Module 5

Collecting evidence, raising

awareness and building

partnerships

Country-led environmental and climate change mainstreaming (specialist course)

Training materials developed with the support of the European Commission

Tools supporting awareness raising and partnership building

2

Assessing evidence

Climate Change Vulnerability and

adaptation assessments

Macro and meso economic analysis

Demonstration or pilot projects

Engaging key actors

Communication & advocacy

strategyNational

consensus on and commitment

environmental and climate

change mainstreaming

Awareness raising &

partnership building

Adapted from: UNDP-UNEP (2009, 2011)

Preliminary assessments

Development-environment-

climate change linkages

Governmental, institutional and political

contexts

Integrated Ecosystems

Assessments

Understanding environmental challenges and

cc science

Integrated Ecosystem Assessment

• Bridge between science and policy• Uses of an Integrated Ecosystem Assessment:

– Identify priorities of action and analyse trade-offs– Provide foresight in relation to the likely consequences

of decisions affecting ecosystems– Identify response options to achieve human

development and sustainability goals– Provide a framework and source of tools for

assessment, planning and management– Act as a benchmark for future assessments and guide

future research

Source: UNDP-UNEP (2009)3

Integrated Ecosystem Assessment

4

Endogenous and

exogenous drivers

Changes in ecosystem condition:

• Biophysical• Chemical• Biodiversity

Changes in ecosystem services:

• Provisioning• Regulating• Supporting• Cultural

Human well-being:

• Income• Health• Poverty

Intrinsic value

Evaluating trade-offs

Adapted from: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)

Approach to Integrated Ecosystem Assessment

1. Assessment of conditions and trends in ecosystems and their services

2. Development of future scenarios

3. Consideration of response options

5

Pilot integrated ecosystem assessment – Bugesera, Rwanda

6

Human well-being & poverty reductionMaterial well-being: Agricultural productivity decreases and impacts on human well-being and poverty.Health: Poor water & sanitation and water quality, limited access to IRVsSecurity: Deteriorates / fewer resources.Freedom of choice and action: Diminishes/limited capacity and access to resources

Indirect driversDemographic: If conditions get very bad (drought, famine, etc) might be migration; if rains good then population growth.Economic: As result of poor health and productivity, economy weakensSocio-political: Could become unstable due to conflict over resourcesCultural: Could increase tensions depending on availability or resources

Ecosystems & their servicesWater: Increase in water stress/ drying up of lakes, wetlands cultivated, access to main water supply is limitedFood: Lowered productivity and overall decrease in food productionFuel wood: Lack of fuel wood; limited access to alternative energy sourcesBiodiversity: Decline, indigenous species disappearing, wildlife habitat lost

Direct driversLand use: Encroaching and cultivation of marginal and protected areas.Water use: Dependency on lakes unreliable and poor water quality. Exploitation of wetlands and irrigation schemes not sustainable.Pollution: Prevalence of water-borne diseases bound to increase due to poor sanitation standards and poor quality.

Adapted from: UNEP/UNDP/GOR (2007)

Climate Change vulnerability and adaptation assessment

• A vulnerability and adaptation assessment would typically focus on 3 units of analysis:– Places: land, water, ecosystems, ‘natural capital’ and

‘built infrastructure’– People: individuals, communities, ‘human capital’,

livelihoods– Institutions: sectors, organisations, how they relate to

each other, ‘social capital’

• It should assess both current & future vulnerability to determine possible adaptation measures

Source: Downing & Patwardhan (2004)7

Steps in community vulnerability & adaptation assessment

Source: IPCC (2007c) 4th Assessment Report,

WG II - Fig. 16.3

8

Mapping vulnerability

9

Source: Economics of Climate Adaptation (2009) Test case on Samoa – Focus on risks caused by sea level rise, Fig. 03, p. 122

Elevation map of central Apia

SOURCE: Team analysis

Building

Road

Elevation

0 m

>4 m

1 m

2 m

Exhibit 3 – Highly granular geographic information has been used to segment assets according to their elevation above sea level

Approach

• Starting point was a digital map of Samoa with contour lines (2m lines in coastal areas)

• In a second step, a more granular segmentation of coastal areas was obtained by using state-of-the-art GIS software

• Finally, geo-coordinates of buildings and roads, were used to determine the asset exposure to coastal flooding risk

Macro- and meso-economic analysis (environment and climate change)

• Economic analysis may be a powerful tool for motivating policy makers to take action– Macro level: analysis of the impact environmental

degradation and/or climate change may have on the national economy

– Meso level: analysis at the level of key sectors or sub-sectors of the national economy

• The costs of inaction (environmental degradation and/or climate-related losses) are compared with the net benefits of taking action (avoided losses minus costs)

• The analysis should also consider the distribution of losses and benefits (among social groups, regions...)

10

Demonstration projects

Demonstration/pilot projects

Test what works and

does not work (relevance,

effectiveness)

Support lesson

drawing for adaptive

managementMobilise

communities, local/regional

authorities & other stakeholders

Help foster interest and commitment of national

authorities & other

stakeholders

Create motivation and knowledge for replication/

scaling-up

11Source: UNDP-UNEP (2011)

Who might be good champions?

Are there already champions?

Raising awareness and building partnerships (1)

• Assessing available evidence:– using the findings of relevant studies and

demonstration/pilot projects

• Engaging key actors: – identifying and mobilising key organisations involved in

development at the national and sector levels– identifying and mobilising ‘champions’

12

Raising awareness and building partnerships (2)

• Developing and implementing a communication and advocacy strategy in support of mainstreaming:– Define the target audience to be informed or influenced– Develop policy-relevant messages and materials based on

evidence collected (e.g. policy briefs, radio programmes)– Select and use appropriate communication channels for

the various target groups (e.g. media, sector working groups)

13

Discussion and action planning

14

Turning words into action

• Understanding the global environmental challenges and climate change science

• Collecting evidence, raising awareness and building partnerships

15

What can be done and what are the institutional and capacity needs in

your country / sector of work?

Recap – Key messages

• Awareness raising and partnership building help build consensus and commitment to mainstreaming

• Assess evidence about the state of the environment, climate change and their impacts as a starting point– evidence may be available, inter alia, from ecosystem

assessments, vulnerability and adaptation assessments, economic analysis and demonstration projects

– new evidence may need to be generated

• Strategic approach needed for knowledge management, communication and advocacy – ‘champions’ play an important role

• Evidence supports engagement of key actors and the development of a communication and advocacy strategy

16

Key references

• UNEP (2005) Communicating Sustainability: How to produce effective public campaigns. United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi

• Adaptation Learning Mechanism knowledge-sharing platform: http://www.adaptationlearning.net/

• Hassan, R; Scholes, E and Ash, N (Eds.) (2005). Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: findings of the condition and trends Working Group v.1: Current State and Trends (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment). Island Press:

• World Bank – Economics of Adaptation to Climate Change web pages: http://climatechange.worldbank.org/content/economics-adaptation-climate-change-study-homepage

17

References• Downing T. & Patwardhan A. (2004) Assessing Vulnerability for Climate Adaptation. In: Lim B. &

Spanger-Siegfried E. (eds.) (2004) Adaptation Policy Frameworks for Climate Change: Developing Strategies, Policies and Measures. United Nations Development Programme/Cambridge University Press, New York. Available from: http://www.undp.org/climatechange/adapt/apf.html

• Economics of Climate Adaptation Working Group (2009) Shaping climate-resilient development: a framework for decision-making. Climate Works Foundation, Global Environment Facility, European Commission, McKinsey & Company, The Rockfeller Foundation, Standard Chartered Bank & Swiss Re. Available from: http://www.mckinsey.com/clientservice/Social_Sector/our_practices/Economic_Development/Knowledge_Highlights/Economics_of_climate_adaptation.aspx

• IPCC (2007c) Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Parry M.L., Canziani O.F., Palutikof J.P., van der Linden P.J. & Hanson C.E. (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK & New York, NY, USA. Available from: www.ipcc.ch

• UNDP-UNEP (2009) Mainstreaming Poverty-Environment Linkages into Development Planning: A Handbook for Practitioners. UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Initiative. Available from: http://www.unpei.org/PDF/PEI-full-handbook.pdf

• UNDP-UNEP (2011) Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change into Development Planning: A Guide for Practitioners. UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Initiative. Available from: http://www.unpei.org/knowledge-resources/publications.html

• UNEP (2005) Communicating Sustainability: How to produce effective public campaigns. United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi. Available from: http://www.unep.fr/shared/publications/pdf/DTIx0679xPA-CommunicatingEN.pdf

• UNEP, UNDP, GOR (Government of Rwanda) (2007) Pilot Integrated Ecosystem Assessment of Bugesera. 18