Thu, Dec 6, 2012
Information Portal will Make Available Research,
Experiences and Lessons Learned from Projects
Across the Continent
Climate Change Adaptation aims to enhance
sustainable livelihoods and food security
Nairobi, 06 December
2012 - From managing coastal erosion, to
tackling pressures on food supply, a new
initiative launched today by the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will
aim to support communities across Africa
in adapting to the impacts of climate change.
The Africa Adaptation
Knowledge Network will serve as a hub for
knowledge, research, successful initiatives,
and collaborative partnerships on climate
change adaptation.
Further Resources
The Africa Adaptation Knowledge Network
(AAKNet)Climate Change Adaptation and Development
InitiativeUNEP and Climate ChangeIt builds
on ongoing efforts around the continent
to mobilize existing knowledge and provide
robust solutions to the major impact of
climate change on lives and livelihoods
in Africa.
Disasters such as severe
droughts in the Sahel in 2012 and the Horn
of Africa in 2011 have brought into sharp
focus the serious impacts on water, land,
soil, and other resources linked to climate
change on the continent, and the need to
build resilience to such pressures.
Warming in Africa is
projected to continue to increase by 3-4oC
over the next century. This poses a serious
challenge to sustainable development, particularly
as the economies of most African countries
depend on climate-sensitive sectors such
as water, agriculture, fisheries, energy
and tourism.
Yet the region lacks
the capacity and resources needed to face
the challenges of climate change - a problem
that could have major economic consequences.
Delayed responses in
adapting to climate change could result
in losses of up to 20 per cent of Africa's
GDP. By contrast, immediate actions to protect
against climate risks would an estimated
1% per cent of GDP.
The Africa Adaptation
Knowledge Network (AAKNet) aims to support
climate change adaptation in Africa by providing
the following services:
Aggregating knowledge
in addressing pertinent climatic risks and
sharing information shared across regions
and countries
Providing tailored support
to countries in developing strategic planning
processes for climate change adaptation
Building partnerships
with governments, research bodies, non-governmental
organizations and others, with the common
purpose of supporting climate change response
To directly reach those
affected by climate change, the AAKNet initiative
will also conduct workshops with community
organizations, farmers, and other groups,
to share knowledge and practical advice.
As the case studies
on the AAKNet website demonstrate, many
communities across the continent are already
implementing solutions. With the right financial
investment and policy support, such actions
can be scaled-up to other regions to help
build climate resilience.
In Togo's drier northern
Savane Region, for example, where rainfall
is about 500mm per annum, there is an acute
shortage of water outside the short rainy
season. This triggers many social and economic
problems in local communities, such as the
long distance trekked by the women and girls
who are responsible for fetching household
water. In turn, this has a direct impact
on school attendance and educational achievement.
To help address this
problem, UNEP in collaboration with the
Togo's Ministry of Water Resources supported
the rehabilitation of two small dams for
harvesting rainwater. This intervention
has improved year-round water supply to
local communities and reduced the physical
stress experienced by women during the long
dry periods. Improved water security has
also expanded rural livelihood opportunities
and triggered emerging entrepreneurs in
market gardening, brick construction and
fisheries. The dam project was a contribution
to the national adaptation programme of
action (NAPA) of Togo.
The Africa Adaptation
Knowledge Network (AAKNet) aims to harness
the valuable knowledge and experiences gained
from such initiatives, and to share these
with governments, regional authorities,
and communities facing similar climate challenges.
+ More
From Peru to the Philippines,
UNEP Presents Grassroots Solutions to the
Impacts of Climate Change
Sat, Dec 1, 2012
Seeds of Knowledge Provides Lessons Learned
From 17 Countries for a Sustainable Environment
Apart from providing additional income,
planting garlic during the fallow period
helps break disease and pest cycles. Photo
credit: mdgfund.org
Doha (Qatar), 1 December
2012 - Grassroots projects can guide the
policies needed to build climate resilience,
reverse the loss of natural resources and
contribute to an inclusive Green Economy,
according to a new UN Environment Programme
(UNEP) booklet launched today at the UN
Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar.
While vulnerability
to climate change poses risks to all communities,
the impacts are likely to be tilted against
many of the world’s poorest regions, which
have the least economic, institutional and
technical ability to adapt and cope.
Further Resources
Full collection of MDG-F experiencesFilm
(with Arabic subtitles) on the MDG-F climate
change and environment workMillennium Development
Goals Achievement Fund (MDG-F) initiativeSeeds
of Knowledge aims to show that grassroots,
community-led responses are already playing
an essential role in building resilience
to climate change across all regions of
the world. With the right levels of investment
and support, such initiatives can be scaled
up and become a central component in reducing
climate risks and supporting the transition
to an inclusive green economy.
It features case studies
from Afghanistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina,
Columbia, China, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia,
Guatemala, Jordan, Mauritania, Mozambique,
Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Senegal
and Turkey.
As the convener for
environment and climate change under the
Millennium Development Goals Achievement
Fund (MDG-F) initiative, UNEP has supported
partners with climate change programmes
in 17 countries. These focus on adaptation
measures for coping with climate change,
including community preparedness to tackle
the impacts.
The MDG-F was established
in 2006 by the Spanish Government to accelerate
efforts at the country level to achieve
the Millennium Development Goals and to
improve cooperation and cohesion across
the UN system.
Spain contributed US$89
million to support the MDG-F work on environment
and climate change, which will end in December
2012
“Attaining environmental
sustainability is a major challenge of the
Millennium Development Goals and is also
crucial to ensure sustainable development
at a larger scale,” said Federico Ramos
de Armas, Spain’s State Secretary for the
Environment.
“In order to accomplish
and accelerate progress on the MDGs at the
country level, the Millennium Development
Goal Achievement Fund (MDG-F) was established
by Spain with substantial contributions
that reflect the importance that our country
attaches to sustainable development. Progress
on the Millennium Development Goals can
only be sustained by a healthy planet,”
he added.
Case Studies
Rural indigenous communities
in Peru’s southern Andean highlands have
been hit hard by climate change. Endemic
poverty means that these remote communities
cannot afford a bad harvest. But in recent
years, sudden changes in weather have impacted
traditional crops and water supplies.
Located in isolated
mountainous regions, the communities rely
largely on the radio for information. With
this in mind, the United Nations Joint Programme
on environment and climate change under
the MDG-F launched a radio broadcast popularly
known as ‘Pachamamanchista Munakusun’ (Nurturing
Our Land) to build awareness about climate
change and adaptation measures.
The show airs daily
in Quechua, the local language, and Spanish,
identifying local problems and proposing
ways for adapting to climate change. The
broadcasts also teach adaptation measures
such as water harvesting, reforestation
with native species, protection of biodiversity
and prevention of forest fires and overgrazing.
Other case studies featured
in the booklet include efforts to ensure
clean water provision in Jordan, amidst
rising challenges from climate change. Increasing
temperatures and changing precipitation
patterns in the country have put limited
water supplies under even greater pressure.
This has led to more frequent use of wastewater,
which has a negative impact on human health.
The UN Joint Programme
under the MDG-F has been working with Jordan’s
Ministry of Health and experts to ensure
that climate change becomes an integral
part of the country’s overall health plan.
The urban poor of Sorsogon,
in the southernmost province of Luzon in
the Philippines, live along the esteros,
which are the rivers and coastal areas highly
vulnerable to natural hazards such as typhoons,
flooding and storm surges. Most of these
areas are made up of informal settlements
that can be easily swept away and are extremely
vulnerable to changes in climate.
The UN Joint Programme
under the MDG-F worked together with the
local government and communities to design
climate resilient social infrastructure
for the vulnerable population living in
the villages around Sorsogon.
