UNDP CO ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA OF CLIMATE CHANGE Mr Almamy Camara Programme Analyst UNDP The Gambia

PAST ACTIVITIES CURRENT/ ONGOING ACTIVITIES WAYFORWARD/PLANNED/FUTURE ACTIVITIES

1. Past activities 1.1 UNDP/GOTG collaborative project to save the cemetery (late 1990s) - Strategic placement of gabions to minimize erosion of the cemetery 1NC TO UNFCCC Implementing agency- UNDP - Executing Agency- DWR/NCC - Enabling activity under the UNFCCC - Aim: To take stock of climate variability and the impacts cc has on the countrys natural resource base - To assess the countrys vulnerability and adaptation to current climate variability and extreme events - Determine adaptive capacity and propose measures to adapt to future cc

2. Ongoing Projects/Activities 2.1. Regional Project on adaptation to coastal and climate change- Gambia Senegal, Mauritania, G/Bissau, Cape Verde Implementing Agency- UNDP Executing Agency- NEA Primary objective: - Maintain or strengthen resilience to cc along the canary current coastline (interconnected coastal and marine env. of Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, G/Bissau, Cape Verde with similar features and threats and therefore will benefit from collaborative efforts by impl. Series of activities to improve adaptive capacity to cc of sensitive coastline ecosystems in the five countries )

2.1.1 Specifically, the project will among others : Increase the adaptive capacity of ecosystems thru. Measures designed to reduce anthropogenic stresses on globally significant resources such as biodiversity habitats and threatened species of plants and animals Increase resilience of social and ecological systems in the face of climate variability and change Integrate CC concerns into national policies and programmes Sensitize the policy-makers on the risks posed by CC and the necessary conditions for adaptation etc

2.1.2 Project outcome: Pilot activities to increase the adaptive capacity and resilience of coastline ecosystems in regions vulnerable to CC impacts implemented thru.: implementation of pilot demo. Projects to reduce climate driven coastline erosion CC and adaptation issues & coastal area management policies and programmes integrated across sectors and sub-sectors thru. EG. Replication of successful community level approaches to mitigate and adapt to coastline erosion, designing appropriate NP for adaptation to CC in coastal regions Monitoring of coastal erosion and capacity building in coastal management & planning enhanced thru.: improvement of national capacity ( inst., human resources etc) to develop and implement adaptation strategies and measures in coastal environments Learning, evaluation and adaptive management increased thru. EG. Establishment of a learning mechanism for adaptive management and cooperation at the regional level in addressing CC impacts on coastal areas magmt. etc

2.2 UNDP CO/GOTG- Support to capacity development for climate change Impl. Agency- UNDP Executing agency- NEA An activity within the env. mainstreaming project Aim: Approach capacity development for CC as a process Initial step will be advocacy & awareness creation starting with decision makers down to the general public

2.3 UNDP CO/GOTG- Funded national disaster management project -Executing Agency: OVP with NDMC. & Proj. office as its technical arm -Impl. Agency: UNDP Aim: To institutionalize disaster management in the country thru capacity building at all levels (national, regional, district and village) to be able to: predict, prevent, control, mitigate and adapt to disasters whenever and wherever they occur or are likely to occur

With UNDP support - About 197 disaster management committee members have been trained in the techniques of disaster management - 6 regional disaster management committees were restructured & trained to make them effective and responsive to disaster management issues - Policy & legal framework developed to provide the basis for the imminent disaster management office

3. Way forward/planned/ future activities Climate change has now become a topical issue and gained significance Both as a development challenge for African countries like The Gambia and A programmatic challenge for UNDP and other UN Agencies

3.1 The Strategy for launching and disseminating the GHDRs on climate change and water will: Adopt an approach for continuous engagement of all relevant stakeholders as well as youths engagement in the development process Encourage effective participatory approach Initiate discussion on the issue of climate change and water from the launch date to the time when the next HDR is released A committee comprising all relevant stakeholders will be established to coordinate the general process, including dialogue on the issue of the dissemination of the reports.

3.2 After the official launch the following activities will be undertaken: Public debate/Symposium with the UoTG on the theme: Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World Date: August/September 2008 Key note speakers/presenters (national/international) will be invited to make presentation on various aspects of CC:

Sustainable development and adaptation to climate change The international picture of climate change Global patterns of climate change The ethics of climate change Costal erosion and climate change Estuaries and climate change Desertification and climate change Climate change in West Africa Climate and disease distribution Climate change and public health Climate change and human rights Food production and climate change Adaptation to climate change in The Gambia Peace, war and climate change Climate change and politics Land use and climate change Mitigation climate change in The Gambia The economy of climate change

Ultimate aim: To keep climate change issues in focus through: Compilation of the presentation into a Banjul Climate Change Symposium report to be used as a reference document/material for information & a basis for interventions in the area of climate change This will facilitate the preparation of bankable Projects and therefore strengthen links with and support from GEF in areas such as adaptation to climate and coastal changes This will also help to expose the NAPA in terms of funding opportunities as well as provide further support to the recently concluded Gambia Donors Roundtable (Resource Mobilization) To link climate change activities within the national context and institutions to ensure sustainability

Dissemination strategy continues……. A competition will be organized among journalists/reporters/media houses etc, to write for general consumption, on the significance and relevance of CC to socio-economic development In collaboration with the education sector/DOSE, organize regional competition among schools in the Gambia on CC issues, to learn more about CC, how it impacts/can impact on our daily lives, and be good ambassadors for spreading the message Monthly panel/youth discussions on radio/TV on the theme CC, its implications on the resource base, on our daily lives, & socio-economic development in general and what we can do to adapt to or minimize the impacts of CC. NB. The NCC will be a key and leading partner in the CEPA and advocacy activities. Details will be communicated once discussions are finalized.

3.3 To register max. impact at the national level there is need to: Further strengthen existing excellent ties with the NCC Regularly update committee members on information & opportunities available within the CC portfolio thru.: regular consultations etc. Jointly endeavor to build NCC capacity to make use of CC funding opportunities e.g. Thru. Capacity building activities in the techniques of project design, formulation etc. using for example the SURF