Climate Change Adaptation

Climate change-related effects that are currently observed in the Asia/Pacific region include shrinking glaciers, variations in rainfall frequency and intensity, shifts in growing seasons and disease distributions, and more frequent and intense extreme weather events. These effects have substantial — and largely negative — impacts on food production, water supply and the proliferation of vector- and water-borne diseases, affecting each single of the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The UNDP Climate, Environment and Energy team is working with UNDP Country Offices to increase the resilience of development projects and programmes to climate change, and capitalize on potential opportunities. Key services are related to the screening and alignment of existing development portfolios to climate change-induced risks; formulation and implementation of climate change adaptation projects and programmes; and assistance in accessing, combining and sequencing of adaptation finance.

One of the principles of this work is that adaptation needs to be based on a solid understanding of the physical and social factors that determine people’s vulnerability to climate-related hazards and stresses. Another key principle is that the unavoidable uncertainties about the future climate must not preclude action today. There are many things that can and should be done now to protect development programmes and projects from future climate change impacts.

The adaptation project portfolio of the Asia-Pacific region is diverse and cuts across many sectors. It includes initiatives on coastal afforestation in Bangladesh, agricultural water management in Cambodia, and management of flooding risk from glacier lake outbursts in Bhutan. The UNDP Climate, Environment and Energy team is also providing implementation support to the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) project, which is a major adaptation initiative involving 13 Pacific countries. Under this project, Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands will focus on diversified agricultural practices and food security in a changing climate; The Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa and Vanuatu are focusing on coastal protection and integrated coastal zone management approaches; and Nauru, Niue, Republic of Marshall Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu are looking to protect their freshwater resources from increasing salinization.

Key Contacts

• Angus MACKAY
• Gernot LAGANDA
• Gabor VERECZI (Pacific)

Links

• UNDP Adaptation to Climate Change Webpage
• GEF Climate Change webpage