Publication

Climate change impacts go beyond political jurisdictions or geographical boundaries, providing a strong rationale for collaboration and cooperation across countries. To facilitate this process of collaboration, this Policy Roundtable on Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation in the Agriculture Sector towards Food Security in Southeast Asia was organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in partnership with the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of the Royal Government of Cambodia.

 

Held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 6-7 February 2014, the Roundtable had presentations from a Professor and Dean of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources University of the Philippines Los Baños who was also Coordinating Lead Author, IPCC Working Group II, Fifth Assessment Report and from a Commissioner of the Philippine Climate Change Commission. Participants were senior and middle-level agriculture and environment officials and senior policy researchers from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV). They were joined by observers from the MAFF and from development partners based in the city.

 

The one and a half day discussions included an examination of the elements, dimensions, perspectives, and frameworks in mainstreaming and a reiteration of the need for climate finance alignment with country strategic priorities, improving ownership and harmonization, and improving mutual accountability to enhance climate finance effectiveness. Highlighted throughout all these was the need for champions of mainstreaming and the need to institutionalize efforts to help ensure sustained benefits.