EXAMPLES

OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

 Some Examples
of Climate Change Adaptation
• In the Netherlands, the design of (unavoidable) new engineering
works with a long lifetime like storm surge barriers and dams will
incorporate an expected SLR of 50 cm.

• The designed discharge for

the Rhine in the Netherlands
will be increased from
15.000 to 16.000 m3/s by
2015 and it is planned to
increase to 18.000 m3/s in Maeslantkering storm surge barrier
the long term, due to CC. near Rotterdam completed in 1997
The first case under the new rule
to incorporate 50 cm SLR.
 Some Examples
of Climate Change Adaptation
• In the UK, a Flood Risk Management Plan is currently
being developed to protect London and the Thames
Estuary for the next 100 years. A multi-faceted study
of adaptation options underway includes 337 km of
coastal defenses with nine barriers.

• In the UK, design flood

magnitudes can be
increased by 20% to
reflect the possible
effects of CC.
Many countries have developed “National
Adaptation Program of Action, NAPA” such as:

Bangladesh (2005), Bhutan (2007), Burundi (2007),

Cambodia (2006), Comoros (2006), Djibouti (2006),
Eritrea (2007), Guinée (2007), Haiti (2006), Kiribati
(2007), Lesotho (2007), Madagascar (2006), Malawi
(2006), Mauritania (2004), Mali (2007), Niger (2006),
Congo (2006), Rwanda (2006), Samoa (2005), Sénégal
(2006), Sudan (2007), Tomé E Príncipe (2006), Tuvalu
(2007), Tanzania (2007), Zambia (2007).

China announced “Climate Change Program” in July

2007.
 Some Challenges to the NAPAs
About 45 countries have undertaken NAPA processes, as of Sep. 2007,
about 21 NAPA reports have submitted to UNFCCC. Many methods
are used to capture current social, economic and environmental
vulnerability to existing climatic stresses and future risks.

Challenge 1: Identify a priority sector, region, population

and climate threat
• All of the NAPAs have clearly identified priority
risks. Given the mandate for NAPAs to identify
urgent needs.
• A remaining challenge is the link between current
climatic risks and longer-term CC. To reduce climate
vulnerability, urgent action is required and justified.
Because CC impacts will occur over the coming
decades, therefore further monitoring, assessment
and development of robust strategies and policies is
 Challenges to the NAPAs
Challenge 2: Identify a priority project for funding

• The NAPA projects typically identify several adaptation projects,

in some cases more than ten.
• GEF has provided support to transform projects from this initial
menu into fundable projects.
• Translating the NAPA profile into a project document requires
additional planning and assessment, notably when defining the
project baseline and conforming to donor rules, such as providing
matching funds.
 Challenges to the NAPAs
Challenge 3: Learning by doing - implementing projects

• The NAPA process is seen as an ongoing planning process that

raises awareness amongst national and often local stakeholders.
• It is too early to assess the extent of learning from the NAPA
process, or from initial adaptation projects.
• Yet, there has been no independent review of the NAPAs or of the
outcomes of adaptation projects.
 Challenges to the NAPAs
Challenge 4: Mainstream climate adaptation through
national policy and strategy

• NAPAs are intended to build upon and become

mainstreamed into and integrated with existing
national development plans. Such plans include
poverty reduction strategies, sustainable development
strategies, national conservation strategies, disaster
preparedness or management plans and sectoral
plans.
• Activities recommended within a NAPA must
complement and do not duplicate plans already
initiated.
• Mainstreaming NAPAs into national development
processes requires that a variety of barriers, many of
hi h l h ll ff i i bl
 Challenges to the NAPAs

Challenge 5: Address climate adaptation beyond national

action

• Some aspects of climate adaptation surpass national

action. The most obvious case is transboundary water
resources management.
• So, regional planning and foresight is essential.