Increasing risks due to climate change are increasing the urgency for adaptation in the ocean, coastal areas and their ecosystems. Climate-resilient sustainable development must be strongly pursued in oceans and coastal areas, as underscored by the 2019 IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC).

The ocean plays a key role in regulating the global climate system and therefore should be an important part of the climate change conversation under the Convention as countries’ needs to prepare for a more resilient future grow. Knowledge gaps on issues such as governance, data and methods, finance and technical capacity pose significant barriers to the implementation of scaled-up adaptation action.

For more effective collaborative action on closing knowledge gaps, the supply of and demand for adaptation knowledge needs to be better aligned. This requires a better understanding of such knowledge gaps by learning from practitioners and policymakers about the challenges they are facing on the ground.

SBSTA 50 mandated the Nairobi Work Programme (NWP) to undertake work on the thematic area of the ocean, coastal areas and ecosystems, including mega deltas, coral reefs and mangroves. Work under the NWP since 2019 is helping to build momentum to fill these knowledge gaps and form action partnerships to build the resilience of oceans and coastal areas. The focus has been on activities that produce knowledge products and catalyze partnerships for collaborative action for knowledge needs on this thematic area. Progress is included in the annual report of the NWP, which will be considered by Parties at SBSTA 52.

With regards to the expectation and roles of the expert group, following were considered:

• Addressing key knowledge gaps on oceans and adaptation through collaborative actions, ensuring that these actions add value by engaging in relevant processes and aligning with various work and mandates of ongoing processes (both under and outside the UNFCCC process)
• Engaging broader communities of practice in implementing these collaborative actions;
• Packaging, sharing and disseminating outcomes and learning through various modalities.

With regards to co-designing collaborative actions, experts brainstormed in two working groups and identified indicative actions based on the following principles:

1. Value added of the action (Actions that will have high impact, filling knowledge gaps especially needed by Parties and can complement relevant ongoing processes)
2. Transformative capacity of the action (Transformative actions that can respond to current events such as COVID-19 green recovery)
3. Capacity of the expert group and the NWP secretariat and alignment with ongoing work and mandates under and outside the UNFCCC process

The expert group members will refine these indicative actions, which will also include an indicative plan to implement them. (These collaborative actions will be posted soon!)

Next steps: how will the NWP in collaboration with the expert group advance the work on the oceans under the NWP in 2020 and beyond?

• The collaborative actions will involve partnerships with the expert group members as well as additional partners, focusing at addressing knowledge gaps;
• The secretariat will work closely with the expert group in packaging, sharing and disseminating the learning, outcomes and progress using various modalities.

Members of the expert group on the oceans