Monday, November 24, 2008

Climate Adaptation and DRR - what are the main issues?

Thanks for all your feedback on my first post - as I said in my Listserv message we are preparing for Poznan.

I've been working with the BOND DRR group who are compiling a letter to send to the Uk's Department for International Development ahead of the Poznan meetings.

I think many of us are saying the same thing here albeit in slightly different ways. We've boiled down the discourse into five main issues:-

ACCOUNTABILITY: Establishing an independent monitoring framework to measure progress towards climate adaptation at the local level

ACCESSIBILITY: Develping an innovative funding mechansim that is directly accessible to at-risk communities - including a clear statement as to what proportion of Adaptation Funds will be allocated to affected communities and community-based organisations

REPRESENTATION: Clear defined mechanisms as to how local voices and community representatives will be incorproated into climate adaptation planning and decision-making processes

ENHANCING LOCAL CAPACITIES: Primary strategy to build resilience and adaptive capabilities amongst at-risk communities

PROPORTIONATE RESPONSIBILITIES: Mobilisation of significant resources from industrialised nations commesurate with thier level of carbo emissions, ensuring equitable transfer of funding to the most-affected communities.

A series of letters, postcards, presentations and lobbying intiatives are being planned based on the above.

Sarah Moss from Christian Aid will be the GN Steering Group representative at the Poznan meetings

What do you think? Are we on the right track? Please send your comments or simply your messages of support! - just click next to the pencil icon below on 'comments' to add your views.

If you don't have a google account (needed to add comments) the site will allow you to register - it only takes a few seconds

Best
Marcus

1 comment:

Marcus said...

Here are some initial comments on this post - please add more


Blogger pradeep mohapatra said...

Dear Marcus,
Thanks for very good suggestions.
Funding mobilization is important from industrial and developed countries but more important to mobilize sentiments , attitude,emotions of lawyers,policy makers, legislatures, and other important stakeholders to make broad based governance and inclusive.
Since last three years we are begging to beggars, bureaucrats,billionaires thru our citizen action for climate justice , be humane , pro-people responsive and be part of environmentally friendly.

November 24, 2008 8:16 AM

Blogger sarah said...

Hi Everyone,

I have recently been involved in a consultation meeting with DFID DRR and climate change teams and UNISDR and last week a policy forum in Copenhagen attanded my many UN agencies, politicians and NGOs to discuss the links between climate change adaptation and DRR.

My top four advocacy points for adaptation would be:

1. Developing an adaptation framework
to guide how adaptation will be implemented and independently monitored at national and local level

2. Ensuring that vulnerable people benefit
and will have direct access to the adaptation fund to obtain the information and technology they need to adapt

3. Strengthening local capacity
to assess climate risks & implement their own adaptation and risk reduction strategies

4. Establishing fair governance for adaptation financing
raising significant funding from industrialised nations and ensuring the equitable transfer of funds to the most vulnerable people

I will be going to Poznan next week. The BOND DRRG group have sent a letter to out UK government delegation and to the international members of the the Adaptation Fund Board with these key points. I have received some positive feedback that the UK delegation support these points.

I would be interested to have contact details of anyone with a DRR interest who is going to Poznan. We are trying to put together a contact list so as to organise a meet up in Poznan. Please send details to smoss100@gmail.com. Please give name, Hotel address/tel, mobile, Date arrival and departure.

Kind Regards

Sarah Moss

November 24, 2008 9:10 AM

Blogger Ilan said...

Sarah,

Thanks for your work and advocacy on this issue and for representing us. I have a few thoughts regarding your four points:

1. Why is an adaptation framework needed that is separate from a DRR framework? DRR explicitly and implicitly includes climate change adaptation. Why create separate implementation and monitoring schemes for similar activities?

2. I agree with this point.

3. Why not use instead "Strengthening local capacity to assess disaster risks & implement their own risk reduction strategies". Simpler, easier, and loses nothing. If you prefer, then "Strengthening local capacity to assess disaster risks (including climate change) & implement their own risk reduction strategies (including adaptation)".

4. I agree with this point, but it could easily be combined with 2 without losing anything, but instead making the points more straightforward.

In particular, and based on the others' comments on this blog, please bring the strong message to Poznan that climate change people must learn from the past decades of disasters, development, and sustainability work, rather than re-inventing everything on their own terms. There is nothing new in climate change, but it brings a horrible challenge similar to the other horrible challenges that we have been struggling with in disasters, development, and sustainability, so we must join forces and learn from the past in order to create a better future.

Thank you,

Ilan