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138 results
Identifying and lifting climate adaptation barriers in Seychelles using a participatory approach
The paper describes a participatory approach using stakeholder mapping and 'barrier cards' to identify obstacles to climate adaptation in Seychelles. Findings reveal a disconnect between national planning and local implementation, with a critical lack of climate vulnerability data hindering the fisheries and tourism sectors. In agriculture, the primary barrier is the sector's low perceived economic priority. The authors recommend establishing a national adaptation office and improving data collection to bridge the gap between national policy and local action.
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Document type: Research paper
Identifying and lifting climate adaptation barriers in St Lucia using a participatory approach
The document details a participatory approach using stakeholder mapping and 'barrier cards' to identify obstacles to climate adaptation in St Lucia. Findings reveal a top-down governance structure where national ministries hold primary influence and funding, while local actors remain largely excluded from planning and implementation. Key barriers identified include poor national land use planning and conflicting stakeholder values, both driven by a lack of long-term political vision. The paper argues for the development of a comprehensive national land use management plan and the mainstreaming of climate considerations into local policies to build resilience.
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Document type: Research paper
The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report
The document outlines the existential threats posed to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) by climate change, specifically sea level rise and ocean acidification. It emphasizes that while adaptation can reduce risks, SIDS face high per-capita costs due to a lack of economies of scale. The report advocates for integrating climate adaptation with broader development goals and transitioning to renewable energy to enhance energy security.
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Document type: Briefing
National Adaptation Plans and the indirect impacts of climate change
The document argues that adaptation planning has historically focused on local, direct impacts, neglecting the interconnected nature of global trade, finance, and migration. It proposes a framework to identify 'transboundary' and 'teleconnected' indirect impacts, categorizing them into four risk pathways: people, bio-physical, trade, and finance. The brief provides specific diagnostic questions for each pathway and recommends that NAPs include dedicated sections on international dimensions of vulnerability to improve regional and global resilience.
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Document type: Policy brief
Contrasting Coping in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean
The document investigates how low-income populations in the Caribbean (Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia) and the South West Indian Ocean (Mauritius, Seychelles) cope with extreme weather events. It finds a heavy reliance on 'medium level stressors' like savings and credit, which act as pseudo-insurance, and a concerning prevalence of 'high level stressors' such as 'doing nothing' (asset degradation) in the Caribbean. While there is an implicit need for microinsurance to prevent asset depletion, adoption is hindered by cost, lack of trust, and limited knowledge.
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Document type: Research paper
Supporting international climate negotiators: Lessons from CDKN
The document identifies six key lessons for supporting international climate negotiators from vulnerable nations, emphasizing the importance of early alignment on priorities, maintaining institutional memory, and providing both administrative and technical assistance. It highlights that while technical support can increase a delegation's ability to draft text and influence outcomes, such support must be delivered neutrally and confidentially to respect national sovereignty.
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Document type: Research paper
Climate Finance: Challenges and Responses
The document argues that while public and private funding for climate-resilient development is increasing, it remains insufficient to limit global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius. It highlights the need for a more equitable international climate finance architecture, specifically calling for the inclusion of least developed countries and small island developing states in the design of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The brief emphasizes that climate change should be treated as an economic concern managed by national ministries of finance and planning, and that public finance must be used strategically to unlock the private sector, which is expected to provide over 85% of the necessary funding.
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Document type: Policy brief
Going after adaptation co-benefits: A REDD+ programme in Fiji
The document highlights Fiji's approach to integrating climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and biodiversity conservation into its REDD+ policy and planning process. It argues that while REDD+ is primarily a mitigation mechanism, it can build resilience and support climate compatible development in Pacific Island Countries (PICs), where adaptation is the highest policy priority due to vulnerability to sea-level rise and extreme weather.
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Document type: Case study
Going after adaptation co-benefits: A REDD+ programme in Fiji
The document argues that for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Fiji, REDD+ should be viewed through an adaptation lens rather than solely as a mitigation tool. It details Fiji's three-step approach to REDD+ readiness—policy and scoping, detailed planning, and implementation—and highlights the role of multi-stakeholder consultations and international support from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). The brief emphasizes that forest conservation provides critical co-benefits for disaster risk reduction, water security, and coastal protection against sea-level rise.
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Document type: Policy brief
INSIDE STORY: Strengthening climate resilience - the case of Grenada
The document outlines Grenada's approach to strengthening climate resilience following significant damage from Hurricane Ivan (2004) and Hurricane Emily (2005). It highlights the Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR) as a mechanism for mainstreaming resilience and sustainable development. Key lessons identified include the need for country-specific responses that prioritize resilience in highly vulnerable Small Island Developing States, the adoption of comprehensive rather than piecemeal approaches, and the importance of cross-sectoral, participatory design. The text also notes the role of the Climate Investment Funds in supplementing domestic funding for the Disaster Vulnerability and Climate Risk Reduction Project and the potential for SPCR technical assistance to attract further international or private finance.
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Document type: Case study
Strengthening climate resilience: the case of Grenada
The document examines Grenada's transition from fragmented, project-by-project climate actions to a comprehensive national strategy called the Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR). Funded by the Pilot Program for Climate Change Resilience (PPCR) and Climate Investment Funds (CIFs), the SPCR prioritizes climate resilience over emission reductions due to Grenada's high vulnerability and low global emissions. Key initiatives include the Disaster Vulnerability and Climate Risk Reduction Project and the Forest Rehabilitation Project, alongside technical assistance for water and coastal management. The brief highlights the importance of participatory design, regional synergies within the Caribbean, and the necessity of multilateral finance to address projected sea-level rise costs that could reach $801 million by 2050.
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Document type: Policy brief
Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters in the Water Sector: Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report
The document translates the IPCC SREX report's findings into actionable insights for the water sector, emphasizing that disaster risk is increasing due to both climate extremes and rising human vulnerability. It highlights the high confidence that climate changes will seriously affect water management systems and argues for a shift from incremental to transformational changes in governance and infrastructure. The brief advocates for 'low regrets' adaptation strategies and the integration of disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation (CCA) to build long-term resilience.
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Document type: Briefing
Equity and Efficiency in the Adaptation Fund: Prioritizing Among the ‘Particularly Vulnerable’
The Adaptation Fund lacks a formal, transparent methodology for defining and measuring 'particular vulnerability,' leading to an ad hoc allocation process. An analysis of 48 proposals (25 approved) shows that funding has reached a wide range of socio-economic conditions and HDI levels, with no clear pattern correlating approvals to national vulnerability indices. While the fund prioritizes concrete adaptation measures in agriculture and water, the absence of standardized vulnerability criteria undermines the ability to systematically compare project merits or ensure that the most vulnerable populations are prioritized.
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Document type: Policy brief
Second National Communication on Climate Change for Saint Lucia
The Second National Communication for Saint Lucia details the country's climate profile, reporting a 2% increase in total CO2e emissions between 1994 and 2000, totaling 579 Gg. The report identifies high vulnerability in tourism, agriculture, and water resources due to projected temperature increases (up to 3.6C by the 2090s) and rainfall decreases (up to 57% by the end of the century). It proposes two mitigation scenarios to reduce emissions by 19.6% and 25.7% by 2020, respectively, and outlines a series of adaptation measures including revised building codes, coastal setbacks, and integrated watershed management. The document emphasizes significant gaps in financial, human, and technical resources, calling for the mainstreaming of climate resilience into national development planning.
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Document type: Report
Time to Roll Up the Sleeves − Even Higher!
The briefing examines the operational requirements for implementing the Cancun LCA Agreement, specifically focusing on the design of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the creation of a Standing Committee on finance. It argues that the GCF's Transitional Committee lacks necessary multi-sectoral expertise and suggests an 'International Air Passenger Adaptation Levy' as a viable start-up funding mechanism to avoid the fund being 'stillborn' by the December 2011 Durban COP. Additionally, it critiques the current scope of the Standing Committee for lacking explicit oversight and accountability functions over the financial mechanism's operating entities.
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Document type: Briefing
Regional implications of the AGF recommendations: Small Island Developing States
The document outlines how the AGF's proposed funding mechanisms affect Small Island Developing States (SIDS), emphasizing the need for grants for adaptation and the potential for private investment in renewables. It notes that while international transport levies could raise funds, they may negatively impact SIDS' trade and tourism, necessitating compensation.
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Document type: Executive summary
Which Countries are Particularly Vulnerable? Science Doesn’t Have the Answer!
The document examines the ambiguity surrounding the term 'particularly vulnerable' within the UNFCCC framework and argues that vulnerability indices cannot provide an objective truth for prioritising adaptation finance. It asserts that because vulnerability is a socially constructed concept requiring normative judgments on variables and weighting, the responsibility for defining and ranking vulnerable countries lies with political negotiators rather than scientists.
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Document type: Policy brief
Financing Mitigation and Adaptation in Developing Countries: New options and mechanisms
The document assesses the financial requirements for climate mitigation and adaptation in developing countries, noting that current public funding is insufficient. It details specific investment needs for 2030, analyzes existing funds like the GEF and Adaptation Fund, and examines various proposals for new revenue streams, including GDP-based levies, carbon market expansions, and international transport levies. The paper emphasizes the need for a structured approach to technology innovation and a predictable, grant-based system for adaptation.
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Document type: Research paper
Human Rights and Climate Change
The report argues that climate change is a significant threat to fundamental human rights and that States have legal obligations to protect individuals through effective climate action and human rights-compliant responses. It outlines five institutional approaches to integrate these regimes: utilizing existing human rights special procedures, establishing a new special procedure on climate change and human rights, maintaining direct engagement through the Human Rights Council (e.g., via Universal Periodic Reviews), engaging human rights treaty bodies through General Comments and Concluding Observations, and integrating human rights principles and specialized bodies within the UNFCCC framework. The document emphasizes the particular vulnerability of women, children, indigenous peoples, and small island nations, and calls for increased transparency and participation of affected communities in climate negotiations.
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Document type: Report
Identifying Countries that are Particularly Vulnerable to the Adverse Effects of Climate Change: An Academic or a Political Challenge?
The document examines the difficulties in defining and measuring 'vulnerability' to climate change, specifically regarding the UNFCCC's commitment to assist 'particularly vulnerable' developing countries. It asserts that because vulnerability is a multi-dimensional concept requiring normative judgments, any index used to prioritize resource allocation will be inherently political and contested. The author highlights the lack of consensus among UNFCCC Parties and the Adaptation Fund Board, and uses the GEF's Resource Allocation Framework as a cautionary example of the political friction caused by using indices for funding. The paper concludes that while experts can provide data, the final determination of vulnerability must be a negotiated political compromise.
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Document type: Research paper