Transcript Climate Change, Development, and Children

Climate Change, Development, and
Children
Thomas Tanner
UNICEF Training Programme 14th July 2009
a. Introduction to climate change
b. Climate change impacts and adaptation
c. Implications of climate change for children
THINKING POINTS
Justice and equity dimensions of climate change
Linking adaptation and development
Role of climate factors in basket of vulnerabilities
Greenhouse gas concentrations are rising
Atmospheric CO2 concentration below 300
ppm for past 600,000 years
Now 379 ppm
Observed changes
• Global mean temp. up by 0.74°C over period 1906-2005
• Frequency of warm extremes has increased, cold days down
• Precipitation generally increased north of 30° N but down in tropics
• Substantial increases in heavy precipitation events
• Droughts more common
• Tropical cyclones have become more destructive
From IPCC AR4 WGI Ch.3 (Trenberth et a., 2007)
Warming & heat extremes
Example of the 2003 European heat wave
Distribution of summer (average) temperatures in Switzerland from 1864-2003
Source: IPCC AR4 WGI Ch.9 p.696 (Hegerl et al.,2007)
Impacts
Defining Adaptation:
‘Adjustments to a system to reduce impacts’
‘Reducing the risks posed by climate change to people’s lives
and livelihoods’
‘Adjustment in natural or human systems in response to
actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which
moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.’
(IPCC TAR, 2001)
Key distinctions:
Anticipatory versus Reactive Adaptation
Planned versus Autonomous Adaptation
Adaptation and development: A continuum
Addressing the Drivers
of Vulnerability
Building Response
Capacity
Climate Risk
Management
Confronting Climate
Change
Improving fundamental
factors to reduce
vulnerability to poverty
and harm, with limited
direct attention to climate
factors, e.g. health,
education, women’s
rights, accountability.
Building robust systems
for problem solving for
both climate and non
climate related activities,
e.g. communications and
planning processes,
weather monitoring, and
natural resource
management practices.
Integrating climate
information into decisions
to reduce negative effects
on resources and
livelihoods, e.g. disaster
management, droughtresistant crops, “climateproofing” infrastructure.
Focusing almost
exclusively on climate
change impacts, typically
targeting climate risks
that are outside historic
climate variability, e.g.
tackling sea level rise or
glacial lake floods.
Focus
Vulnerability
Impacts
Approach
Climate resilient development
Discrete Adaptation
International funding
ODA
UNFCCC
Knowledge of climate change
Uncertainty
Source: Tanner and Mitchell 2008, Adapted from McGray et al 2007
Risk
Adaptation by process
1. “Serendipitous” Adaptation:
Activities to achieve development objectives incidentally achieve
adaptation objectives.
2. Climate-Proofing of Ongoing Development Efforts:
Activities added to an ongoing development initiative to ensure its
success under a changing climate.
3. Discrete Adaptation:
Activities undertaken specifically to achieve climate adaptation
objectives.
Group exercise: In groups of 4
Discuss with others what climate change means in the
context of your own work
Outline:
• IMPACTS - How you think it affects what you do?
• RESPONSES - What might be the responses required
to reduce negative impacts?
• OPPORTUNITIES - What opportunities might climate
change present?
Further information:
www.ids.ac.uk/climatechange
a. Briefing note on Adaptation in Practice
b. Search by country in the Eldis Adaptation Dossier:
www.eldis.org/go/topics/dossiers/climate-change-adaptation
c. Examples of adaptation projects divided by geographic region:
www.wri.org/publication/weathering-the-storm
Videos
Climate Change in Bangladesh: Who Will Pay?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3wAS5qgncA
Flood Children of Holdibari
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJFVqCoA4yA
Children, disasters and climate change
Children are nearly 40% of world pop (half in Africa)
90% of these live in developing countries
Children as sector vulnerable to shocks and stresses
Timescales match medium term climate changes
Instrumental concerns about poverty targets
Intergenerational equity and poverty transfers
UNICEF UK Climate Change Report
2008
Vulnerability and protection perspectives
- In next decade, up to 175 million children per
year likely to be affected by climate-related
disasters
-Exposure to malaria increases from 45% to
60% in next century
- By 2010, 50 million 'environmentally
displaced people', most of whom will be
women and children.
(Save the Children 2008)
Agency and empowerment perspectives
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Passive victims to agents of change
Participation in climate policy
Child-led community based adaptation and DRR
Risk communicators and managers
Climate friendly lifestyles
Carbon offsets (caution!)
Rights and justice
perspectives
•
Child rights
• Right to protection and safety
• Right to survival and development
• Best interests of the child
• Right to participate
•
Intergenerational justice
• Bequeathing a healthy planet
• Constraining development opportunities
Discussion:
What are the knowledge gaps for child-centred
climate change responses?
Impacts (disaster burden, health)
Children’s Futures (Migration, Work)
Child Rights Frameworks
Perceptions and knowledge
Child-sensitive climate policy
Participation in adaptation and mitigation practice
Further Reading
IDS In Focus 02.04
Role of Children in Adapting to Climate Change
http://www.ids.ac.uk/climatechangeadaptation
ELDIS / Children in a Changing Climate Key Issues Guide
‘Children, climate change and disasters’
http://tinyurl.com/CCCandD