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Supporting Integrated and Comprehensive Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation in Africa - Namibia
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Project details
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Leading Organization:
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)Implementing Agency and Partnering Organizations:
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)Summary:
The climate change risk in Namibia indicates that overall a hotter climate is expected, leading to mostly more arid conditions. However, there may be strong regional variations and certain areas of the country will potentially benefit from more humid conditions. The growing seasons are expected to shift, with the onset of the rainy season changing. Overall an increase of extreme events, both floods and droughts, is predicted. Namibia’s current climate is arid to semi-arid, with less than 5% of country considered to be dry sub-humid. Climatic conditions are highly variable, and uncertainty already inherent to Namibia’s climate is expected to become more pronounced and difficult to manage considering the climate change (CC) risk. The past two years northern Namibia has been challenged by severe flood events, the most severe recorded in more than four decades. Naturally ecosystems and human management systems have adapted to the highly variable climatic conditions, however, CC impacts such as the recent flooding events are exceptional and hard to manage. The predicted future CC risk and associated impacts are expected to exacerbate the already difficult situation. Consequently, highly adaptive responses are needed and opportunities (such as e.g. rain water resources during floods) should be exploited. Although climate change and especially adaptation are not yet integral parts of the current UNDAF and CPD, the planned interventions directly address UNDAF Outcome 2 “Livelihoods and food security improved”. Without adaptation the intended UNDAF outcome cannot be achieved. Outputs under outcome 2 include
(i) improved income earning, agricultural productivity and access to food,
(ii) strengthened sustainable land and water management and
(iii) strengthened national/regional capacities for emergency management.
The planned AAP Namibia Project design will formulate Activity Results that will directly contribute to attaining these outputs. The more recent UNDP Strategic Plan has been amended to include a stronger climate change and adaptation focus. The new UNDAF which will be prepared in the year 2010 will directly address the priorities of Namibia’s 3rd National Development Plan (NDP3), drafted in 2007 and finalised in 2008, which entails country priorities pertaining to CC and CCA in particular. It can thus be assumed that CCA will be mainstreamed throughout all UN – country strategies and agreements, a process that should be facilitated through the AAP Namibia project, vis-à-vis the climate proofing of national and sectoral policy. Building on the overall development framework of Namibia, the project design for this project is detailed in the following. The project objective is “Namibia has the institutional, individual and systemic capacity to address climate change risks and opportunities through a national approach to adaptation”.
Project Components:
Namibia has the institutional, individual and systemic capacity to address climate change risks and opportunities through a national approach to adaptation.
Expected Outputs:
- Dynamic, long-term planning mechanisms to cope with the inherent uncertainties of climate change introduced, with a focus on managing flood risk.Critical information for improved and climate resilient decision-making generated and applied by National stakeholders.
- Namibian leadership and institutional frameworks to manage climate change risks and opportunities in an integrated manner strengthened, including a decentralised approach. Strengthened, and if necessary reformed, national and regional multi-stakeholder CC coordination platform.
- Climate-resilient policies and measures in priority sectors implemented (flooding and settlement/ sanitation and health) and promoting community-based adaptation action. National CCA framework for priority adaptation action at the national, regional and local level in place.
- Financing options to meet national adaptation costs expanded at the local and national level and building on I & FF work ongoing. Strengthened financial development framework on CC risks and opportunities established in Namibia.
- Knowledge on adjusting national development processes to fully incorporate climate change risks and opportunities generated and shared across all levels. Key stakeholders document, disseminate, and influence policy and programmatic responses for adaptation in priority sectors, nation-wide and internationally.
Lessons Learned:
AAP Inception Workshop held in Ondangwa from February 22-26, 2010, attended by a wide range of approximately 60 stakeholders
- Namibia is planning to build another hydro-electric plant on the Cunene River on the Angolan border. An in-depth climate risk assessment study was undertaken to determine whether it was worth investing billions of dollars into such a scheme. This type of in-depth study could potentially be a useful foundation for building a national risk assessment. The experts who undertook the study would ideally be identified and contacted in this regard. * Namibia is on a drive to expand food production through expanding irrigation into dry areas. Irrespective of climate change effects, this macro-policy is questionable given the water scarcity in the country, and the projections that by 2020 Namibia’s water needs will exceed supply.
- Namibia has a wealth of information and data available for undertaking systems dynamic modeling. It is one of the first countries with T21 or other such models. The Ministry of Planning is actively involved in the AAP and it would be a natural home for this modeling.
- Namibia has developed an environmental database – NAMINFO, which is presently being configured to present on the internet. The database is housed within the National Planning Commission, which is an appropriate central location in terms of government involvement.
- Namibia is presently wrapping up an in-depth analysis of climate change investment flows. This is part of the IFF programme funded by the World Bank and being implemented in several countries globally. The team presently conducting this study (both national and international consultants) is well placed to build on their work to meet the AAP objectives. The Namibian IFF component is being finalized in May 201
- Namibia has a draft climate change strategy that is awaiting inputs from the AAP studies before being finalized/accepted. Although the actual revisions of policy will take place at a later stage, it would be fruitful to get the policy experts involved in the design of the models from the outset. The models will be used for testing the likely impacts of the policy revisions.
Contacts:
Martha Mwandingi Email:martha.mwandingi@undp.org Tel:+ 264-61 204 6231
Project Status:
Under Implementation (Start Date: October 2009)Resources:
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