MainDB: Policy Gaps and Needs Analysis for the Implementation of NDCs on Adaptation and Loss and Damage in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka

Title: Policy Gaps and Needs Analysis for the Implementation of NDCs on Adaptation and Loss and Damage in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka
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NWPTypeOfOrganization: Civil society
NWPGeographicRegion: Asia
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Good practices and lessons learned: NDCs form a key component of global and national level climate change actions. Being developing countries with low GHG emissions, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka must focus on effective implementation of NDCs on adaptation and loss and damage.
 
However, it is important to identify gaps and needs at the country level for the implementation of these actions. Initiatives such as policy gaps and needs analysis, interlinking with the 2020 NDC review process present opportunities for collaboration in addressing gaps and needs identified, as well as identifying alignment and synergies among key processes such as NDCs, NAPs, SDGs and the Sendai Framework are vital.
 
Developing countries share common capacity gaps and needs, and also possess a wealth of information and experiences which could provide space for enhancing regional capacity and knowledge on the implementation of NDCs on adaptation and loss and damage. The research will further form the baseline for implementing capacity building activities on assessing climate risks, developing gender-responsive policies, plans and activities, enhancing the institutional and coordination mechanism at national and sub-national level for formulating and implementing adaptation plans and processes, and integrating climate change adaptation to the country’s development processes.
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Adaptation element: Adaptation planning and practices; Capacity building; Communication and outreach/awareness; Financial support; Institutional arrangements; Knowledge management; Stakeholder involvement; Vulnerability assessment
Adaptation sector/theme: Agriculture; Food security; Water resources; Ecosystems; Biodiversity; Coastal areas/zones; Health; Adaptation finance; Disaster risk reduction; Energy; Infrastructure; Human settlements; Gender; Urban resilience; Tourism
Climate hazard: Drought; Erratic rainfall; Extreme heat; Floods; Increasing temperatures; Land and forest degradation; Loss of biodiversity; Ocean acidification; Salinization; Sea level rise; Shift of seasons; Storm surges; Tropical cyclones/typhoons; Vector and water-borne diseases
Country: Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka
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Description: This research paper has been prepared based on legal and policy analysis relevant to the NDC sectors on adaptation and loss and damage in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, and interlinked with a consultative process through interviews and sectoral- and national-level multi-stakeholder consultations. This includes a national workshop in each country, a regional workshop and fourteen consultations organised in Sri Lanka, two consultations in Bangladesh, two consultations in Nepal, five webinars, and a series of recorded expert interviews. The workshops and consultations had a total of 350 participants and were held in cooperation with government entities under the NDC review process, and focused on different NDC adaptation and loss and damage sectors and areas of gaps and needs. 
 
Key national documents on climate change, sustainable development, disaster risk management and disaster risk reduction, including the (I)NDCs, National Adaptation Programmes of Action, climate change policies, national communications to the UNFCCC, Sri Lanka’s National Adaptation Plan, and relevant sectoral policies were reviewed during the research.
 
The findings of this research were validated through the above-mentioned consultation meetings and workshops. Additionally, the final research product has been prepared, taking into consideration the feedback and comments received from the meetings and workshops. Following the finalization of the national research paper, the findings were incorporated to a regional comparative study based on the country studies, and with additional expert comments through regional expert interviews, and inputs received through the regional workshop.
 
All three countries have included adaptation and loss and damage components in their NDCs. For adaptation, food security (mainly agriculture) and ecosystems are the major shared priorities, and water resources, coastal zone management, and urban areas are of high importance as well.
 
Finally, loss and damage is a priority sector for Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka alike.
 
Means of implementation and financial support are included in the Sri Lankan and Bangladesh NDCs while Nepal has recognised knowledge management as another area of focus in its NDCs. Efforts under this area mainly consist of the generation and dissemination of climate related knowledge carried out by the Climate Change Knowledge Management Centre, exclusively established for that purpose.
 
Action under the above areas have been developed by each country according to the individual needs, targets and risks facing each, in terms of all three being developing countries. Also, their policies reflect common traits such as climate sensitive development policies, the need to diversify energy mixes and the demand for technical and financial assistance in implementing the actions in the NDCs.
 
As part of the international global community, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh are committed to meeting the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement. The effective, efficient and timely delivery of NDCs play a determining role in this regard, hence the concerted effort by countries to achieve their set targets on both mitigation and adaptation. Thus, implementing these recommended measures will not only facilitate the achievement of each country’s NDC targets but also contribute towards the betterment of international climate action.
 
Addressing the shared gaps, needs, and constraints of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka can benefit from regional cooperation and the exchange of experiences and lessons learned. Implementing the NDCs of these three countries in an effective manner is vital to prepare for the impacts of climate change and build resilient, sustainable societies, economies, and ecosystems.
 
Please find the full research report here: https://www.slycantrust.org/knowledge-resources/policy-gaps-and-needs-analysis-for-the-implementation-of-ndcs-on-adaptation-and-loss-and-damage-in-bangladesh-nepal-and-sri-lanka-regional

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Further information: Further information on this research can be found on SLYCAN Trust's Adaptation & Resilience Knowledge Hub (https://www.slycantrust.org/knowledge-portal/home), which has the recorded webinars, expert interviews, articles, and knowledge products under this project available, including the three country-specific papers that have been synthesized for this knowledge product:
 
Bangladesh: https://www.slycantrust.org/knowledge-resources/policy-gaps-and-needs-analysis-for-the-implementation-of-ndcs-on-adaptation-and-loss-and-damage-in-bangladesh-nepal-abd-sri-lanka-bangladesh
 
Nepal: https://www.slycantrust.org/knowledge-resources/policy-gaps-and-needs-analysis-for-the-implementation-of-ndcs-on-adaptation-and-loss-and-damage-in-bangladesh-nepal-abd-sri-lanka-nepal
 
Sri Lanka: https://www.slycantrust.org/knowledge-resources/policy-gaps-and-needs-analysis-for-the-implementation-of-ndcs-on-adaptation-and-loss-and-damage-in-bangladesh-nepal-and-sri-lanka
 
In addition, the following article provides an overview of the research project: https://www.apn-gcr.org/bulletin/article/policy-gaps-and-needs-analysis-for-the-implementation-of-ndcs-on-adaptation-and-loss-and-damage-in-bangladesh-nepal-and-sri-lanka/
NWPGeographicScope: National; Regional
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NWPInformationType: Case study
NWPJoinDate: 12/08/2021
NWPPartner: SLYCAN Trust
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Target group: Academics and scientists; Policy makers; Practitioners
NWPWorkStream: NWP
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NWPOutcome: There are several persistent themes that manifest as either needs or constraints to the successful implementation of adaptation and loss and damage for NDCs in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
 
Gaps in policies and laws, institutions and coordination, capacities and awareness, finance and technology, as well as socioeconomic and other factors have all emerged as common for the implementation of NDCs in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Among the gaps and needs that have been identified as common to all are the need for enhanced institutional and coordination mechanisms for NDC implementation, and the need for developing synergies between existing developmental processes.
 
Key stakeholders shared that the nonexistence of a mandate or a law that facilitates the implementation of NDCs has functioned as a cause for ineffective and uncoordinated actions. All three countries have also demonstrated the need for an MRV process for the implementation of NDCs on adaptation and loss and damage as well as the need for budget tagging, and sharing of the progress of NDC action in a publicly accessible system. Capacity gaps have been highlighted related to financial, technology, and technical expertise related to adaptation and loss and damage sectors.
 
The government sector capacity building for developing project proposals to mobilise funding for adaptation and loss and damage actions, identification and application of suitable technologies, and the need for key expertise on NDC actions are among some of the capacities that needed to be shared by the participants of the research. Access to research, knowledge, lessons learnt has also been cited as a gap. The need to share scientific and evidence-based climate adaptation data, information and research have been noted. In addressing this gap and need, the research has developed an adaptation and resilience knowledge portal, that aims to provide needed information and research findings with different stakeholders working on NDCs on adaptation and loss and damage.
 
A need for regional collaboration for providing technical expertise and sharing of NDC progress was also noted. Development of common actions for adaptation and loss and damage related issues, as well as mobilising of climate finance at a regional level are options that remain to be explored to facilitate the effective implementation of adaptation and loss and damage NDCs.
 
Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka are all faced with legal and policy gaps for which current projects have been launched to remedy them. All three countries together with the relevant institutions are working towards developing a comprehensive framework to battle climate change.
 
Thus, this research suggests some general recommendations for all three countries that would help in reaching out to their climate goals. All three countries do not have legislative enactments on climate change. Adopting legislation on climate change and creating a coordination mechanism which has a mandate to streamline the domestic, legal and policy framework to suit the country’s international climate change commitments would largely contribute to addressing institutional gaps as discussed above. Further, establishing an effective coordination mechanism between the relevant line ministries working on climate change in the formulation, implementation and at the stage of Monitoring and Evaluation would expedite the action plans laid down in the NDCs.
 
Coordination issues among stakeholders have caused some of the states to have a multiplicity of laws and policies in the same ministerial sectors causing inconvenience especially to the rural community and for the people who are vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Improving the coordination mechanism by focusing on capacity building of the several stakeholders involved in the process would provide great support to in achieving climate goals.
 
 A number of institutions, ministries and planning authorities have failed to give due recognition to climate change actions in the process of implementing climate change actions. Improving the capacity of institutions for the integration of climate change action into their planning processes would help to streamline the proposed action plans through NDCs. Climate adaptation policies designed by implementing agencies have recognized the importance of climate change actions. Nevertheless, several institutions in all three countries have failed to address this need. As per the Paris Agreement integrating climate change action at all levels, national and regional, through participatory decision-making processes should be given due recognition.
 
Stakeholder consultations revealed that several NDC sectors lack awareness on climate change policies. Awareness and capacity building of all relevant stakeholders with regard to climate change policies and laws to support effective integration processes would assist in the process of implementing a comprehensive legislative framework on climate change of all three countries.
 
Carrying out an analysis and review of policy and legal framework to identify gaps and scope for development and modification where necessary would help determine the progress of the NDCs and it will also provide a platform to plan out and develop effective NDCs for the future.
 
Integrating both SDGs and international DRR processes and mechanisms such as the WIM, the Sendai Framework, or the InsuResilience Global Partnership into NDC implementation could create strong synergies or co-benefits for both sides.
 
Sustainable development and climate adaptation action provide an opportunity to work together and achieve common goals and targets.
 
Please find the full research report here: https://www.slycantrust.org/knowledge-resources/policy-gaps-and-needs-analysis-for-the-implementation-of-ndcs-on-adaptation-and-loss-and-damage-in-bangladesh-nepal-and-sri-lanka-2
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Implementing partners: International Centre for Climate Change and Development (local country partner for Bangladesh) and Prakriti Resources Centre (local country partner for Nepal).
 
The research was funded and supported by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN).
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Created at 12/08/2021 15:06 by crmmocservices
Last modified at 16/05/2022 08:57 by Lilian Daphine Lunyolo
 
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