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A substantial ramping up of climate adaptation funding and
planning, especially for nature-based solutions (NBS), is needed to
slow climate change as costs rise, according to the UN
Environmental Programme (UNEP), particularly as adaptation's impact
declines compared with mitigation the warmer the globe becomes.
The
UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2020, the multilateral agency's
fifth such report, found that while planning by countries has
advanced, gaps remain in the financing for developing countries and
bringing adaptation projects to the stage where they offer "real
protection" against climate impacts such as droughts, floods, and
rising sea levels.
UNEP defines climate adaptation as "the process of adjustment to
actual or expected climate and its effects. In human systems,
adaptation seeks to moderate or avoid harm or exploit beneficial
opportunities. In some natural systems, human intervention may
facilitate adjustment to expected climate and its effects."
But as climate change accelerates "adaptation costs are
increasing at a higher rate than adaptation-oriented financial
flows. This suggests that the adaptation finance gap seems to be
widening, despite the increasing levels of funding to support
adaptation planning and implementation," it said.
Annual adaptation costs in developing countries are estimated at
US$70 billion. This figure is expected to reach $140-$300 billion
in 2030 and $280-$500 billion in 2050, it said.
The UNEP provides funding for such projects, but the private
sector needs to be encouraged to ramp up its efforts, Patrick
Verkooijen, Global Centre on Adaptation CEO, said during a briefing
coinciding with the report's launch.
One example of UNEP support saw the Gambian government develop a
project to combat the increasing risk of forest fires. The project
involved restoring degraded forests and farmland, establishing
ecologically sustainable businesses to stimulate investments in
environmental services, and integrating adaptation measures into
sectoral policies that encourage/support the maintenance of healthy
ecosystems that enhance resilience to climate impacts.
Companies are increasingly including NBS into their planning
including French energy companies Total and EDF, whom are members
of the act4nature
coalition.
NBS such as watershed restoration, agroforestry, rehabilitation
of rangelands and coastal marsh management need to play a stronger
role in planning, especially in nationally determined contributions
(NDCs) and national adaptation plans (NAPs), UNEP said, adding that
the NBS finance base needs to be amplified, strengthened, and
diversified by deploying innovative mechanisms that combine
different funding sources. Successful implementation of NBS
requires effective governance and institutions to manage public
goods, frequently related to secure land tenure and access rights,
it said.
Impact of the pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has diverted government and agency
attention away from climate change in the past 12 months, but
stimulus packages offer an opportunity to regain momentum,
according to officials.
There is no vaccine for climate change, said Inger Andersen,
UNEP executive director, but "nations must prioritize a green
post-pandemic recovery."
"Let's be sure we put the [stimulus] money to work in climate
adaptation areas … [we're] seeing it in places, but not enough …
let's not miss this opportunity," she added during the 14 January
briefing.
However, so far, "dirty initiatives" have outnumbered green
initiatives by a factor of four to one in post-pandemic responses,
said Verkooijen, and all interested parties "need to make up for
lost ground" caused by the pandemic. The trillions of dollars set
to be spent on recovery are a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to
use climate adaptation measures, he said.
NDCs may no longer be viable due to the impact of the
coronavirus pandemic, Henry Neufeldt, head of impact assessment and
adaptation, UNEP DTU Partnership, said during the briefing.
Adaptation has fallen down the political agenda due to the
pandemic, he said. The pandemic will affect adaptation planning,
finance and implementation, he added. The UNEP DTU Partnership
provides advisory services to developing countries seeking to
deliver on the Paris Climate Agreement. It is located at the
Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
NBS for adaptation can cost less than hard engineered
approaches- such as coal-fired power plant closures or carbon
capture and sequestration projects-for addressing climate hazards
and generate substantial economic benefits, according to the UN
agency. When well-designed and implemented, they have the potential
to generate larger returns in a broad economic sense because of the
multiple societal benefits they deliver in addition to reducing
climate risk, it said.
NBS play a vital role in creating multiple co-benefits for
disaster risk reduction, gender equality and sustainable
livelihoods, as well as for building climate resilience, according
to the report, adding that NBS support ecosystem services and
complement decarbonization.