Publication

02.10.2015

Lessons Learnt for Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment from India’s First National Communication

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This Paper sets out the process and substantive conclusions emerging from submission by India of its First National Communication (NATCOM), including lessons for future vulnerability and adaptation (VA) assessment processes. India was chosen for as a basis for lesson learning by other developing countries as the process of putting together the NATCOM was extensive and innovative and a wide range of VA tools were used in the assessment. The paper explains the process and sets out the substantive conclusions emerging from India’s NATCOM. It summarizes climate change impacts on India focusing on water resources, agriculture, forests, coastal zones and human health. It then describes the technical limitations of impact assessments, including uncertainties surrounding models, the low resolution of
available models and the lack of integrated assessments due to the sector specific and stand alone nature of studies done for NATCOM. It argues that taking socio-economic parameters such as land use, population dynamics and livelihood changes will enable a more useful product and better link scientific assessments with human dimensions, including institutional arrangements for governance and implementation. The paper concludes that one of the most important lessons learnt for India and other countries was the need to further develop institutional and human capacity which is still too scarce – even in a country as large as India. Another lesson is how the NATCOM process sensitized a wide range of policy makers at the national level and resulted in a nascent policy network around adaptation. The paper concludes more work needs to be done to bring in policymakers/stakeholders from village, district and state level as well as the private sector as each of these will play a crucial role in future VA assessment and implementation

TAGS:

  • Adaptation
  • Climate finance
  • vulnerability