1. Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia Satya Priya, PhD ISDR Asia Partnership Meeting March 2010

2. Goal: To facilitate climate change adaptation in Asia at local, national and regional levels and strengthen adaptive capacity Purpose: establish a regionally & nationally owned information exchange mechanism facilitate the integration of climate change adaptation into national & regional economic & development policies, processes & plans strengthen linkages with development agenda enhance research & institutional capacity 2 Platform Goal and Purpose

3. Regional knowledge sharing system To promote dialogue and improve exchange of knowledge, information and methods and link existing and emerging networks and initiatives Assimilation of current and generation of new knowledge To generate new knowledge and promote understanding and provide guidance relevant to development and implementation of national and regional climate change adaptation policy, plans and processes Application of existing and new knowledge Synthesis of existing and new knowledge to promote its application in sustainable development practices at the local, national and regional levels 3 Outputs and Specific Objectives

4.  Greater Mekong Sub- Region (Cambodia, China PR, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand & Viet Nam), and  Other Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines & Sri Lanka. Phase 1 Geographic Scope (2009-2011)

5. Need to establish an identity: in a crowded field the Platform needs to be distinctive and specific on what it does All parties consulted – at all levels – showed enthusiasm for the general idea of the Platform BUT – they wanted to be clear what it would do and how it would help them in their work This was especially true for people outside the ‘usual suspects’ – people who are involved in development planning – the ‘mainstreamers’ 5 2009 Inception Period: Lessons learned

6. Awareness of the need to adapt was strong but understanding of what adaptation is was generally weak, at all levels Senior policy level: especially planning, finance, development sectors such as industry, transport, energy, agriculture Sub-national level: local government officials responsible for development planning Community-level workers: NGOs and Government Something is happening in all countries: need to work with and support these nascent efforts 6 2009 Consultations: Key Issues

7. Knowledge availability vis-à-vis demand Knowledge Available by Science Knowledge Demand by Society and Politics Good confidence in regional climate trends and projections More robust national and local climate trends and projections Observed regional changes and plausible projections Probability and severity (magnitude) of climatic parameters Knowledge and data limited to historical observation Long term observations Regional scale climate information are available but not in a ready form for its direct uses Ready made information is needed for decision making 7 A major discrepancy between space and time Bottom Line: DECISION MAKING MUST BE MADE UNDER UNCERTAINITIES (Source: Adapted using Salzmann et. al.)

8. Climate Ladder for Action and Capacity Building 8 (Source: Tabara and Serra) Step 1: Perception and awareness Step 2: Incentives and motives Step 3: Options and resources for individual transformation and change Step 4: Redistribution of climate responsibilities through institutions Learn, unlearn and re-learn

9. Adaptation and Development – a perspective Energy, Water and Food Security – The water – Regional – a trans-boundary issue (River Basins) Challenge – competing demands - approach – to facilitate south- south cooperation) – The land and water challenge – National – Understanding competing demands and provide knowledge to create adaptation opportunities – The energy challenges - Managing competing objectives and creating a new comparative advantage (Not covered by Platform) Managing Social vulnerability - helping people help themselves – Local remedies not only cope but to build resilience

10. Climate Change and Development Policy An International Architecture for Climate change and Development – Highlight development opportunities in the changing competitive landscape that includes climate – and how to seize them – Harnessing Finance and Market Instruments for Mitigation and Adaptation – Harnessing Innovation and Technology Diffusion for Mitigation and Adaptation

11. Climate Adaptation Policy and Decisions Global problem, local action: effective national and community-level actions Getting to decisions - Managing the politics and social- psychology of climate change Getting to good decisions – institutions and information; Adaptive policies and governance

12. Response to Adaptation The Climate is changing and It is wiser and cheaper to act now Not all but many of adaptation options are win/win and we have a duty of care Build development linkages – Fostering a shared understanding of the consequences of climate change Reflection in national policy, in 5 year socioeconomic development and planning (top-down approach) Micro/macro linkages (bottom up approach) Catalyze -develop-build political will – long-term commitment and planning

13. Secretariat AdaptationKnowledgePlatform Asian Institute of Technology/UNEP Regional Resource Center for Asia & the Pacific Asian Institute of Technology, Outreach Building P O Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand 13 Initial key implementing partners:  Asian Institute of Technology/UNEP Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific (AIT/UNEP RRC.AP)  Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)  Swedish Environment Secretariat for Asia (SENSA)  United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Working closely with national & regional partners to develop and implement programme of activities

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