ALM UNDP

Summary:

###### Background

The Integrated National Adaptation Project will support Colombia's efforts to define and implement specific pilot adaptation measures and policy options to meet the anticipated impacts from climate change. The project consists of the following components:

* (a) this component seeks to strengthen Colombia's capabilities to produce and disseminate climate information (useful for resource allocation and operational decision making), in support of adaptation to climate change measures and programs.
* (b) this component will support the following activities:

* (i) ecosystem planning and management in Las Hermosas Massif, seeking to maintain its high biodiversity assets;
* (ii) maintenance of potential for hydro-power generation through adoption of measures to protect the Amoya watershed;
* (iii) adaptive land-use planning model seeking to reduce impacts from climate change on land degradation
* (iv) improvement of productive agro-ecosystems and reduction of their socioeconomic vulnerability to GCC impacts.
* (c) this component will support the implementation of physical adaptation measures in order to reduce the vulnerability of the Caribbean Insular area, especially with regard to changes in rainfall and temperature and sea-level rise.
* (d) this component will address the increased exposure to tropical vector-borne diseases (malaria and dengue) induced by climate change through the implementation of an Integrated Dengue and Malaria Surveillance and Control System.
* (e) this component will support the overall technical coordination of project Activities.

Colombia is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The first national communication (NC1) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) indicates the high vulnerability of Colombia to the expected impacts from climate change identifying high mountain habitats, insular and coastal areas and health as the areas of primary concern. More recently, studies commissioned as part of the preparation of the second communication and others have confirmed and indicated in more detail trends and impacts in these areas. These vulnerabilities find echo in the findings of the IPCC. Major vulnerabilities include: Highland Andean ecosystems are very vulnerable to climate change impacts, sea level and surface temperature increases will affect insular areas of the country, climate change is causing increased exposure to tropical vector diseases. As a result of these vulnerabilities, it has been determined that it imperative to address the following concerns: policies and measures that address climate changes need to be mainstreamed into national sector policies to ensure their sustainability, uncertain and insufficient information on GCC prevents the adoption of cost-effective adaptation measures, institutional arrangements for vector disease control in Colombia are relatively weak.

The project development objective is to support Colombia’s efforts to define and implement specific pilot adaptation measures and policy options to meet the anticipated impacts from climate change. These efforts will be focused on high mountain ecosystems, insular areas and on human health concerns related to the expansion of areas for vectors linked to malaria and dengue, as identified as priority areas in the National Communications and other studies. The global environment objective states that the project follows the operational guidelines for the Strategic Priority "Piloting an Operational Approach for Adaptation" (SPA). The projects includes:

* (i) activities within natural resources management content that generate global environmental benefits.
* (ii) adaptation measure that provide other major development benefits. The health component protects the global commons by addressing the increase in exposure to tropical vector diseases associated with a warming climate, and therefore mitigates the social and economic consequences of climate change.