Chat:

Ogun-Davidson:Good afternoon, I am Ogunlade Davidson, Dean of the engineering school of the Sierra Leone University, co-chairman of Workng Group 3, and the Sierra Leone delegate to COP 4.

Napoleon: What are the implications of the IPCC work in regard to the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol?

Ogun-Davidson: There are several implications. Firstly, they guide the policies and measures by Annex I parties. Secondly, they guide the sinks and provide guidance on linking sinks to decision-making within the convention process. Thirdly, the modalities guiding technology transfer of environmentally sound technologies between parties.

Napoleon: What was the outcome of SAR and what the expectations arising from TAR?

Operator: Please introduce yourself Napoleon

Napoleon: I am a simple member of the Latin American Community interested in the ways and means IPCC may have to improve not only air quality and its consequences on global warming but its impacts on socio-economic aspects?

Ogun-Davidson: The SAR reveals the immediacy of the climate change problem and calls for no delay in taking actions by parties to address the climate change problem. Also SAR provides us with significant economic and technological opportunities for addressing climate change at a lower cost. Also SAR clearly shows the most vulnerable parts to the adverse impacts of climate change. Development sustainability and equity will be the overriding theme of the TAR

Napoleon: Is IPCC involved in any political issue or merely providing scientific and technological support? If so, which is the body channeling IPCC inputs into the COP?

Ogun-Davidson: IPCC is not involved in political issues but in scientific and technical issues, however SUBSTA can request IPCC to provide answers relevant to policy-making within COP and in fact at the present time IPCC is considering some questions sent by SUBSTA for consideration within the third assessment report. In realising this need IPCC will include in the TAR a report entitled "Synthesis Report" which will attempt to provide answers to policy-relevant questions submitted by SBSTA

Napoleon: What do you expect could be the contributions IPCC might bring to the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol and could you tell the audience the scope of TAR and, particularly, the aims to which WG III will focus its activities?

Ogun-Davidson: IPCC can impact the decisions of the Protocol by the TAR because issues guiding the different flexibility mechanisms will be discussed in the TAR and also the special report on sinks will enable members to take definite decisions regarding how things should be treated in the Protocol. Thirdly, the difficult problem of technology transfer will be treated not only in TAR, but in a special report that will be available in the year 2000; WG3 will concentrate on the mitigation of climate change. In doing so the report will start by relating climate change to sustainibility, development and equity. Then it will proceed to look at the possible future mitigation scenarios for different regions of the world and continue to look at the different technological options with strong mitigation potential. The transfer of these technologies with their policy implication will then be discussed, the remaining part of the report will concentrate on the cost-related issues regarding mitigation

Napoleon: Please provide me with a deeper view regarding cross-cutting issues ?

Ogun-Davidson: There are several cross-cutting issues regarding the TAR .These include the concept of uncertainties of climate change and these uncertainties will be treated in a consistent way in all the working groups by creating cross-cutting working teams, this will also be done for issues such as sustainibility, equity and growth, cost benefit analysis scenarios, climate change scenarios, costing procedures and so on.

Napoleon: As far my recollection goes, it is felt that mitigation is a tool to stabilize GHG concentration, however, what would be the impacts it may produce on Society?

Ogun-Davidson: Mitigation would have some impacts on society because first of all some parts of the world may suffer from the mitigation actions of other countries. Second, the cost of mitigation may prove adverse to the overall economy of the nation and these issues will be discussed adequately within the WG3 of TAR.

Napoleonv: Recent information indicates that even though stabilization of GHG might be reached warming would continue for a number of decades. If so is adaptation the alternative?

Ogun-Davidsonv : Yes, some work has predicted that warming may continue in the short term before stabilisation. Therefore adaptation is just as crucial as mitigation also present climatic trends indicate that adaptation to current climatic variability makes adaptation even more important hence adaptation should be given equal importance with mitigation.

Napoleon: Please tell us which might be the adaptation strategies, with details of, costs, opportunities, feedback, etc.

Ogun-Davidson: Adapting to water scarcity, food scarcity, and a shortage of arable land will be the major challenges, hence the cost of these strategies will be of primary importance because the most vulnerable are the poor countries of the world. Cost-efficient strategies requiring the use of well-known technologies that have proved useful in many parts of the world for water conservation, land preservation and food production should be the priority. Improved health conditions to make inhabitants more resilient to threats of major diseases can also prove useful.

op: Mr Davidson, on a subject closer to heart, what do you feel are the major concerns for your own country arising from these issues?

Ogun-Davidson: Sierra Leone can benefit a lot from mitigation technologies, especially in the energy sector and food production. Being one of the least developed countries in the world, the technologies being developed in these sectors can benefit the country in trying to accelerate its development process in a cleaner way than present practices allow. Also, the country can benefit from adaptation strategies such as technologies that would help it to cope with impacts such as sea erosion and water distribution.

op: How about low-lying areas, fishing resources, etc.?

Ogun-Davidson: Fishing resources, which form a significant portion of national agricultural exports will suffer and this will affect the protein intake and export earnings, developing strategies to cope with this loss will be important.

ale: What are the policies your country would like to implement regarding renewable energies?

Ogun-Davidson: The policies for promoting renewable energies in countries like Sierra Leone will include the following:

1. Support for demonstration and dissemination of matured renewable energy technologies

2. Development of financial mechanisms that will promote the use of these technologies by the poor people who need them

3. Public education and awareness raising for the general public about the benefits of these technologies

4. Support to the private sector concerns involved in the development and distribution and marketing of these technologies

ale: Which renewable energies can be applied in your country?

Ogun-Davidson: Solar energy and biomass technologies.

op: We are running out of time, thank you for your time Mr. Davidson.

Ogun-Davidson: Goodbye, and it has been a pleasure being involved in this chat show, I look forward to talking to you guys later.