Decision making in a changing climate: World Resources Report 2010-2011

Author(s):
World Resources Institute (WRI) in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme, and World Bank
Year:
2011
City:
Washington D.C.
Publisher:
WRI
Summary:

The United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Bank and the World Resources Institute have released the World Resources Report 2010–2011: Decision Making in a Changing Climate. The publication explores challenges and offers recommendations for national-level government officials to make informed and effective decisions to respond to the changing climate.

Piloting Climate Change Adaptation to Protect Human Health

Implementing Agency and Partnering Organizations:
UNDP, World Health Organization, and Ministries of Health in the pilot countries
Summary:

Description

To increase adaptive capacity of national health system institutions, including field practitioners, to respond to climate change-sensitive health risks.

Summary

Project Components:
  1. Climate change and health early warning and planning systems
  2. Institutional and technical capacity to manage climate change health risks
  3. Demonstration Measures to reduce vulnerability
  4. Regional Cooperation to address climate change health risks
Expected Outputs:
  • Outcome 1: Early warning systems will be adjusted to include climate change induced health risks.
  • Outcome 2: Capacity of health sector institutions to respond to climate-sensitive health risks will be improved.
  • Outcome 3: Prevention measures piloted in emerging and epidemic risk area.
  • Outcome 4: Cooperation among participating countries promotes innovation in adaptation to climate change including variability.
Project Status:
CEO Endorsed (November 30, 2009)
Funding Source:
GEF-SCCF
Financing Amount:
USD 4,500,000
Cofinancing Total:
USD 15,963,559
Total Amounts:
USD 20,933,244
Contacts:
  • Contact: Pradeep Kurukulasuriya,
  • (212) 906-6843
  • Email: pradeep.kurukulasuriya@undp.org
Image(s):

Piloting climate change adaptation to protect human health in China

  • Project details

  • Implementing Agency and Partnering Organizations:
    UNDP, World Health Organization, and Ministry of Health
    Summary:

    Project Objective

    To strengthen the national capacity to respond to the increased health risks due to heat waves in China.

    Key Health Concerns and Vulnerability to Climate Change

    Project Components:
    1. Climate change and health early warning and planning  systems
    2. Institutional and technical capacity to manage  climate change health risks
    3. Demonstration Measures to reduce vulnerability
    4. Regional Cooperation to address climate change health risks
    Expected Outputs:

    Outcome 1: An early warning system is established for impending heat waves to protect people at risk of cerebro- and cardiovascular diseases.

    • Establishment of a multi-sectoral cooperation mechanism of health sector, meteorological bureau and environmental protection bureau.
    • Collection and analysis of information on the relationship between meteorological and health data to establish a model to forecast health risks for vulnerable groups.
    • Design of a system for “early forecast, early prevention and early treatment”, providing graded forecasts of the severity of health risks in the project community.

    Outcome 2: Systemic and institutional capacity of health sector will be improved to respond to climate-sensitive health risks.

    • Setting up a steering committee for actions during heat waves, and implementing resource sharing, information and skill exchange.
    • Community medical consulting personnel trained with respect to health risks during climate extremes, necessary health consultations and services, and self-protection measures.

    Outcome 3: Improve the adaptation capacities and emergency medical plans implemented for cases of cerebro- and cardiovascular diseases during heat waves.

    • Emergency plan and support system established for high risk people in the project sites.
    • Public awareness raised through a coordinated media campaign, including videocasts with health education lectures, and regular update of health education and consulting services in communities and schools.
    • Communication and education provided to Government and other decision makers on health risks associated with extreme heat, and effective behavioural responses.
    • Strengthened bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the participation and communication of decision-makers, government officers and researchers in international exchange.
    Contacts:

    Pradeep Kurukulasuriya
    (212) 906-6843
    pradeep.kurukulasuriya@undp.org

    Country contact

    Mr. Zhao Yuechao
    Deputy Director
    Division of Environmental Health
    Bureau of Health Inspection
    Ministry of Health P.R. China
    E-mail:yrichardz@hotmail.com Tiantian Li
    E-mail: tiantianli@gmail.com Dr Jin Yinlong
    E-mail: jinyinlong1951@yahoo.com.cn

    WHO contact

    Mr Mao Jixiang
    E-mail:maoj@wpro.who.int

    Project Details
    Funding Source:
    GEF-SCCF
    Cofinancing Total:
    Not specified
    Total Amounts:
    550,000 USD

Integrated Model Development for Water and Food Security Assessments and Analysis of the Potential of Mitigation Options and Sustainable Development Opportunities in Temperate Northeast Asia

  • Project details

  • Summary:

    The main deliverable of this project is a Food and Water Security Integrated Model system (FAWSIM). FAWSIM is built on the state-of-the-art climate change software SimCLIM. Given its open framework structure a series of food and water security related models were integrated into the system, including DSSAT, SWAT, PDSI, FSI, and ZUD.

    Climate change scenarios derived from 21 IPCC AR4 GCMs, and the related observed climate, land cover, and socio-economic data were also incorporated into the system.

    Project Components:

    Objectives

    (1) The main objective of this APN Comprehensive Research Project (CRP) was to develop an integrated model system to assess the potential mitigation options and sustainable development opportunities in relation to water & food security at the local scale, in order to provide the policy-makers with required information to achieve regional sustainable development.

    (2) This CRP also aimed to build capacity and raise awareness through the participatory assessment of stakeholders and the dissemination of the project findings and models.

    Expected Outputs:

    The following outputs were produced through the research project: 1) Global cropland drought risk assessment; 2) Climate change impact on maize production and adaptation option assessment; 3) a Food security index and its application in Jilin province; 4) Partial equilibrium food balance model development and application in China; 5) Water footprint analysis for Changchun city, Jilin province; and 6) Self-Organizing Maps Statistical Downscaling method development.

    Project Details
    Financing Amount:
    The Grant awarded to this project was US$ 180, 000 for 3 years (2006-2009).
    Cofinancing Total:
    Information not available

Adapting to climate change is critical to our survival

Found in:
Body:
The China Post

Full Article

Arriving a year and 42 days after Typhoon Morakot forever changed the nation with its tragic effects, Typhoon Fanapi, although devastating in its own right, has been managed in ways that were unforeseeable in the case of its predecessor.

It is because of Morakot that the nation was better braced, the early evacuation of residents in high-risk areas by local governments serving as a crucial and rewarding detail learned from lessons past that significantly decreased

Piloting climate change adaptation to protect human health in China

Summary:

China Project Objective

To strengthen the national capacity to respond to the increased health risks due to heat waves in China. 

Key Health Concerns and Vulnerability to Climate Change

China, with its fragile ecological environment, is vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. In recent years, China has experienced more frequent and higher intensity extreme weather events. Floods, heat waves, freezing rain, snow weather etc which were once rare now happen on a regular basis causing great harm to health and society. The largest impact on health from climate change in China is heat; particularly in urban environments which can change the incidence and mortality of heat or cold related disease.

China experienced extremely hot summers in 1988, 1990, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2002 to 2008, resulting in thousands of excessive deaths. Mortality was particularly high among those 60 years of age and older, and heat waves present serious risks to infants. It is estimated that the number of deaths caused by the recorded heat waves is 2-3 times above normal summer periods. These deaths could be greatly reduced with an early warning system in place.  Heat waves can also increase the morbidity and mortality due to cerebro-cardiovascular and respiratory system diseases. 

Cerebro-cardiovascular diseases already have a huge impact in China, with the country having the highest morbidity of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases in the world. 45% of all deaths in China, is due to cerebro-cardiovascular diseases. The health care cost and labour force loss from cerebro-cardiovascular diseases is more than US$2,500 million per year.  This burden will only increase with climate change and rising temperatures.
 

Adaptation Experience:

Expected Benefits

The most significant benefit of implementing effective adaptive measures will be the reduction of the incidence and mortality of the cerebro-cardiovascular diseases, thus improving people's quality of life and greatly reducing the social-economic burden.
Other benefits include:

Results and Learning:

The project will focus on reducing the impacts of climate change on cerebro-cardiovascular diseases in the three project cities through the implementation of heat wave forecasting and early warning systems designed to protect human health. The project will do this with a focus on the following capacity development:

  • Data collection - Additional data collection and research is needed to quantify the health risks of climate change and to identify effective and efficient adaptation options.
  • Data sharing - There are still some gaps in data sharing among environmental, meteorological and health agencies. Therefore a scientific research database will be created using national and international meteorological and disease data; this database will provide accurate, prompt, and authoritative disease monitoring and will produce products relevant for disease prevention.
  • Communication and Cooperation - The project will strengthen communication between decision-makers and the public health system. It also will encourage and support Chinese scientists to participate in the international activities to reduce the health impacts of climate change.
  • Public awareness - There is limited public knowledge of the health impacts of climate change and the actions individuals should take to protect themselves, particularly during heat waves.

 

China Project Outcomes and Outputs
Outcome 1: An early warning system is established for impending heat waves to protect people at risk of cerebro- and cardiovascular diseases Outcome 2: Systemic and institutional capacity of health sector will be improved to respond to climate-sensitive health risks Outcome 3: Improve the adaptation capacities and emergency medical plans implemented for cases of cerebro- and cardiovascular diseases during heat waves.
1.1: Establishment of a multi-sectoral cooperation mechanism of health sector, meteorological bureau and environmental protection bureau. 2.1: Setting up a steering committee for actions during heat waves, and implementing resource sharing, information and skill exchange. 3.1: Emergency plan and support system established for high risk people in the project sites.
1.2: Collection and analysis of information on the relationship between meteorological and health data to establish a model to forecast health risks for vulnerable groups. 2.2: Community medical consulting personnel trained with respect to health risks during climate extremes, necessary health consultations and services, and self-protection measures. 3.2: Public awareness raised through a coordinated media campaign, including videocasts with health education lectures, and regular update of health education and consulting services in communities and schools.
1.3:  Design of a system for “early forecast, early prevention and early treatment”, providing graded forecasts of the severity of health risks in the project community.   3.3: Communication and education provided to Government and other decision makers on health risks associated with extreme heat, and effective behavioural responses. 
    3.4: Strengthened bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the participation and communication of decision-makers, government officers and researchers in international exchange.

 

Sustainability:

Not Yet Applicable

Replication:

Not Yet Applicable

Image(s):
Funding Source:
GEF-SCCF

Floating Houses and Mosquito Nets: Emerging Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Around the World

Author(s):
Dr. Hans-Peter Meister, Inga Kröger, Martina Richwein, Wilson Rickerson, Chad Laurent. Additional contributors: Jeff Snell, Elisa Burchert, Florian Lux
Year:
2009
City:
Boston
Publisher:
Meister Consultants Group
Pages:
132
Summary:

Floating Houses and Mosquito Nets: Emerging Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Around the World

This study, compiled by Meister Consultants Group, Inc., analyzes examples of climate change adaptation strategies and measures from around the world. By highlighting adaptation efforts in 16 countries across the globe the study shows how adaptation strategies can be successful. The featured case studies are from developing and emerging countries such as Bangladesh, Tanzania and Brazil, and are also from industrialized countries such as Great Britain, Netherlands, Switzerland Australia. As mentioned in Dr. Mojib Latif's preface, "[t]he great variety of examples and the identification of factors for a successful policy are helpful guidelines for all who are active in the climate sector" (Floating Houses and Mosquito Nets, 2009, p. 3).

Regional Energy Programme for Poverty Reduction

Summary:

Efforts by countries in the Asia-Pacific region to meet the MDGs, especially
the goal of halving the number of poor, will be impaired
unless adequate attention is paid to the crucial role energy services
play in the development process, particularly in relation to the economic,
environmental and social well-being of the poor.

Project Status:
Active
Cofinancing Total:
Information not available
Contacts:

Easter Galuvao
Email: easter.galuvao@undp.org
Tel: +685 236670

Image(s):

Piloting Climate Change Adaptation to Protect Human Health

  • Project details

  • Implementing Agency and Partnering Organizations:
    UNDP, World Health Organization and Ministries of Health in the pilot countries
    Summary:

    Description

    To increase adaptive capacity of national health system institutions, including field practitioners, to respond to climate change-sensitive health risks.

    Summary

    Project Components:
    1. Climate change and health early warning and planning  systems
    2. Institutional and technical capacity to manage  climate change health risks
    3. Demonstration Measures to reduce vulnerability
    4. Regional Cooperation to address climate change health risks
    Expected Outputs:
    • Outcome 1: Early warning systems will be adjusted to include climate change induced health risks.
    • Outcome 2: Capacity of health sector institutions to respond to climate-sensitive health risks will be improved.
    • Outcome 3: Prevention measures piloted in emerging and epidemic risk area.
    • Outcome 4: Cooperation among participating countries promotes innovation in adaptation to climate change including variability.
    Contacts:

    Contact: Pradeep Kurukulasuriya (UNDP)

    (212) 906-6843

    Email: pradeep.kurukulasuriya@undp.org

     

    Contact: Joy Guillemot (WHO)

    Email: guillemotj@who.int 

    Project Status:
    CEO Endorsed (November 30, 2009).
    Project Details
    Funding Source:
    GEF-SCCF
    Cofinancing Total:
    USD 15,963,559
    Total Amounts:
    USD 20,933,244

Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation in Irrigated Agriculture Project

  • Project details

  • Implementing Agency:
    Government of China State Office for Comprehensive Agricultural Development
    Implementing Agency and Partnering Organizations:
    National government departments (Ministry of Finance, National Development and Reform Commission, Minsitry of Water Resoruces, Minsitry of Agriculture, State Environmental Protection Administration and State Forestry Administration, National and regional reserach and universityes, local governemtns and governemnt staff, the private sector, Civil society and organizations (water User Associations, Farmer Associations, Farmer Cooperatives), Farmers and local communities, and the World Bank
    Summary:

    ###### Background

    The North China Plain or Huang-Huai-Hai River Basin (3-H Basin) is particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change. Overall, China is in the bottom 25 percent of countries in terms of water availability per capita. Within China, 3H Basin has only about one-third of the China average and about half the per capita water availability specified by the United Nations as the standard for maintaining socio-economic and environmental development.

    Project Components:

    * Component 1) Identification and prioritization of adaption options; this component will analyze the impacts of climate change and thus is important for measuring vulnerability, and identifying what specifically should be done indifferent places over different time periods to facilitate adaptation.
    * Component 2) Demonstration and Implementation of adaptation measures; the purpose of this component is to introduce, demonstrate and implement the specific adaptation measures in selected demonstration areas, and adjust and integrate appropriate adaptation measures into the implementation of the IAIL3 project, in order to reduce vulnerability to climate change in the 3H Basin.
    * Component 3) Mainstreaming adaptation into national CAD program and institutional strengthening. The component aims at integrating and mainstreaming climate change adaption into the national CAD program, including a series of capacity building, technical assistance, knowledge sharing, public awareness, and preparation of a "National Climate Change Adaptation Plan".

    Expected Outputs:

    The main project development impact indicators would be:

    * (a) increased climate change adaptation awareness of farmers, Water User Association (WUA) and Professional Associations (FA) members, technical staff, and officials;
    * (b) relevant climate change adaptation measures implemented in selected demonstration areas and by participatory stakeholders;
    * (c) Integrating adaption policies, measures and activities, policy briefs, government reports, implementation and/or replication plans.

    Contacts:

    Contact Person:
    Muhamad Al Arief
    Telephone: 202-458-5964
    Email: malarief@worldbank.com

    Project Status:
    Project is active
    Project Details
    Funding Source:
    GEF through World Bank
    Financing Amount:
    55,500,000
    Cofinancing Total:
    5,000,000
    Total Amounts:
    55,500,000