already have a teological baseline
 A definition of technology for adaptation that can adequately
capture the multitude of situations to which it can, or ought, to
apply would be difficult. Such a definition would need to
incorporate the concepts of “adaptation” and “technology”
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WHAT ARE ADAPTATION TECHNOLOGIES?
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In the climate change context, adaptation has been
defined as the “adjustment in natural or human
systems in response to actual or expected climatic
stimuli or their effects, that moderates harm or exploits
beneficial opportunities”

Technology has been defined as “a piece of equipment,
technique, practical knowledge or skills for performing
a particular activity”
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WHAT ARE ADAPTATION TECHNOLOGIES?
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An operational definition of technology for adaptation
could therefore be:
 “Any application of equipment, techniques, practical
knowledge or skills that would allow natural or human
systems to adjust to actual or expected climatic stimuli or
their effects, by moderating harm or exploiting beneficial
opportunities” or in simpler language
 “The application of technology in order to reduce the
vulnerability, or enhance the resilience, of a natural or human
system to the impacts of climate change”.
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WHAT ARE ADAPTATION TECHNOLOGIES?

This definition would also incorporate the use,
development or adoption of innovative approaches to
achieve the same end, such as the management of
natural and human systems, or components thereof

It also implies human intervention in the adaptation
process, contrasted to autonomous adaptation
 Most adaptations will be done in reaction to climate change
(e.g., farmer switches crops - “autonomous” adaptation). We
are focusing on “anticipatory” or “purposeful” adaptation deliberately done to anticipate effects of climate change (may
also be to address current needs)

See also next presentation..
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WHAT ARE ADAPTATION TECHNOLOGIES?
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Technological approaches to anticipatory and planned
adaptation may include both “soft” technology and
“hard” technology
 Hard technology —also called capital goods, hardware or
embodied technology— refers to tools, machinery, equipment
and entire production systems (what we traditionally think of
as technologies, e.g., equipment, structures)
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WHAT ARE ADAPTATION TECHNOLOGIES?

Soft technologies —also called software or
disembodied technology— concerns the knowledge of
methods and techniques for the production of goods
and services, or for choosing optimal courses of
action
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Soft technologies enable hard technologies to be applied
Analogous to “adaptive capacity”
Includes such elements as education, training
Can also include approaches to overcome barriers to adoption
of technologies (e.g., market, economic, institutional,
cultural)?
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WHAT TECHNOLOGIES ARE REASONABLE
FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE?
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The development and deployment of either type of
technology requires the right economic, legal and
institutional contexts. Therefore, an effective
adaptation strategy will comprise a mix of various
adaptation approaches

Do we invest now in technologies to anticipate climate
change? Does it make sense to deploy them now?
 Benefits are too far in future to justify large investment solely
for climate change..
 Too many uncertainties about local climate change. However,
R&D may make sense..
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WHAT TECHNOLOGIES ARE REASONABLE
FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE?
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What technologies for adaptation do we invest in?
 Basically, ones that are needed for today’s needs and are
further justified by consideration of climate change..
 Means that technologies do not address climate change
alone?
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WHAT TECHNOLOGIES ARE REASONABLE
FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE?
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Timing
 Should consider these technologies when adaptations will be
needed?
 Because of barriers or length of investments, some
adaptations could take many years to implement. Therefore it
may make sense to address barriers for long-term adaptations
now so implementation is shortened

Agriculture vs. water
 Many agriculture investments take 5 to
30 years
 Water investments such as supply can
take 50 to 100 years
 Different timing of investments may be
justified
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WHAT TECHNOLOGIES ARE REASONABLE
FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE?
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Technologies which help reduce the impacts of climate
change can themselves cause other problems
 Coastal zone adaptation technologies are a good example.
Many of the technologies incorporated within, or needed to
implement, managed retreat from, accommodation of, or
protection against, rising sea levels can have adverse social,
economic or environmental consequences, often even when
diligently executed (e.g., most hard structures such as sea
walls have deleterious effects upon local ecosystems,
including, in the case of many small islands, for example,
fisheries and coral reefs)
 Few, if any, coastal adaptation technologies have no negative
side-effects. Under certain circumstances these unintended
side-effects can outweigh the benefits of a particular coastal
adaptation technology
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WHAT TECHNOLOGIES ARE REASONABLE
FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE?

Analyze vulnerability and adaptation needs
 Need to understand vulnerability to current climate and
climate change
 Need to address climate change adaptation needs

Challenges of assessing vulnerability
 Difficulty in comparing across sectors because of differences
in impacts: human life, income, well being, ecological impacts
(adaptation does not have equivalent of $/TC)
 Uncertainties about climate change
 Time frame

UNDP Adaptation Policy
Framework
(scope project; assess current vulnerability;
characterize future, climate-related risks;
develop adaptation strategy;
continue adaptation process)
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ANALYSIS OF NEEDS AND SETTING
PRIORITIES
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Vulnerability assessment is a natural prelude to
technology assessment in the context of adaptation.
An assessment primarily involves an analysis of the
vulnerability of sectors and systems and the
approaches (technologies) that can be applied to
reduce the identified vulnerability or enhance
resilience
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The actual on-the-ground implementation of any
technology would have to be a decision based on the
TNA process, involving inter alia, technology
assessments, stakeholder consultations, analysis and
removal of implementation barriers, enabling
environments, implementation plans, etc.
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ANALYSIS OF NEEDS AND SETTING
PRIORITIES

A complete assessment of adaptation options would
include an analysis of adaptive capacity, cost-benefit
analyses, effectiveness, and efficiency etc. that may or
may not fall within the purview of “technology” per se

Technology itself can have adverse impacts of its own
and technology as applied to adaptation may also need
to be assessed for these adverse impacts, either on
natural or human systems (see above example on
coastal zone technologies)
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ANALYSIS OF NEEDS AND SETTING
PRIORITIES
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Identify broad adaptation needs first. What is really
needed?
 Set priorities
 Policy reforms may be most important
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Do not assume technology is the answer; use it as
needed
Recognize that many adaptations are on an ad hoc
basis. Do not ignore these opportunities
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ANALYSIS OF NEEDS AND SETTING
PRIORITIES
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It is important to rank technologies in terms of priorities. No right
or wrong way to do it: be consistent and transparent
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TNA process suggests priority setting involve stakeholders and
be comprehensive

Can consider criteria such as most cost-effectively reducing
current risks or addressing urgent climate change needs (e.g.,
where vulnerability or costs of response could increase if not
addressed)
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The TNA process is country driven and include national priorities.
Nevertheless, common grounds can be defined that might be
useful to other countries in dealing with adaptation issues

Information generated by other processes such as National
Communications, NAPAs, UNDP APF etc. should also be taken
into consideration
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ANALYSIS OF NEEDS AND SETTING
PRIORITIES

TNA example - Mauritius
Coastal Zones
Coastal Zones (technologies in use)
Coastal Zones (projects)
Retreat
Hard engineering
River Management Project
Replacement Casements (alternative casements such as coastal access roads may need to be rearranged far in advance of their erosion / submergence)
Sea walls
Setback Building Distance (a buffer zone between the shoreline and permanent structures, which protect properties in the event of sea level rise and more frequent
flooding. It should not be uniform and will depend on coastal type.
Groynes
Marine Parks
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Accommodate
Inland flood defences (essentially the creation of a new coastal strip to reduce vulnerability to more frequent flooding)
Flood warning systems (systems to provide real-time forecasts of high tides, surges and wave overtopping)
Islets
Gabions
Monitoring
Breakwaters
Mangrove Re-plantation
Soft Engineering
Better management of rain / waste water (various technologies related to drainage and sewer schemeswill need to be introduced to improve management of rain and
wastewater. This will reduce potential geo-technical erosion and recession problems)
Integrated Resort Scheme
Beach nourishment,
Awareness Programme
Building with nature techniques
Protect
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Building with 'nature' techniques (building with nature techniques includes the creation, maintenance or restoration of wetlands, marshlands and dune systems)
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Stimulate growth of coral reefs naturally or artificially (it involves the creation of appropriate media for corals to
grow upon)
Artificial reefs
Integrated Coastal Zone Management
Hand-placed rock sea walls (hand placed rocks to form sea walls are a common line of protection used. Placed correctly and maintained, they have been demonstrated
to be an effective technology)
Gabions (They are low-cost wire or plastic baskets filled with local materials. The baskets are placed together as building blocks to form structures that act as a last line
of defence against high waves associated with storms)
Groynes (They are structures placed perpendicularly to the shore to trap sediments often in direct response to an acute erosion problem)
Revertments (It is a slope consisting of loose or inter-locking nature, which provides protection to banks or cliffs made up of erodable material)
Bulkheads and seawalls (They are retaining walls made of concrete or interlocking rocks, whose primary purpose is to hold or prevent sliding of terrain while providing
protection from light to moderate wave action)
Breakwaters (they are double-sided structures with water on both sides, used to dissipate wave and current energy. They are made with large amount of rocks and other
special construction material)
Storm surge barriers (They are sophisticated coastal defence structures that can protect tidal inlets, rivers and estuaries from occasional surge events)
Flooding and storm drains (They are technologies to manage the run-off of rainwater and can prevent serious erosion during storms)
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Beach nourishment
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INTEGRATION WITH SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT

Address current problems that can be made worse by
climate change

Consider future development paths
 Identify where these paths:
» Exacerbates existing problems
» Eases existing problems
» Creates new problems
 Identify linkages with climate change
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EXAMPLES – WATER RESOURCES
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Options can involve actions on both the demand and
supply sides
 Supply side adaptations: increasing flood defences, building
weirs and locks to manage water levels and modifying or
extending infrastructure to collect and distribute water to
consumers
 Demand-side adaptive techniques: water-efficient irrigation
such as drip-irrigation technology, water conservation
techniques, land use management technology
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Water conservation for potable use would be of high
importance for countries projected to have a decrease
in annual rainfall
Protection of surface and ground water reserves can
employ pollution prevention technology in sectors that
give rise to water pollutants such as industry and
agriculture
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EXAMPLES – WATER RESOURCES

Limited water supply
 Already a problem because of overuse, pollution
 Higher population, economic growth could exacerbate
problem by increasing demand
 Climate change risks reducing supply:
» Salt water intrusion from sea level rise
» Reduced runoff/infiltration

Identify technologies that address water supply needs
e.g.,
 Increase efficiency of use
 Reduce losses
 Increase supply
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EXAMPLES - AGRICULTURE
Examples of adaptation opportunities to climate-change impacts on agricultural systems
Response strategy
Adaptation options
Use different crops or varieties to match changing water supply and temperature
conditions
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Conduct research to develop new crop varieties
Improve distribution networks
Change land topography to reduce runoff, improve water uptake and reduce wind
erosion
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Subdivide large fields
Grass waterways
Land leveling
Waterway-leveled pans
Bench terracing
Tied ridges
Deep plowing
Roughen land surface
Use windbreaks
Introduce systems to improve water use and availability and control soil erosion
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Low-cost pumps and water supplies
Dormant season irrigation
Line canals or install pipes
Use brackish water where possible
Concentrate irrigation water during peak-growth period
Level fields, recycle tailwater, irrigate alternate furrows
Drip-irrigation systems
Diversions
Change farming practices to conserve soil moisture and
nutrients, reduce runoff and control soil erosion
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Conventional bare fallow
Stubble/straw mulching
Minimum tillage
Crop rotation
Contour cropping to slope
Avoid monocropping Chisel up soil clods
Use lower planting densities
Change timing of farm operations to better fit new climatic conditions

Advance sowing dates to offset moisture stress during warm
period
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EXAMPLES - AGRICULTURE

Chemical pollution from agriculture. Agricultural
activity can affect water quality through run off from
fertilizers, pesticides and soils into surface and
groundwater. A logical approach would be to
prevent/reduce the amount of chemicals used. Two
such approaches can be:
 Integrated Pest Management (IPM): involves pest control
methods including growing pest-resistant cultivars, crop
rotation and tillage techniques. Efficient and proper
application of pesticides can reduce chemical loads
 Integrated Plant Nutrition Systems (IPNS): involves the
efficient use of nutrient supply to crops; helps to improve
productive capacity of soils; timely and sufficient use of onand off-farm nutrient supply can reduce run-off to surface-,
and leaching to, groundwater
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EXAMPLES – HUMAN HEALTH
Health impact
Population level
Individual level
Heat stress
- Air conditioning
- Adjustment of building designs (insulation, blinds,
ventilation)
- Tree planting in urban areas
- Protective clothing (hats, sunglasses, light fabrics)
- Domestic cooling
High-wind extremes
- Strengthening of buildings and other structures
- Early-warning systems
- Disaster-preparedness programmes
High-water extremes
(see also sections 3.3 and 3.5)
- Flood-defence systems
- Increased mobility
- Set-backs
- Improved run-off facilities
- Domestic protection
Vector-borne diseases
- Vector-control approaches (e.g., fumigation)
- Primary health care, including vaccinations and
medicines
- Public health surveillance and control
programmes
- Environmental management
- Mosquito nets and repellents
- Wire gauze (door and window screens)
Water/food-borne diseases
- Improved water-supply systems
- Water purification
- Improved sanitation
- Primary health care, including vaccinations and
medicines
- Public health surveillance and control
programmes
- Environmental management
- Personal hygiene
Plant aero-allergens
- Allergy warning systems
- Anti-allergens and other drugs
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FINAL THOUGHTS
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Knowledge of adaptation technologies and practices is
limited and the work of the EGTT on this topic just
started. Nevertheless, a wide range of sector-specific
ESTs that can function as adaptation technologies are
available depending on the vulnerability of a particular
sector
A main challenge remains to identify these
technologies, assess them, adapt them to local
conditions and deploy them
Need to begin with present-day needs and to consider
development paths. What problems are made worse,
eased or introduced and add in climate change as a
consideration
Technology can be an answer but is not always the
answer
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Thank you!
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