Engaging in national adaptation planning: ‘Humanitarian Diplomacy on climate change’

1. Engaging in national adaptation planning: ‘Humanitarian Diplomacy on climate change’ Photo: Netherlands Red Cross Photo: IFRC

2. The Red Cross Red Crescent commitments At the RCRC International Conference 2007 – Resolution ‘Together for Humanity’ • Commitments were made to address climate change in the following ways: • raise awareness on climate change • provide humanitarian assistance • improve capacity to respond • decrease vulnerability of communities most strongly affected • integrate climate risk management into policies and plans • mobilise human and financial resources, • …giving priority to actions for the most vulnerable International conference 2007 Geneva, November 2007 International Conference of the Red Cross Red Crescent

3. Recap of some Global Agreements decisions • COP 17: Decided to create 'National Adaptation Plans' - NAP • States agree on the key modalities of the Green Climate Fund: To reach $100 billion annually by 2020, to support developing countries with both mitigation and adaptation • COP 21: Paris Agreement was based on voluntary commitments from all countries defined in their intended National Determined Contributions (NDCs) • Parts of the $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020 (above) are for "adaptation" • – and the NAPs and NDCs largely define how they should be spent

4. People report local changes …. ”More and worse floods” ”Rains no longer normal – difficult to know when to plant” ”Our fields get eaten away by the sea” ”... so our children have to move away”

5. Why engage in adaptation planning? • Governments are making plans and budgets for how to adapt to a changing climate – but there is a risk that the adaptation needs of vulnerable people are not adequately considered • National Societies, with their local experience, are best placed to advocate for adaptation needs of the most vulnerable people Photos: Danish Red Cross

6. Why engage in adaptation planning? Most funding for climate change adaptation will increasingly be channeled through national governments to meet ambitions of the NDCs and specifically to activities prioritised in the formal NAPs Expected outcome: appropriate spending to reduce vulnerability - not necessarily increased funding to RC work Photos: Danish Red Cross

7. Why engage in adaptation planning? Help prioritise policy and resource allocation • The priorities identified in the adaptation plans (NAP) will determine what types of adaptation activities will take place • The National Society can potentially help in local implementation – and ensure most vulnerable people are reached Photos: Danish Red Cross

8. First the NAPs – what are they? • medium- to long-term lists of priorities for climate change adaptation; developed by the national government and closely aligned with its development objectives (and SDG) • NAP is a flexible process that builds on each country’s existing adaptation activities and helps integrate climate change into national decision-making • NAPs build on the experiences of LDCs on the implementation of earlier adaptation priorities • … which were identified in "NAPAs" – National Adaptation Programmes of Action – focusing on the immediate adaptation needs • UNFCCC has developed "technical guidelines" for the NAP process

9. What will NAPs look like? • Provide an initial analysis of the expected impacts of climate change and a prioritization of medium- and long-term adaptation needs • Be guided by “the best available science and, as appropriate, traditional and indigenous knowledge” (UNFCCC) • Contain a list of key priorities usually for key sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, coastal zone protection or management of water resources • Tend to focus on ‘hardware’ solutions (such as infrastructure) with less attention given to approaches related to capacity building of communities, education and disaster risk reduction

10. … and how about the NDCs? • "Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs)" – are the voluntary commitments each country submitted to the UNFCCC before COP in Paris • After Paris, they became Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to be updated every 5 years • 181 NDCs (190 nations) are submitted and available at UNFCCC* • NAP processes are still ongoing and have many different "shapes" * https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/ndcstaging/Pages/Home.aspx

11. How are NAPs and NDCs linked? • NDCs focus is on 'mitigation', but many countries include 'adaptation' aspects • If NDC includes adaptation components, the NDCs communicate internationallya country’s contribution to dealing with the impacts of climate change (the high-level "what") • NAPs are domestic planning processes that allow a country to identify, address, and review their evolving adaptation needs through stakeholder engagement (the "how") • If NDCs do not have (adequate) adaptation elements, the NAP process may help infuse that in the 5-year revision of NDC – a policy dialogue opportunity • A key detail: NDCs are what countries formally report on to the UN, so they are more "powerful" than the NAPs

12. Determining your starting point... NAP or NDC? Source:ndcpartnership.org

13. This is why we need to influence the adaptation planning……..

14. Other useful references: unfccc.int/adaptation/workstreams/national_adaptation_plans/items/6057.php http://www4.unfccc.int/Submissions/INDC/Submission%20Pages/submissions.aspx www.ipcc.ch www.climatecentre.org/training