Bali Action Plan and Bali Road Map - AWG-LCA

The Bali Action Plan (Decision 1/CP.13), adopted at COP 13 in Bali, December 2007, identifies adaptation as one of the five key building blocks required (shared vision, mitigation, adaptation, technology and financial resources) for a strengthened future response to climate change to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention through long-term cooperative action, now, up to and beyond 2012.  The Bali Action Plan is being negotiated under the the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA).

Most recently at the resumed seventh session of the AWG-LCA in Barcelona, 2-6 November, Parties further progressed negotiations.  A negotiating text was agreed on that will be forwarded to Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen to serve as the basis for finalizing agreement on how to enhance action on adaptation now, up to and beyond 2012.  The text is contained in Non-paper 53.

Nairobi work programme on impacts vulnerability and adaptation to climate change
  -  Understanding vulnerability, fostering adaptation

The objective of the Nairobi work programme (2005-2010) is to help all countries improve their understanding and assessment of the impacts of climate change and to make informed decisions on practical adaptation actions and measures.

The Nairobi work programme is undertaken under the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA)

Implementing adaptation

Decisions on implementing adaptation include Decision 5/CP.7, 2001, implementation of Article 4.8 and 4.9 of the Convention and Decision 1/CP.10, 2004, the Buenos Aires programme of work on adaptation and response measures, to assist in implementing Article 4 of the Convention.

Parties are elaborating ways of implementing adaptation, under the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI).  The SBI mandated the production of an interface on adaptation funding in 2008, to assist the implementation of Decision 1/CP.10 and provide information on options available for funding adaptation worldwide.

National Adaptation Programmes of Action

The National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) provide an important way to prioritise urgent and immediate adaptation needs for Least Developed Countries (Article 4.9).  The NAPAs draw on existing information and community-level input.  A database of all NAPA priority adaptation projects sorted by country and sector is available online at the UNFCCC Least Developed Countries (LDC) portal.

Local coping strategies database

Community-based adaptation can greatly benefit from knowledge of local coping strategies. The secretariat has developed a local coping strategies database to facilitate the transfer of long-standing coping strategies and knowledge from communities which have adapted to specific hazards or climatic conditions, to communities which may just be starting to experience such conditions as a result of climate change.

Support for Adaptation

Developing countries require international assistance to support adaptation (Articles 4.4, 4.8 and 4.9). This includes funding, technology transfer and capacity building.

Funding for adaptation is provided through the financial mechanism of the Convention, currently operated by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Adaptation Fund Board (AFB).  Funding opportunities include:

• the GEF Trust Fund, including support for vulnerability and adaptation assessments as part of national communications;
• the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) under the Convention;
• the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) under the Convention;
• The Adaptation Fund (AF) under the Kyoto Protocol and managed by the AFB.