What is the focus of the NWP policy brief on the ocean?
While a number of ocean initiatives at global, regional and national levels have been launched and are in progress in support of ocean action, there are gaps for effective ocean adaptation, which represent challenges, particularly for developing countries.
Oceans, coastal areas and ecosystems is one of the priority thematic areas under the Nairobi Work Programme (NWP), the UNFCCC knowledge-to-action hub on adaptation and resilience. This effort under the NWP aims to understand the knowledge needs of countries, curate and share knowledge as well as co-design actions in addressing knowledge gaps in collaboration with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and partners.
The NWP policy brief on the ocean provides an overview of knowledge gaps and collaborative actions in addressing the knowledge gaps in partnership with the NWP Expert group on the ocean that help build resilience of oceans, coastal areas and ecosystems.
Building climate resilience of the ocean under the Nairobi work programme
Healthy oceans are instrumental in regulating the climate system and are integral to achieving the SDGs, the goals of the Paris Agreement, and the ambition needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. The IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) highlights that Small Island Developing States (SIDS), coastal megacities and communities are on the frontline of increasing climate impacts.
As a demand-driven process, the knowledge needs of Parties were identified through the scoping paper based on rigorous review of reports submitted by governments to the UNFCCC process, IPCC SROCC report as well as relevant literature and reports. These knowledge needs were further refined through an engagement with the expert group on oceans. The 13th NWP Focal Point Forum-mandated UNFCCC annual event- convened at COP25 provided an opportunity to discuss the actions in an inclusive manner with governments, experts and other partners.
The policy brief provides summary of collaborative actions in the following clusters:
- Governance and participation: Coordinate and strengthen approaches
- Data and methods: Ensure availability of data and facilitate access to robust data
- Protection and restoration: Provide a collective, long term and inclusive approach
Facilitating support for:
o Capacity-building and Education: make social Inclusiveness as the new normal
o Technology and Innovation: embrace system thinking, reduce risks & innovate
o Finance and Funding: answer needs and provide long term vision and innovation
Work in progress with the NWP expert group on the ocean
The NWP is strengthening partnerships with the expert group to co-design actions to close these knowledge gaps, recognizing that these actions need to be aligned with existing work/mandates of our expert institutions and that these actions inform UNFCCC as well as relevant policy processes. In this manner, the outcomes of these collaborative actions could be directly relevant for countries, particularly Least Developed Countries and SIDS.
Learn more about the NWP’s work in the thematic areas of the ocean, coastal areas and ecosystems.
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