TECHNOLOGY TO UNDERSTAND

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TECHNOLOGY TO UNDERSTAND AND MANAGE CLIMATE
RISKS Richard J.T. Klein1,2 1. Potsdam
Institute for Climate Impact Research, Germany 2.
Stockholm Environment InstituteOxford,
UK UNFCCC Seminar on the Development and
Transfer ofEnvironmentally Sound Technologies
for Adaptation to Climate Change Tobago, 1416
June 2005
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• OUTLINE
• Purpose, status and outline of the background
  paper
• Adaptation to climate change concepts and
  definitions
• The process of adapting to climate change a
  framework for analysis and policymaking
• Implications for technology development and
  transfer
• Key messages and policy implications

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• TERMS OF REFERENCE
• To provide participants in the seminar with an
  overview of concepts, challenges, experiences and
  lessons learnt in developing, transferring and
  applying environmentally sound technologies for
  adaptation.
• The background paper should build on the previous
  papers and reports prepared by the secretariat
  that are relevant to adaptation, as well as on
  the EGTT scoping paper.
• The background paper could be used to form the
  basis for preparing the technical paper requested
  by SBSTA-21, to be considered by SBSTA-24.

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• CURRENT STATUS
• Contractor Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact
  Research, together with Stockholm Environment
  InstituteBoston and Bangladesh Centre for
  Advanced Studies.
• Contract provisionally awarded on 27 April 2005,
  signed on2 June 2005.
• First draft distributed for comments on 31 May
  2005, comments received on 6 June 2005.
• Second draft distributed on 10 June 2005.
• Based on comments and discussion at this Seminar,
  a final version will be prepared and made
  available by late July 2005.

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• OUTLINE OF THE BACKGROUND PAPER (1)
• Introduction
• Context and Scope of this Paper
• Relevant UNFCCC Articles, Decisions and
  Definitions
• Background
• Adaptation to Climate Change
• Types of Adaptation
• The Process of Adapting to Climate Change
• Technologies for Adaptation to Climate Change
• The Role of Technology in Adaptation
• Information Development and Awareness Raising
• Planning and Design
• Implementation
• Monitoring and Evaluation

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• OUTLINE OF THE BACKGROUND PAPER (2)
• Technology Development and Transfer
• Frameworks for Facilitating Transfer of
  Adaptation Technologies
• Dimensions of Technology Transfer for Adaptation
• Integrating Technology Transfer for Adaptation
  and Development
• Conclusions and Workshop Discussion Points
• References
• Annex 1 Technology Transfer Decisions of the
  UNFCCC

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• ADAPTATION
• Adjustment in natural or human systems in
  response to actual or expected climatic stimuli
  or their effects, which moderates harm or
  exploits beneficial opportunities. Various types
  of adaptation can be distinguished, including
  anticipatory and reactive adaptation, private and
  public adaptation, and autonomous and planned
  adaptation (IPCC TAR, 2001).

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• FORMS OF ADAPTATION
• Increasing robustness of infrastructural designs
  and long-term investments.
• Increasing flexibility of vulnerable managed
  systems.
• Enhancing adaptability of vulnerable natural
  systems.
• Reversing trends that increase vulnerability
  (maladaptation).
• Improving societal awareness and preparedness.

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• WHY IS ADAPTATION IMPORTANT NOW?
• Climate change cannot be totally avoided.
• Anticipatory adaptation is more effective and
  less costly than last-minute, emergency
  adaptation or retrofitting.
• Climate change may be more rapid and pronounced
  than currently suggested. Surprises are possible.
• Immediate benefits can be gained from better
  adaptation to climate variability and extreme
  events, as well as by removing maladaptive
  policies and practices.

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THE PROCESS OF ADAPTATION
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• TECHNOLOGY
• A piece of equipment, technique, practical
  knowledge or skills for performing a particular
  activity (IPCC SRTT, 2000).
• ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND TECHNOLOGIES
• Technologies which protect the environment, are
  less polluting, use all resources in a more
  sustainable manner, recycle more of their wastes
  and products, and handle residual wastes in a
  more acceptable manner than the technologies for
  which they were substitutes and are compatible
  with nationally determined socio-economic,
  cultural and environmental priorities. The term
  includes hard and soft technologies (IPCC SRTT,
  2000).

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• TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION
• Implicit in much of the discussions and
  negotiations to date is the assumption that there
  are no constraints on implementing the adaptation
  options identified and analysed.
• The extent to which institutions and mechanisms
  are in place and technologies, human and other
  resources are available to collect information,
  raise awareness, plan and prepare for adaptation
  options and implement them successfully is an
  important factor determining vulnerability to
  climate change.

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• ADAPTIVE CAPACITY
• The ability of a system to adjust to climate
  change (including climate variability and
  extremes), to moderate potential damages, to take
  advantage of opportunities or to cope with the
  consequences (IPCC TAR, 2001).
• Factors that determine adaptive capacity of human
  systems include economic wealth, technology and
  infrastructure, information, knowledge and
  skills, institutions, equity and social capital.

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• TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION
• Technologies to implement adaptation.
• Technologies to enhance adaptive capacity.

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• TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPLEMENT ADAPTATION
• Hard and soft.
• Simple and complex.
• Traditional and modern.
• Inexpensive and unaffordable.
• Locally available and requiring technology
  transfer.

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LANDSLIDES IN TOBAGO
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• CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
• Weather-related hazards are part of natural
  climate variability. This climate variability
  will be affected by climate change, leading to
  increased hazard potential.
• For sectors and communities exposed to
  weather-related hazards, adaptation measures will
  not vary with the cause of the hazard.
• Many technologies exist to address
  weather-related hazards, but not everybody has
  access to these technologies (adaptive capacity).
• Much can be learnt from the vast experience on
  natural hazard management and natural disaster
  reduction, including on the role of technologies
  and technology development and transfer.

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• NEW CHALLENGES DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
• Not all impacts of climate change will be related
  to climate variability. Changing trends and
  irreversible processes present new challenges to
  communities and sectors.
• For these impacts, it is generally less clear
  whether suitable technologies for adaptation
  exist. Here climate change presents a new
  challenge, which requires further analysis to
  identify technology needs.
• A good starting point is to focus on enhancing
  adaptive capacity.

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• TECHNOLOGIES TO ENHANCE ADAPTIVE CAPACITY
• Hard and soft.
• Simple and complex.
• Traditional and modern.
• Inexpensive and unaffordable.
• Locally available and requiring technology
  transfer.

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• EXAMPLES
• Information development and awareness raising
  climate models and impact simulation models
  early-warning systems monitoring systems.
• Planning and design decision-analytical tools
  geographical information systems process models
  public participation methods.
• Monitoring and evaluation indicator-based
  monitoring and evaluation scheme.
• Cross-cutting synergies with other agreements
  and conventions, institutional development,
  mainstreaming

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• KEY MESSAGES
• Technologies for adaptation comprise hard and
  soft technologies to implement adaptation and
  technologies to enhance adaptive capacity.
• Many potentially very effective technologies for
  adaptation to climate change are simple,
  inexpensive and locally available.
• The process of adaptation involves action by a
  range of stakeholders operating from local to
  global scales. Technology application and
  transfer is relevant on each scale.
• Technology can be very important in reducing
  vulnerability to climate change, but it can also
  introduce new risks. Moreover, technology alone
  is not a panacea its effectiveness depends on
  the economic, institutional, legal and
  socio-cultural contexts.

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• POLICY IMPLICATIONS
• The distinction between hard and soft
  technologies for adaptation requires better
  definition so as to identify their respective
  relevance to the UNFCCC and the five-year
  programme of work.
• The impractability and undesirability of
  distinguishing between climate variability and
  climate change poses a challenge to international
  funding for adaptation.
• It is unclear whether a sectoral approach to the
  discussion of technologies for adaptation is the
  most appropriate one. A matrix-approach, whereby
  the cells of the matrix are defined by the types
  of hazard and the scales on which adaptation
  actions are taken, may be more promising.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!