ALM UNDP

Summary:

To address the impacts of climate change on coastal ecosystems and communities by implementing a set of urgent measures that will strengthen the capacity to predict future changes, while helping local populations to adapt through the adoption of soft measures for more sustainable production methods, particularly in the areas of water management, agriculture, fisheries and tourism. An ecosystems management approach will be applied as the framework for addressing the root causes of vulnerability.

As defined in the revised PIF document of 8 July 2008, this proposed project seeks to implement Djibouti’s first priority identified through its National Adaptation programme of Action (NAPA) which has identified the objective of reducing the vulnerability to climate change and variability of Khor Angar and Atar-Damerjog. This is a priority as the communities located there are amongst the poorest and most marginalized and, at the same time, live in areas where ecosystems are the most deteriorated and thus vulnerability is high. Further, observed changes in climate variability have made it increasingly difficult for people to sustain their livelihoods. Djibouti’s location as an arid coastal state makes it highly vulnerable to climate disasters. The majority of Djiboutian population is found near the coast, and is particularly at risk from sea level rise and flash floods (as seen in 1927, 1989, 1994, and lately in 2004). The vast majority of Djibouti’s rural population is highly vulnerable to climatic uncertainty, as they live in deserts or marginal infertile areas, often with highly erodible soils and limited water supply. Because Djibouti does not have permanent surface water bodies, it relies primarily on groundwater and on the seasonal flow of wadis. As found in Djibouti’s Impacts and Vulnerability Study, climate models at the horizon 2050 show that impacts on Djibouti’s coasts, where most of its population is concentrated, are already significant, and will continue to increase with projected changes in climate. An integrated framework for coastal planning is therefore necessary. Such an integrated framework should include all aspects of coastal development, from maintaining ecosystem services to implementing sustainable economic policies and urban planning.