Transcript Adaptation to Climate Change - Pennsylvania Department of

Adapting to Climate Change on a Global
Scale: Perspectives from the
Copenhagen Climate Change Summit
Diane W. Husic, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Department of Biological Sciences
Moravian College
Bethlehem, PA
United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC)
Conference of the Parties
(COP)
• 1992 Rio Earth Summit
• Kyoto Protocol
December 7 – 19, 2009
 Annex I Parties
 Annex II Parties
• Bali Road Map (COP13)  Copenhagen
•Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change reports (IPCC)
 AR4 (2007)
Lessons to consider:
• The UNFCCC premise #1:
Decisions for action are based on science (it is
not an issue of believing in climate change or
not).
• The UNFCCC premise #2 (shared by PA, see p. 2
of Weathering Climate Change:
“We must plan for the adaptation of natural and
human systems to the unavoidable impacts of a
warming climate.”
Civil Society Observers
• Constituency Groups
Cross-national dialog
Lessons to consider:
• The decision-making processes should be
inclusive, but minimize the bureaucracy.
• Also consider which voices
aren’t being heard …
Lessons to consider:
• Skip the acronyms and diplomatic jargon!
UNFCCC
NAPAs
COP
CMP
B
A
U
AOSIS
LULUCF
Alternative Forums
Lessons to consider:
• Transparency, communication, and educating
the stakeholders about the process, priorities and
decisions are important.
Side events
The Plenary Sessions
Lessons to consider:
• Consider carefully who will be the spokesperson
for climate-change related initiatives.
Prominent voices can
be powerful….
Or polarizing….
Adapting to Climate Change
When did adaptation come into the international
negotiations process?
• Aspects of adaptation were included in the Kyoto
Protocol
• UNFCCC’s stated goal:
“stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations to a level and within a
timeframe that allows for ecosystems to adapt naturally to
climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened
and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable
manner.”
• UNFCCC’s first principle:
“Developed countries should take the lead in combating the
adverse affects of climate change.”
Defining adaptation
• “Involves a process of sustainable and permanent adjustment in
response to new and changing environmental circumstances”
(UNDP).
• “Climate change will affect every aspect of society, environment
and economy. This means adjusting behavior, livelihoods,
infrastructure, laws and policies and institutions in response to
experienced or expected climatic events” (UNDP).
• Linked to sustainable development & reducing vulnerability.
• Aims to reduce risk yet there are many uncertainties in predicting
the impact of climate change.
• Can be reactive or anticipatory.
• Can occur at a local, regional or global
scale.
Relevant reports
IPPC AR4, Working Group 2:
Climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability
Summary for Policymakers
-There is also a technical summary to delve into the
details
Adaptation to Climate Change: The New Challenge for
Development in the Developing World (UNDP 2008)
Adaptation Policy Frameworks for Climate Change:
Developing Strategies, Policies and Measures (UNDP 2004)
Nairobi Framework (2006)
Conservation International’s Climate Change Adaptation
Policy Position (11/2009)
State Climate Change Adaptation Plans
http://www.pewclimate.org/what_s_being_done/in_the_states/adaptation_map.cfm
UNFCCC adaptation policies and practices
consider:
• Extreme climate events
• Food security
• Economic sectors, industry
• Health and survival
• Strained water supplies/water quality
• Biodiversity – regional and globally
• Protection of natural resources
• Preservation of human cultures, livelihoods
(settlement & society)
• Local, regional or global?
• Addressing impacts that could be sudden or that are
slower-onset?
.
Conservation International’s recommendations
for adaptation (the way forward):
• Conduct vulnerability assessments for communities,
biodiversity and ecosystem services;
• Identify key adaptation responses for species and
ecosystems and link them to local, regional and national
planning processes;
• Work with and build local capacities; support local
communities;
• Apply the best available science and multi-disciplinary
approaches;
• Learn by doing (adaptive management).
Adaptive capacity needs to be improved
everywhere (high confidence) -- AR4 2007
• Only a small amount of literature on the costs of climate
change impacts are available.
• The literature on adaptation costs and benefits is limited
and fragmented.
• Developing adaptation strategies is especially
complicated in cases where there is limited data and/or
multiple stresses.
“Adaptation is not cost-free
and does not yield the same
benefits everywhere.
Win-win solutions are
unlikely with climate change
as there will always be
winners and losers from
extreme events.”
(Adger, 2001)
Examples from Africa
Adaptive strategies:
• Partnerships and collaborations are key
• Some adaptations measures are cross-sectoral
(e.g. from Bhutan)
• Consider the prevention & removal of maladaptive
practices
• Understand bases for characterizing and
differentiating adaptation; Adaptive capacity
• Benchmarking and best practices
• Brand new report:
Synthesis report on efforts undertaken to assess the costs and
benefits of adaptation options, and views on lessons learned,
good practices, gaps and needs –
UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice
For the 32 session in bon, May 31 – June 9, 2010
Some closing thoughts unrelated to COP15
• Nature is always changing.
• Nature is resilient – more so that
we sometimes give it credit for.
• Technological solutions are not
always the best.
• Humans are a part of nature.
Consider the opportunities and successes;
don’t always focus on the challenges.