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Two parallel priority-setting workshops for the Hindu Kush Himalayan subregion and the Indian Ocean island countries were held on 20-22 October 2016, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

As part of the implementation of the Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI) in Asia, and after the priority-setting workshop for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) subregion held in Abu Dhabi in June 2015 (see below), UNFCCC/NWP and UN Environment organized two priority-setting workshops for the Hindu Kush Himalayan subregion and the Indian Ocean islands countries.

The purpose of a priority-setting workshop is to better understand and categorize adaptation knowledge gaps in a given subregion, agree on a list of strategic priority knowledge gaps, facilitate the design of (collaborative) response actions, and generate a list of possible response actions and associated institutions for addressing these gaps in each subregion. To learn more about the LAKI approach, click here.

The two parallel priority-setting workshops were organized back to back with the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network forum. The priority-setting workshop for the Hindu Kush Himalayan subregion was organized with the support of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), while the workshop for the Indian Ocean island countries was supported by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Each workshop gathered 10-15 expert participants, including both multistakeholder group members and support group members. 

The priority-setting workshops led to the identification of priority knowledge gaps for each subregion.

 

In the case of the Hindu Kush Himalaya subregion, 16 knowledge gaps were identified:

 

No.

Theme

Priority knowledge gap

1.

Agriculture

Limited access to adequate locally usable knowledge and information on weather and seasonal forecasting to assist farm production operations

2.

Water

Weak dissemination of evidence and successful water management practices, adaptation technologies, and water allocation and management during periods of scarcity and abundance

3.

Water

Lack of access to awareness-raising products and early warning systems for multiple hazards (drought, landslide, debris flow, flooding, glacier lake outburst flood in the Himalayas and downstream communities)

4.

Agriculture

Inadequate information and knowledge on adaptation options and technologies suitable to address context-specific climate extremes, impacts and risks for agriculture and the net effect of climate change at the local level

5.

Health

Limited access to weather and seasonal forecasting data for public health preparedness (heatwaves, cold waves, thunderstorms and epidemics)

6.

Agriculture

Limited access to traditional knowledge and indigenous knowledge on agricultural adaptation

7.

Water

Poor translations of climate data and models into understandable formats

8.

Health

Lack of awareness of/sensitization among the public and the media about climate change health impacts and adaptation/response measures

9.

Agriculture

Limited understanding of traditional knowledge and indigenous knowledge on agricultural adaptation

10.

Water

Knowledge on how climate change is impacting water source/usage/availability/quality (including sanitation/water treatment/water inputs for energy/springs and natural wells, groundwater, spring water and glaciers)

11.

Forest and biodiversity

Knowledge gap on methodologies and tools to quantify the impact of climate change on ecosystem services  

12.

Health

Lack of understanding/evidence of potential health co-benefits of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in various sectors

13.

Forest and Biodiversity

Lack of adequate knowledge on the effects of climate change on biodiversity

14.

Forest and Biodiversity

Need for repackaging the baseline data on the effects of climate change on forests and biodiversity for different target groups

15.

Forest and Biodiversity

Insufficient information on local indigenous knowledge on forest management

16.

Water

Insufficient climate change communication on the impacts on water systems/water availability to determine climate change impacts and inform decision-making in designing water resource plans and implementation

 

To view ICIMOD’s summary of the event, please click here.

The full workshop report is available here.

 

Regarding the Indian Ocean Island countries, two lists of gaps were identified so as to better take into account the geographical diversity of the subregion. A list of 10 gaps was thus agreed upon for the larger island countries (i.e. Madagascar and Sri Lanka) while a list of 10 gaps was identified for the smaller island countries (i.e. Comoros, Maldives and Seychelles):

 

 

Larger countries ( Madagascar, Sri Lanka)

No.

Theme

Priority knowledge gap

1.

Agriculture /Fisheries

Insufficient information on water conserving irrigation practices and other water management techniques

2.

Agriculture /Fisheries

Insufficient  information on crop and agricultural diversification

3.

Agriculture /Fisheries

Insufficient information on climate-smart crop varieties

4.

Water

Insufficient information on climatic parameters at the sub-basin/catchment/subnational level

5.

Water

Insufficient information on water storage capacity and status (e.g. reservoirs and tanks)

6.

Agriculture /Fisheries

Insufficient information on cropping calendars that precisely integrate the impacts of climate change

7.

Health

Insufficient knowledge of indirect impacts of climate change on health (water/vector/rodent-borne diseases, food insecurity and malnutrition), including in relation to the deteriorated socioeconomic conditions induced by climate change

8.

Agriculture /Fisheries

Insufficient information on the impacts of climate change on livestock, and possible adaptation response measures (e.g. breed and feed)

9.

Agriculture /f

Insufficient information on increasing physical water productivity (kg of crop/m3 of water or ‘crop per drop’ approach)

10

Coastal areas

Insufficient information on the impacts of storm surges and other extreme events on coastal areas, including erosion and impacts on infrastructure, and drinking water supply

 

Smaller countries ( Comoros, Maldives, Seychelles)

No.

Theme

Priority knowledge gap

1.

Coastal areas

Insufficient information on the impacts of storm surges and other extreme events on coastal areas, including erosion, and impacts on infrastructure, and drinking water supply

2.

Agriculture /Fisheries

Insufficient knowledge on how climate change affects coastal/marine fish migration

3.

Coastal areas

Insufficient information on the impacts of sea level rise on coastal areas, including erosion and impacts on infrastructure, and drinking water supply

4.

Coastal areas

Insufficient information on the impacts of climate change on coral reefs, including coral bleaching

5.

Water

Insufficient information on climatic parameters at the sub basin/catchment/sub national level

6.

Energy

Insufficient information on the impacts of climate change on energy demand

7.

Human settlements

Insufficient information on climate-resilient wastewater infrastructure and waste management techniques

8.

Energy

Insufficient information on measures to respond to changes in energy demand

9.

Agriculture /Fisheries

For policymakers, insufficient information on appropriate post-harvest techniques for key food and cash crops

10.

Agriculture /Fisheries

Insufficient information on climate change impacts on crop prices and markets

 

The full workshop report is available here.


 

A number of expressions of interest in closing the knowledge gaps have also been expressed for both subregions and will be followed up after the workshop.

 

Summary and key outcomes of the workshop for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) subregion:

 

As part of the implementation of the Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI) for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) subregion, the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI) collaborated with UNEP and UNFCCC secretariat in organizing the priority-setting workshop held on 15-17 June 2015 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
 
Expert participants (multidisciplinary stakeholder group or MSG in short) discussed and agreed to the pool of 10 priority adaptation knowledge gaps for the GCC subregion through a multi-criteria analysis approach. The MSG also provided a preliminary identification of potential response actions (in terms of concrete deliverables and target beneficiaries) to address this pool of priority knowledge gaps and also provided pointers as to the best placed organizations to undertake such responses.

 

The list of priority knowledge gaps identified for the GCC subregion is: 

 

 

No.

Priority adaptation knowledge gap

 

1.

Limited availability and access to observed data on quantity and quality of conventional (groundwater reserves, surface water, shared transboundary flows, recharge levels) and non-conventional (treated wastewater, desalinated water) water resources

2.

Limited availability and lack of access to scenario data at various spatial scales for projected climatic variables, including temperature, precipitation, wind, evapotranspiration, drought, flash floods, sea level, extreme events, etc.

3.

Fragmented baseline data (biological, ecological and climate) and lack of standardized methodologies for consolidating information on terrestrial ecosystems at the GCC level

4.

Incomprehensive data and information as well as lack of integrated approaches related to climate change impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems’ goods and services

5.

Inadequate knowledge and awareness on coastal defence and protection services provided by coastal and marine ecosystems and their response to a changing climate

6.

Insufficient technical capacity for monitoring, assessing and projecting impacts of climate change in the marine ecosystems

7.

Limited knowledge of climate smart agricultural practices

8.

Lack of information and knowledge on the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on human health

9.

Limited knowledge on developing adaptive measures and projects

10.

Lack of knowledge of the costs of climate change impacts and adaptation investment opportunities for sustainable development in the marine and terrestrial ecosystems 

 

 

To access the full workshop's report, please click here.