Update on the Work of the IASC Task Force on Climate Change

How Humanitarian Organisations Engage in the Climate Change Negotiations and in Mainstreaming

Adaptation into Policies and Operations

IASC weekly meeting, 18 February 2009

By Jette Michelsen/IFRCCoordinator, IASC Task Force on Climate Change

Key impacts - IPCC 4th Assessment Report Frequency and intensity of climate hazard Frequency and intensity of climate hazard

events such as storms and floodsevents such as storms and floods Likelihood of drought and desertificationLikelihood of drought and desertification Changes in morbidity patterns for diseasesChanges in morbidity patterns for diseases Long term sea-level riseLong term sea-level rise Humanitarian need, lower coping capacityHumanitarian need, lower coping capacity Food insecurity, migration, resource conflictsFood insecurity, migration, resource conflicts Less predictabilityLess predictability Major impacts on global systemsMajor impacts on global systems

Humanitarian implications

• The effects of climate change are already straining the disaster relief system

• Around 70% of disasters now climate related – up from 50% from two decades ago (OCHA)

• In 2004-2008 the number of Red Cross/Red Crescent National Society responses rose from 279 to 675, while Emergency Appeals rose from 28 to 32. Increase in localised national disasters, not major disasters (IFRC)

Why humanitarian organisations engage

• Humanitarian expertise will be essential in ensuring that action on climate change reaches the most vulnerable.

• Humanitarians organisations will need to upscale disaster preparedness, disaster risk management and early warning systems

• Humanitarian organisations to factor in how issues such as migration, displacement, conflict or food security will influence adaptive capacity

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

• A new global climate change agreement to be signed in Copenhagen in December will enter into force in 2012 and is likely to last until 2020.

• Climate change perceived primarily as an environmental issue

• Growing awareness of humanitarian and developmental implications of climate change

Mitigation and Adaptation

• Climate change debate has focused on environmental aspects and on mitigation: How to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid climate change

• At COP 13 (2007) the Bali Action Plan put climate change adaptation on the UNFCCC agenda

Adaptation Strategies

• UNFCCC focus on national adaptation strategies, including NAPAs

• Integrated partnerships between development and humanitarian actors to support appropriate national level adaptation roadmaps will be essential

• Local coping strategies and protection of livelihoods will be key

Institutional mechanisms and funding for developing countries to adapt

• International financial mechanism under the UNFCCC or existing funding channels?

• Funding additional to ODA, cf. Bali Action Plan• New source of funding: levies on greenhouse gas

emissions• Effective disbursement mechanisms at country

level - important to ensure that funding addresses the risks facing vulnerable countries and communities

IASC engagementFocus:

Adaptation, disaster risk reduction, displacement and overall humanitarian consequences of climate change

Mandate of the IASC Task Force:a. Lead the preparation of high-quality analytical inputs to

the UNFCCC processb. Provide guidance as appropriate to the IASC on

integrating climate risk management into agency policies, operations and relevant guidelines and tools

Climate Change Conference in PoznanCOP 14

• IASC agencies jointly raised awareness of humanitarian impacts of climate change

• Risk management and risk reduction acknowledged as key components of adaptation action

• Hyogo Framework for Action - existing framework

• Climate change recognised as a trigger of migration and displacement

• IASC and ISDR recognised as sources of technical advice by the UNFCCC secretariat

Submission papers to UNFCCC

“Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies and Risk Management Practices: Critical Elements for Adaptation to Climate Change” (IASC/ISDR):• Recognise the necessity and relevance of disaster risk

reduction strategies and risk management mechanisms. • Build upon existing strategies and mechanisms for disaster

risk reduction and risk management. • Ensure that substantial and additional human and financial

resources are available for disaster risk reduction and risk management.

Submission papers to UNFCCC“Climate change, migration and displacement: Who will be affected?” (IASC)• Take account of, and manage, the humanitarian consequences

of climate change, including protecting those who may move as a result.

• Launch a dialogue among Member States on how to fill existing and foreseeable legal, operational and capacity gaps associated with climate change and human mobility, and to allocate sufficient additional funding to this issue from both climate change specific funding mechanisms and ODA.

• Recognize that significant further research and analysis is needed

Submission papers to UNFCCC

“Climate change, migration, and displacement: impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation options” (IOM, UNHCR, UNU, NRC, RSG on the HR of IDPs)

IASC Task Force on Climate ChangeWork plan 2009

Advocacy and outreach to States Parties: • Engage in the UN climate change negotiations

at global level: technical input to UNFCCC Parties

• Improve messages to decision-makers on numbers of affected/displaced and the humanitarian costs of climate change

• Share examples of successful adaptation and coping strategies at country level

IASC Task Force Work plan 2009

Communications/media outreach• Subgroup on communications led by OCHA, with

UNHCR, FAO, WHO, IFRC, RC/RC Climate Centre, NRC, OHCHR and WFP

• Better communicate the IASC position to inform the UNFCCC negotiation process

• Conduct sustained media outreach to highlight the humanitarian consequences of climate change

IASC Task Force Work plan 2009

Regional and country level consultations • Involve IASC member organisations and the

relevant governmental counterparts to strengthen climate change adaptation at national and regional level

• National disaster management platforms to inform the ISDR Global Platform in June on best practices in integrating climate change adaptation and DRR

IASC Task Force Work plan 2009

Improve analysis and action on migration and displacement

• Lack of scientifically verified estimates of climate change-related displacement

• OCHA/IDMC study on Disaster-Related Forced Displacement

Opportunities for IASC engagement

• 23-26 March: Scoping meeting for a proposed IPCC Special Report on “Extreme events and disasters: Managing the risks“

• 15-19 June: UNISDR Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction

• 06 - 31 July: ECOSOC - IASC side event (TBC)• 31 Aug – 4 Sept: World Climate Conference 3

UNFCCC - Towards COP 15

• State Parties shift into full negotiating mode during 2009 in order to advance all elements of the Bali Action Plan

• First negotiation text for discussion by the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action at its upcoming sessions in April and June 2009

• IASC perspective: Sense of urgency & need for new climate change agreement to take account of humanitarian impacts.

Thank you!