Collecting, analysing and disseminating information on past and current practical adaptation actions and measures, including adaptation projects, short- and long-term adaptation strategies, and local and indigenous knowledge

Facilitating communication and cooperation among and between Parties and relevant organizations, business, civil society, and decision makers, and other stakeholders.

A government, regional authority or community must plan and decide on how best to reduce its vulnerability to those impacts, and on how adaptation practices can be implemented in the most effective manner. The range of practices that can be used to adapt to climate change is diverse and includes changes in behaviour in water use or farming practices, structural changes in design specification of bridges and roads and alterations to laws and regulations. The effectiveness of a practice tends to depend on location and socio-economic situation, but that does not prevent practices from being shared, replicated and improved.

Activities and deliverables under the second phase (2008-2010) include:

• Technical workshop on advancing the integration of approaches to adaptation planning, Bangkok, Thailand, 12-14 October 2009 (workshop report).

• Technical workshop on integrating practices, tools and systems for climate risk assessment and management and disaster risk reduction strategies into national policies and programmes, Havana, Cuba, 10-12 March 2009 (workshop report).

• Technical paper on integrating practices, tools and systems for climate risk assessment and management and disaster risk reduction strategies into national policies and programmes (requested by the SBSTA by its twenty-ninth session, December 2008)
  Spanish version is made available as a part of the Action Pledge of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.   

• Submissions (available in document FCCC/SBSTA/2009/MISC.4) by Parties and relevant organizations (by 20th March 2009) on:

  • Views and information on approaches to and experiences in integrating and expanding adaptation planning and action at national, subnational, community and local levels, including scaling up of local and community-based adaptation

  • Views on lessons learned, good practices, gaps, needs, barriers and constraints to adaptation, including implementation of adaptation projects

• A synthesis report (available in document FCCC/SBSTA/2009/6) based on the submissions above as well as other relevant sources, including experiences gained during the NAPA process.

• Submissions (available in document FCCC/SBSTA/2009/MISC.10) by Parties and relevant organizations information on efforts undertaken to monitor and evaluate the implementation of adaptation projects, policies and programmes and the costs of effectiveness of completed projects, policies and programmes as well as views on lessons learned, good practices, gaps and needs (by 18 September 2009)

• A synthesis report (available in document FCCC/SBSTA/2010/5) on efforts undertaken to monitor and evaluate the implementation of adaptation projects, policies and programmes and the costs and effectiveness of completed projects, policies and programmes, and views on lessons learned, good practices, gaps and needs.

• The SBSTA requested the secretariat to enhance the adaptation practices interface by its thirtieth session (June 2009)

Activities and deliverables under the first phase (up to June 2008) included:

• Submissions by Parties and relevant organizations

• Synthesis report based on the information contained in the submissions

• Synthesis report on the outputs of the work of the LEG, the CGE and the EGTT, relevant to adaptation planning and practices  

• A workshop held in Rome, Italy, September 2007

• A web-based interface providing information on existing adaptation practices and local coping strategies for adaptation

Work in the area of adaptation planning and practices can contribute to efforts by Parties and organizations to:

1. Exchange information on experiences, lessons learned, constraints and barriers of past and current adaptation measures and actions, and the implications for sustainable development

2. Promote different ways and means for information sharing and for the enhancement of cooperation among Parties and relevant sectors, institutions and communities, including in the areas of disaster risk reduction and management

3. Promote understanding of response strategies, including early warning systems and local coping strategies, and of lessons learned that can be applied elsewhere

4. Assess ways and means to support adaptation, and address barriers and constraints to its implementation

Synthesis reports

The SBSTA requested the secretariat to prepare, by its twenty-seventh session, a synthesis report of the information and views contained in the submissions, and a synthesis report based on outputs relevant to adaptation planning and practices from the work of the LEG, the CGE and the EGTT, as appropriate.

FCCC/SBSTA/2007/9
Synthesis of information and views on adaptation planning and practices submitted by Parties and relevant organizations. Note by the secretariat

FCCC/SBSTA/2007/10
Synthesis of outputs of the work of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group, the Consultative Group of Experts on National Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention and the Expert Group on Technology Transfer, relevant to adaptation planning and practices. Note by the secretariat

Workshop

The SBSTA requested the secretariat, under the guidance of the Chair of the SBSTA, to organize, before its twenty-seventh session, a workshop with the participation of Parties, relevant organizations, business, civil society, decision makers and other stakeholders, to exchange information and views on existing adaptation practices, experiences, needs, gaps, opportunities, barriers and constraints, and on the contribution of traditional knowledge to the work on adaptation planning and practices taking into account the submissions from Parties and relevant organizations and the synthesis reports.

The workshop on adaptation planning and practices took place in Rome, Italy from 10 to 12 September 2007. 

The workshop report is contained in document FCCC/SBSTA/2007/15.