Climate change is adversely impacting development and human security
of nations. Impacts of climate change
are becoming increasingly more visible, in Asia, and in the rest
of the world. While recognizing the urgent need to limit the emission
of greenhouse gases, the international community is stressing the
inevitability of adapting to the expected changes.
A number of international initiatives have been launched to help
countries build their national capacity to respond to the changing
climate. Still, several initiatives are being undertaken independently
one from each other, leaving an unsolved need for enhanced sharing
of information, knowledge and lessons learned within and across
borders.
The Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia,
the Adaptation Platform, is a three-year programme that supports
research on climate change adaptation, policy making, capacity building
and information sharing to help countries in Asia adapt to the challenges
of climate change. The Adaptation Platform also seeks to facilitate
climate change adaptation at local, national and regional levels
and to strengthen adaptive capacity of countries in the region –
while working with existing and emerging networks and initiatives.
Through its work the Adaptation Platform is working towards building
bridges between current knowledge on adaptation to climate change….and
the governments and agencies that need it.
In order to achieve this goal, the Adaptation Platform brings together
policy-makers, adaptation researchers,
practitioners, and business leaders and works through three components:
- Regional knowledge sharing system: To promote dialogue, improve
exchange of knowledge, information and methods (e.g. annual fora,
thematic workshops and trainings, interactive on-line sharing
mechanism);
- Generation of new knowledge: To facilitate the generation of
new climate change adaptation knowledge promoting understanding
and providing guidance relevant to the development and implementation
of national and regional climate change adaptation policy, plans
and processes (e.g. downscale and/or interpretation of climate
data); and
- Application of existing and new knowledge: Synthesis of existing
and new climate change adaptation knowledge to facilitate its
application in sustainable development practices at the local,
national and regional levels (e.g. climate narratives, risk envelope
communication exercises).
In collaboration with a wide range of national and regional partners,
the Adaptation Platform will therefore aim at establishing a regionally
and nationally owned information exchange mechanism that facilitates
the integration of climate change adaptation into national and regional
economic and development policies, processes and plans, strengthening
linkages with the development agenda and enhancing research and
institutional capacity.
Where does the Adaptation Platform operate?
In its first phase (2009-2012) the Adaptation Platform will cover
the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (Cambodia, China PR, Lao PDR, Myanmar,
Thailand and Viet Nam), South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and
Sri Lanka) and South East Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines).
Inception year activities
National stakeholders from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, Thailand,
and Viet Nam will be engaged in country needs and adaptive capacity
identification, technical trainings, preparation of downscaling
of climate data and of climate narrative. Basing on country needs,
the Adaptation Platform will implement tailor made activities to
support the enhancement of adaptive capacity to the changing climate
at regional and national level. Main activities planned are as follows:
- National consultations to engage key national government and
research institutes, identify emerging issues and co-programming
on national level implementation;
- Review existing vulnerabilities and adaptation assessment processes;
- Build capacity on adaptation (climate envelops in communicating
risks);
- Enhance the coverage of downscaled climate data (e.g. Thailand);
- Preparation of climate narratives (Nepal, Thailand and Viet
Nam);
- Create an inventory of local, national and regional adaptation
activities in Asia;
- Brainstorming workshop on climate change adaption in mountain
ecosystems & preparation of policy brief on adaptive capacity
in mountain ecosystems;
- Inception meeting and official launch (Bangkok, 3rd October
2009)
Institutional structure and initial implementing partners
The Adaptation Platform is supported by the Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Initial partners in this
initiative are the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), the Swedish
Environment Secretariat for Asia (SENSA), the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and the UNEP/Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)
Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RRC.AP), which
hosts its Secretariat. These initial partners will work in close
collaboration with a wide range of national and international organizations
and institutes.
Supporting on-going initiatives
The Adaptation Platform intend to link to existing and emerging
networks and platforms, for example, piloting the Global Climate
Change Adaptation Network in South and South-east Asia and providing
technical support on climate change adaption knowledge to the South
East Asia Network of Climate Change focal points.
The development of the Global Climate Change Adaptation Network
is being facilitated by UNEP, in partnership with key UN and other
international and bilateral agencies, with members from governments,
eminent scientists, international organizations and practitioners.
This initiative is a response to the needs of the countries expressed
through the UNFCCC SBSTA call, which “agreed to promote existing
networks for impacts, vulnerability and adaptation and encouraged
the establishment of new networks.” The overall objective of
the Network is to help build climate resilience of vulnerable human
systems, ecosystems and economies through the mobilization of knowledge
and technologies to support adaptation policy-setting, planning
and practices. In Asia and the Pacific, the Network will be implemented
through the Asia Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Network, which
main activities include the identification of gaps and needs in
current adaptation knowledge, development of tools and methods for
good adaptation practices, scientific capacity development for adaptation
planning and knowledge and lessons sharing at the sub-regional and
regional levels. The Adaptation Platform will also serve as sub-regional
node for South and South-east Asia for the AP Regional Network.
Official Launch of the Asia Pacific Climate Change Adaptation
Network and the Regional
Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia
Prime Minister of Thailand, H.E. Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva launched the
Asia Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Network and the Regional
Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia in Bangkok
on Saturday, 3
October 2009. More than 200 participants were present at the launch
and other high level participants included the Minister for Natural
Resources and the Environment of Thailand, Vice Minister of the
Environment of Japan, Former Minister for Environment, Science and
Technology of Nepal and the Ambassador of Sweden to Thailand, delegations
of a number of countries participating in the UNFCCC Bangkok Talks.
The UNFCCC representative closed the launch commending this timely
initiative and recognizing the potential contribution of the Asia
Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Network to meeting the needs expressed
by the parties to the Convention, in particular, the need for ‘regional
adaptation centers and networks’ in enhancing adaptive capacity
of developing countries.
Adaptation Knowledge Platform Brochure
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