Sub-Regional Workshop for GEF Focal Points in Eastern and Southern AfricaNairobi, Kenya, 19-20 May 2009

Leveraging national communications to integrate climate change issues

into development policy

OUTLINE

Key climate change threats in Africa

Role of National Communications (NC)

How to use the potential of NC projects to integrate climate change into development and sector policies

Expected climate changes in Eastern & Southern Africa

Temperature: Steady increase• >3ºC by mid-century

Rainfall: Mixed picture• Eastern Africa: expected net increases• Southern Africa: expected net decreases

Variability: • Rainfall erratic and unreliable, increasing

flood and drought risk

Projected Temperature

Projected Precipitation

Southern Africa Eastern Africa

Agriculture to face changes

Vulnerability high due to important employment, economic role

Significant drops in crop yield expected in most of the region for current practices• Agroclimatic zones for highland crops (tea/coffee) shrink/ disappear• Many areas become less suitable for staple crops• Drought-tolerant crops not supported by agricultural policies

Livelihoods of subsistence farmers and pastoralists especially threatened

Increasing risk of damage from diseases, pests, weeds and storms

The Initial National Communication (INC) processwas important because:

The INC was the first effort to climate summarize information relating to GHG emissions and its key vulnerabilities

The INC has generated awareness about Climate Change issues and helped catalyse awareness of climate change issues

The INC was the first point of reference for many development partners to support CC mitigation and adaptation activities in a country

What does this have to do with National Communications?

BUT:

The focus was seen on ‘International Convention reporting’ – Opportunities to channel information into non-environmental policy processes were lost

The INC was conducted by technical experts, with limited participation of other stakeholders from public and private sectors

Assessments and language was academic in formats not very helpful to policy makers

Climate Change is more than environmental reporting – the SNC process is relevant for all policy segments

The SNC is a strategic policy support tool to highlight and communicate Climate Change priorities

Producing an SNC document not the end point. SNC information can be used to map socio-economic

vulnerabilities, understand economic impacts of CC and frame follow-up measures

Second National Communications (SNC): A second opportunity!

Institutional positions and responses to climate change issues

Continued analysis and review of climate data to stay up-to-date on vulnerability dynamics

Inter-ministerial dialogue to address primary climate change concerns in national priorities

Integration of climate risk reduction into sectoral and development planning

SNC should be a vehicle to inform and facilitate:

1) Ensure that the studies commissioned by the SNC team address relevant policy questions

2) Ensure that the SNC does not work in isolation in the Environment Department. Establish a platform to share SNC information with other departments.

3) Make sure the mitigation and adaptation studies of the SNC deliver information that is suitable for the definition of follow-up measures (e.g. further assessments, project formulation, fundraising)

How can countries make full use of SNC potential?

4) Make sure the SNC highlights critical short-term and long-term policy challenges and proposes some options for priority sectors

5) Make sure the SNC process picks up existing capacity gaps and opportunities in the country to understand, analyze and address Climate Change issues

6) Make sure SNC work is complemented with targeted awareness and communication actions for public/private/policy stakeholders

How can countries make full use of SNC potential? (cont.)

Understanding the potential of SNC to provide policy inputs

Actively encouraging involvement and supporting input by relevant government institutions

Helping to make the SNC better visible

Having a concrete follow-up for the SNC in mind

Ensuring that all mitigation and adaptation assessments in the SNC maintaining a human focus

Next steps

1. National Communications: process and outputs

CC Adaptation and mitigation priorities identified

2. CC Adaptation and Mitigation platforms, plans and strategies

Priority CC projects identified

3. Adaptation financing and carbon financing options explored to undertake priority measures

Priority CC projects financed

Leveraging National Communications - Summary

Project lessons utilized in national / sector plans

Informed allocation of public / private financing to resilient and

low-carbon economic growth

Institutional partnerships developed & strengthened

Project lessons captured and analyzed (M&E)

Discussion

How can GEF focal points help in making the SNC more relevant to policy making?

What role can GEF Focal Points play in linking priorities that emerge from National Communications with other GEF programming?