Distr.
GENERAL
FCCC/SBSTA/1999/4
21 April 1999
Original: ENGLISH
SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE
Tenth session
Bonn, 31 May - 11 June 1999
Item 5 (c) of the provisional agenda
information on these reports will be made available to Parties at the tenth session. The reports are also available on-line through the University of Amsterdam and the UCCEE web sites respectively.
(a) Take note of the information
provided by UNEP and consider how such information should be used.
For example, it may wish to encourage Parties to use the
UNEP Handbook on Methods for Climate Change Impacts Assessment
and Adaptation Strategies, and the UCCEE report,
Economics of Greenhouse Gas Limitations: Methodological
Guidelines, in the preparation of their national
communications;
(b) Call this information to the attention of the SBI for use, as
appropriate, in any guidance to the Global Environment Facility,
as well as in relation to the programme of work on implementation
of Article 4, paragraphs 8 and 9, of the Convention
(decision 3/CP.3 and Articles 2.3 and 3.14 of the Kyoto
Protocol);
(c) Provide guidance related to the report, Decision Tools to
Evaluate Alternative Adaptation Strategies, to the
secretariat; and
(d) Request Parties to provide information to the secretariat on other important impact assessment and adaptation decision tools.
ASSESSMENT AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
6. In response to the above
mandate, UNEP, in collaboration with the Free University of
Amsterdam, developed the Handbook on Methods for Climate Change
Impacts Assessment and Adaptation Strategies (version 2.0,
October, 1998).
7. The Handbook was developed in
cooperation with several country study teams. It was supported
through the the UNEP/GEF project "Country Case Studies on Climate
Change Impacts and Adaptation Assessments". Twenty-two lead authors
provided contributions to the individual chapters of the
Handbook.
8. The Handbook expands upon the
IPCC Technical Guidelines for Assessing Climate Change Impacts
and Adaptations. It provides an introduction to the wide range
of methods available for impact assessment and adaptation
strategies.
9. The Handbook comprises two
parts. Part I provides guidance on various generic issues related to
an assessment of climate change impacts and adaptation strategies
including: a series of important questions which must be addressed at
the start of any assessment; the selection, development and use of
socio-economic as well as climate change scenarios; guidance on
conducting integrated assessments of the impacts of climate change
and adaptation to climate change; and theoretical explanations of the
concept of adaptation, as well as guidance on the generic design of
adaptation studies.
10. Part II contains nine
sectoral chapters (water resources, coastal zones, agriculture,
rangeland/livestock, human health, energy, forest, biodiversity,
fisheries). Each chapter provides information and guidance on the
range of sectoral methods and approaches related to an assessment of
climate change impacts and adaptation strategies. Important models
and decision tools for each sector are briefly described. Each
chapter also identifies literature that research teams may wish to
consult, for example, at the design stage of a study.
LIMITATIONS: METHODOLOGICAL GUIDELINES
11. UCCEE has completed a
two-year UNEP/GEF-funded project: Economics of Greenhouse Gas
Limitations. The objectives of the project were to develop national
capacity for climate change mitigation studies, in particular by
supporting the development of guidelines for methodologies,
implementing frameworks and reporting systems.
12. The project has developed,
applied and tested methodological guidelines in collaboration with 11
countries (Argentina, Botswana, Ecuador, Estonia, Hungary, Indonesia,
Mauritius, Senegal, Tanzania, Vietnam, Zambia). Detailed results for
the cost of greenhouse gas limitations as well as the potential for
low-cost greenhouse gas limitations (measured using direct costs and
benefits) for each country are provided in 11 individual country
study reports. These reports will be made available to Parties by
UNEP.
13. The report, Economics of
Greenhouse Gas Limitations: Methodological Guidelines, provides
a general overview of the main components of climate change
mitigation assessment. These include an outline of key economic
concepts, scenario structure, modelling tools, country study
assumptions as well as common assumptions applied to greenhouse gas
emission reduction policies in the energy, forestry, agriculture,
industry and waste management sectors.
ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
14. The secretariat, with the
assistance of Stratus Consulting Incorporated, has initiated a study
to systematically identify and describe generic and sectoral decision
tools for evaluating adaptation strategies. The study is intended to
complement the UNEP Handbook by providing a simple
reference guide on important decision tools, specifically to evaluate
alternative adaptation strategies. A draft report will be made
available as a conference room paper for the tenth session of the
SBSTA.
15. Over 50 decision tools have
been identified, in the fields of coastal resources, agriculture,
water resources and human health, as well as generic decision tools
which have been, or could be, used specifically for the evaluation of
adaptation strategies. Many of the specific decision tools correspond
to the general methods described in the UNEP Handbook. A common
template is used to systematically describe key features of each tool
including: a general description, appropriate uses, scope, key inputs
and outputs, ease of use, training required, training offered, cost,
and a list of supporting documentation.