Publication

Until recently, developing country governments, donors, and non-governmental organisa-tions (NGOs) seldom considered the risks and uncertainties associated with climate change in their development planning. Research findings and policy recommendations on the effects of climate change were only considered relevant to the environment sector. There is now greater acknowledgement among the development community that climate change will affect social and economic systems and is therefore a serious risk to development. According to the recent UK Government White Paper on International Development, ‘Climate change poses the most serious long-term threat to development and the Millennium Development Goals’.1 Donor agencies, national and local layers of government, and non-governmental organisations are now beginning to engage with the question of how to tackle the impacts of climate change on development. In particular, there are growing efforts to reduce negative impacts and seize opportunities by integrating climate change adaptation into development planning and programmes, a process known as mainstreaming.

This report:

● reviews what progress has been made by developing country governments and donor agencies in mainstreaming climate adaptation into development planning

● examines barriers to further progress

● provides recommendations on how these barriers can be overcome.

The report intends to promote discussion on opportunities for further action research and on strategies for increasing awareness and information related to climate adaptation in development sectors.