Climate change impacts are felt in different places. Collaboration with an array of stakeholders builds understanding of local views, needs, and experiences, and helps build meaningful adaptation responses. So, how is the UNFCCC addressing this challenge?
Two interviews organized by the
UNFCCC knowledge-to-action hub for adaptation and resilience (the Nairobi work programme), discuss the collaborative efforts across the UNFCCC to achieve the global goal on adaptation. The NWP invited adaptation experts Alessandra Sgobbi, Co-Chair of the Adaptation Committee (AC), and Mery Yaou, Member of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) to share their views.
How are the Adaptation Committee and the Least Development Countries Expert Group helping countries implement the Paris Agreement?
“Adaptation is at the core of the Paris Agreement.” Alessandra Sgobbi outlined how the Adaptation Committee is the main body under the UNFCCC that provides technical guidance to Parties on adaptation issues. It ensures that adaptation is addressed in a coherent manner by sharing information, knowledge, experiences and good practices with all stakeholders and practitioners, including the youth: “Really our technical work is geared to improving countries’ own understanding of their adaptation planning and implementation processes.”
Mery Yaou, added that the LEG is dedicated to providing technical guidance and support to the least developed countries (LDCs) to formulate and implement their own national adaptation plans (NAPs). “The National Adaptation Plans are the main vehicle for delivering actions to address medium- and long-term adaptation needs of countries.”
How have the constituted bodies worked with the NWP to close knowledge gaps that help countries scale up adaptation action?
Ms. Sgobbi stated how the AC has engaged with the NWP partners to organise technical workshops on indigenous and local knowledge, monitoring and evaluation, mobilizing finance and private sector engagement, and the use of technology to scale climate change adaptation. “The Adaptation Committee benefits from the broad base of knowledge and expertise of 400+ expert organizations. The Nairobi work programme is a useful way to solicit expert information directly from the source in an unbureaucratic manner”, she says.
Ms. Yaou spoke about how collaboration is a vital tool for closing knowledge gaps towards the building of NAPs:
“The LEG has continuously been mobilizing and engaging NWP partners in different areas of its work. This includes developing guidelines and tools; conducting regional training workshops; organizing NAP Expos; and on the implementation of NAP Central.” For example, LEG and NWP partners recently collaborated to produce a
technical paper on vulnerable communities, groups and ecosystems.
How can the NWP and its partners continue to add value to the constituted bodies’ work?
Ms. Sgobbi discussed that the NWP has provided practical inputs to the work of the AC. “Knowledge gaps are preventing many countries, practitioners and communities from scaling up adaptation action. The Nairobi Work Programme has an excellent role as a connector between Parties, constituted bodies, non-party stakeholders and is a very effective way of filling these knowledge gaps on demands.”
Ms. Yaou emphasised the immediate support required for LDCs that have not formulated their NAPs. She invited NWP partners to join forces and help ensure the LDCs meet their goals.
More information
The NWP continues to build collaborative ties with other constituted bodies and institutional arrangements including the Paris Committee on Capacity-building and Technology Executive Committee, among others. These joint efforts assist countries to make informed decisions at different levels of governance, including the implementation and formulation of NAPs.
More interviews with the constituted bodies and NWP partners will be showcased in few months.
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