Event

Despite all its progress over the last quarter century, South Asia remains home to four out of every 10 of the world’s poor; 600 million of South Asia’s 1.5 billion people live on less than $1.25 per day. Almost half the children below five are underweight, accounting for more than half of the world’s undernourished children. Imbalances in economic growth, inequality among castes, classes, between genders, and a region beset by disasters, have added to the suffering of the poor and those most vulnerable and marginalised. 

Climate change is predicted to have severe consequences for South Asia, particularly in agriculture, which employs more than 60 per cent of the region’s labour force.3 Some of the predicted impacts of climate change include increased variability in both monsoon and winter rainfall patterns; increase in average temperatures, with warmer winters; increased salinity in coastal areas as a result of rising seas and reduced discharge of major rivers; weakening ecosystems; the recession of glaciers in the Himalayas; and increased frequency and/or severity of extreme weather events (floods, cyclones, and droughts).

Adaptation efforts in South Asia have so far been fragmented, lacking a strong link between national climate change strategies, plans, and existing disaster risk reduction, agricultural, and other relevant policies. This disconnect partly stems from a lack of conceptual understanding and partly due to the on-going debate as to what constitutes adaptation, and what represents good and sustainable development.

 

The international community, through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process, has approved the preparation of National Adaptation Plans of Action (NAPAs) by the Developing Countries. The consequent National Adaptation Plans of Action would be guided by, amongst others, the principles of sustainable development and complementary approaches in the national development strategies of the Least Developed Countries. Though the National Adaptation Plans of Action are meant to identify immediate and urgent needs, they should be considered as a first step in a long-term adaptation process and be fully integrated as part of any national development strategy. 

The development approach has traditionally focused on implementing projects to realize specific objectives, rather than on looking at their macro-linkage and addressing the underlying issues that improve policy frameworks and governance structures. In a similar manner, policies and institutions focusing on the short-term exploitation of natural resources, often to maximize immediate benefits, has led to maladaptation of different kinds. Past experience also indicates, though, that adaptive capacity and resilience are closely associated with effective governance, economic wellbeing, human and social capital, sustainable resource management and participatory disaster preparedness. So a sustainable development strategy that promotes improved governance, economic growth, poverty reduction and improved resource management is key to the adaptation to climate change. 

Thus there is a clear need for development and poverty reduction strategies to work in concert with climate policies. The ultimate goal is to ensure societal, not merely technical, adaptation through enhancing the resilience of the larger society against climate shocks. Planned adaptation also requires harmonization of sectoral goals, among which there are conflicting provisions. These aims can only be successfully achieved through Mainstreaming adaptation into the national development strategy. 

 

Recognising the need to adopt ecosystem based approaches, SAARC declaration already envisaged coordinated research and programmes for the understanding the dynamics of the various ecosystem and the impacts of climate change from scientific and socio-economic perspectives. While the SAARC declaration limits itself to studies related to understanding of nature and socio-economic linkages, it is important we move further and develop National Adaptation Plans in each South Asian Countries for the future keeping in mind the intricacies of such linkages. It is necessary that stakeholders in South Asia also explore linkages between cross cutting issues like Ensuring food security and livelihoods; Securing the natural fresh water systems of the Himalayas; Securing biodiversity and ensuring its sustainable use; Ensuring energy security and enhancing alternative technologies.

Climate Action Network of South Asia (CANSA) and its partners in the region propose dto organize a two-day training on preparing National Adaptation Plans at national level inviting experts as resource persons that will also deliberate upon the cross cutting issues that should form the core of regional climate policies. The Policy Makers with multi-disciplinary background were invited to participate in the technical sessions that built capacity in terms of methodology to be followed; sectors need to be studied and incorporated; institutional mechanisms required; climate finance opportunity for NAPs, etc… The objective of the discussion was:

(a) To share best practices and steps need to be followed at local and national level inputting into 10-year road map for adaptation to climate change, through consultative approach materialising into a NAPs.

(b) To map key sectors that need to be prioritised in respective countries and criteria’s to short list the sectors based on vulnerability due to climate change. 

(c) To initiate regional cooperation and coordination through exchange of Knowledge, Skills and Resources for strengthening Climate actions across South Asian Countries.

Outcomes 

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