Implementing adaptation is vital to enable countries, particularly developing countries, to respond to the adverse effects of climate change.

The Convention commits countries to prepare for and facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change (Article 4.1). All Parties are required to take the actions necessary related to funding, insurance and the transfer of technology, to meet the specific needs and concerns of developing countries arising from the adverse effects of climate change (Article 4.8) and to take full account of the specific needs and special situations of the least developed countries in their actions with regard to funding and transfer of technology (Article 4.9). In addition, developed countries are required to assist developing countries in meeting costs of adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change (Article 4.4).

In Article 4.8 of the convention, responding to the adverse effects of climate change is referred to in conjunction with addressing the impact of the implementation of response measures, which generally refers to negative side effects resulting from the implementation of climate change mitigation activites.  This information is provided under the Cooperation and Support section of the UNFCCC website.

• Decision 5/CP.7, 2001, Implementation of Article 4.8 and 4.9 of the Convention
• Decision 1/CP.10, 2004, The Buenos Aires programme of work on adaptation and response measures describes ways to respond to the adverse effects of climate change as referred to in Article 4 of the Convention.

The chronology details all negotiations to date on the above decisions

Recent Progress

At SBI 31, 8-12 December 2009, the SBI took note of views of Parties on the status of implementation of Art. 4.8 and decisions 5/CP.7 and 1/CP.10, and requested its Chair to continue developing a draft decision text, based on all the documents issued to date under the Buenos Aires programme of work on adaptation and response measures, with a view to adopting it at COP 16.  The SBI welcomed the information and advise emerging from the implementation of the first phase of the Nairobi work programme, which was provided by the SBSTA to the SBI at SB 29, and agreed to consider this information and advice, as appropriate, in the further implementation of  decision 1/CP.10 (See draft conclusions proposed by the Chair).  The draft decision text will take into account the following inputs:

• Submission contained in FCCC/SBI/2008/MISC.4, FCCC/SBI/2008/MISC.9 and Add.1, FCCC/SBI/2008/MISC.10 and FCCC/SBI/2008/MISC.11/Rev.1
• Reports of workshops and expert meetings contained in documents FCCC/SBI/2006/13,  FCCC/SBI/2006/18,  FCCC/SBI/2006/19,  FCCC/SBI/2007/2,  FCCC/SBI/2007/11 and  FCCC/SBI/2007/13
• The synthesis report contained in document FCCC/SBI/2007/14
• New submissions to be made by 22 March 2010 (FCCC/SBI/2009/8, paragraph 45)
• The chair's summary of the round table held at SBI 29 (FCCC/SBI/2009/8, annex III) 
• The documents referred to in annex III to the report of the SBI on its twenty-eighth session (FCCC/SBI/2008/8)

Submissions from Parties and relevant organizations

At SB 30, the SBI invited Parties and relevant organizations to submit to the secretariat, by 22 March 2010, their views on possible further action on the implementation of Article 4, paragraph 8, of the Convention, decision 5/CP.7 and decision 1/CP.10, which may include views on the elements to be contained in a possible draft decision text.  These submissions may address, inter alia:

• Financial resources;
• Vulnerability and adaptation assessments;
• Adaptation planning and implementation;
• Risk management and risk reduction;
• Regional collaboration and cross-cutting issues;
• Capacity-building, education, training and public awareness;
• Data, systematic observation and monitoring

During 2006-2007, a series of workshops and an expert meeting helped facilitate information exchange and integrated assessments to assist Parties in identifying specific adaptation needs and concerns.

Workshops: Africa, Asia, Latin and Central America
Expert meeting: Small island developing States (SIDS)

A synthesis report highlights the outcomes of the regional workshops and expert meeting