Chair, Least Developed Countries Expert Group

Pepetua Latasi

THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES EXPERT GROUP (LEG)

Priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture:

reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities

5-8 June 2012, Noumea, New Caledonia

I. The Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) and its mandate

II. National adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs)

III. The national adaptation plan (NAP) process

IV. Regional training workshops for 2012-2013

Contents

I. The LEG and its mandate

Established in 2001 Initially to provide technical guidance and advise to LDCs on NAPAs

Functions now include providing support to LDCs on the NAPAs, the LDC work programme and the NAP process

Has served 4 terms [2002-2003, 2004-2005, 2006-2007, 2008-2010], and now in its 5th term [2011-2015]

Membership

10 members from LDCs (5 Africa, 2 Asia, 2 SIDS, 1 from any LDC) 3 members from Annex II Parties

Supports LDCs through Guidelines, technical papers, publications on NAPAs, etc. Training workshops, side events, and special events Regular surveys to LDC focal points, and one-to-one advise; collaboration with

GEF and agencies, and other organizations

• Provide a process for the LDCs to identify and implement priority activities that respond to their urgent and immediate needs with regard to adaptation to climate change

• Approach

a) Participatory process involving stakeholders, particularly local communities;

b) Prominence of community-level input as important source of information;

c) Multidisciplinary approach;

d) Complementary approach, building upon existing plans and programmes

• Characteristics:

a) Easy to understand;

b) Action-oriented and country-driven;

c) Set clear priorities for urgent and immediate adaptation activities as identified by the countries

The LEG provides support to the LDCs for the preparation and implementation of their NAPAs, including their revision and update

II. National adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs)

Country experiences from LEG BP&LL publication, volume 1:

• Well established institutional arrangements to deal with climate

change issues in the country can greatly facilitate NAPA

preparation and implementation and foster strategic thinking for

the consideration of medium- and long-term adaptation options

(Burkina Faso’s experience)

• Focusing on the most affected development-related sectors is a

good way to link the NAPA activities to national development

plans (Sao Tome’s experience)

• A multi-stakeholder consultations during the NAPA preparation

process can significantly help identify nationwide adaptation

needs (Kiribati’s experience)

More experiences available on the LDC Portal: http://unfccc/int/6491

II. National adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs)

47 NAPAs have been prepared and submitted to the UNFCCC

1 LDC is in the final stages of preparing its NAPA

2 more LDCs are yet to start NAPA preparation

64 NAPA implementation projects approved by the LDCF as of May 2012, in 42 countries

43 NAPA projects under implementation as of May 2012

II. National adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs)

Quick figures on NAPAs

Fisheries in NAPAs – some examples from the Pacific

• Tuvalu NAPA project #1: “Increasing Resilience of Coastal Areas and Community Settlements to Climate Change”:

a) Carries an objective to integrate CC impacts into the livelihood programmes currently addressing inshore fishing. The inshore fishing practices will be disseminated to vulnerable communities and applied to future adaptation and risk reduction projects

b) Project status: GEF CEO Endorsement: November 9, 2009

• Samoa NAPA project #1: “Integrated Climate Change adaptation in Samoa”:

a) Carries an objective for monitoring of climate trends and provision of communications on climate risk and early warning shore and off-shore fish stocks. The monitoring is to aid Samoa’s Ministries in planning for the impacts of climate change to fisheries and other agriculture-related livelihoods.

b) Project status: advanced stage of implementation on the ground

II. National adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs)

Established in 2010

• As a process to enable LDCs to formulate and implement national adaptation plans (NAPs), building on NAPAs, as a means for:

a) Identifying medium- and long-term adaptation needs, and their integration into development planning;

b) Developing and implementing strategies and programmes to address those needs;

• Other developing country Parties to employ the modalities formulated to support the NAPs in the elaboration of their planning efforts.

Progress so far

• Initial guidelines adopted in 2011

• The LEG is currently developing detailed technical guidelines

• The LEG is also compiling support needs for the NAP process

• Financial support is currently being discussed

III. National adaptation plan (NAP) process

Objectives

• To reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, by building adaptive capacity and

resilience;

• To facilitate the integration of climate change adaptation, in a coherent manner, into relevant

new and existing policies, programmes and activities, in particular development planning

processes and strategies, within all relevant sectors and at different levels, as appropriate;

How does the process work

• A roadmap approach, with multiple entry points that sequentially connect to each other;

• Continuous iterative process with multiple periodic outputs that build on each other;

• Allows for flexibility of the choice of approaches.

Key deliverables

• Intermediate: gap analysis, vulnerability and risk assessments, cost and benefits of adaptation;

• Core: Periodic reports on progress, NAP document to communicate the NAP process and key

outputs for dissemination, driving national policy, submission to UNFCCC, to donors, etc...

III. National adaptation plan (NAP) process

Components of the NAP process

• Analysis of enabling environment for adaptation (human and institutional capacities, policies and regulations, etc)

• Assessment of available information on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation

• Design and development of plans, policies and programmes to address the identified gaps and needs

• Comprehensive vulnerability assessments

• Identifying adaptation needs

• Integrating adaptation into development

• Ensuring stakeholder participation

• Communication, outreach, awareness and education

• Developing implementation strategies

• Exploring and promoting synergies

• Design and implementation of projects, programmes, policies

• Info for integration into development

• Info to UNFCCC, incl. for NatComms

• Regular M&E

Laying the groundwork

Developing framework, strategy or

plan

Implementation

Reporting, monitoring and review

Sectoral plans

Capacity building

Know

ledge generation

Etc…

Objectives:

• Enhance the capacity of LDCs to implement NAPAs successfully;

• Enhance the capacity of LDCs to undertake processes for medium- and long-term adaptation (NAP process), building upon NAPAs;

• Promote exchange of information, best practices and lessons learned among the LDCs;

• Promote gender and other considerations regarding vulnerable communities in the design and implementation of adaptation projects

Target:

• LDC practitioners dealing with NAPA/adaptation-related activities at national levels

Schedule:

• Pacific LDCs training workshop, 28 September to 3 October 2012;

• Asia LDCs training workshop, 2013;

• Africa Anglophone LDCs training workshop, 2013;

• Francophone LDCs training workshop, February 2013.

IV. LEG regional training workshops for 2012-2013

Target region: Pacific LDCs

Dates: 28 September to 3 October 2012

Location: Funafuti, Tuvalu

Invitation for collaboration:

Who? Stakeholders working on areas related to climate change adaptation and capacity building in the Pacific, in particular regional and national centres (SPC, SPREP, SOPAC, etc.), individual experts and practitioners, GEF and its agencies (FAO, UNEP, UNDP, etc.)

How? Making pledges for contributing to the design of the Training Guide (the key resource materials) and/or for facilitating part of the training workshop

IV. LEG regional training workshops for 2012-2013

The Pacific LDCs workshop

THANK YOU

The LEG contact: leghelp@unfccc.int

LDC webportal: http://unfccc.int/ldc