Advancing South-South cooperation on resilience between Asia and Africa

19 October 2018, Manila, Philippines: In the margins of the Asia Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum 2018 (APAN Forum), as part of APAN Climate Week, more than 30 governmental experts from Asia and Africa met to exchange experiences on national adaptation planning.

The Asia and Africa regions are both heavily affected by the negative impacts of climate change and face many similar challenges in building resilience.

Policymakers in both continents must prioritise adaptation actions in the context of their national adaptation planning. The joint UNDP-UN Environment National Adaptation Plan Global Support Programme (NAP-GSP), funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) is providing opportunities to gain hands-on experience with key tools and methods for appraisal and prioritization through regional trainings.

Delegates focused in on the application of technical tools and methods to assess climate change vulnerabilities, and appraise and prioritise climate change adaptation options. They addressed how to mobilize finance for adaptation, engage stakeholders and address gender considerations, while strengthening South-South information exchange and collaboration on national adaptation planning.

Prioritising climate change options means making tough and strategic decisions about where to invest limited financial resources and which sector to focus on to maximize the impact of adaptation action. If done correctly, appraisal of adaptation options can lead to greater economic growth and better livelihoods for all.

“Climate action and socioeconomic progress are mutually supportive. We are a long way from living up to the pledge and provide 100 billion dollars annually in climate finance. Countries need to optimize domestic resources for both public and private finance, and develop viable prioritized action plans” said Mr. Titon Mitra, UNDP country director for the Philippines

This NAP-GSP training was facilitated by UN Environment. The sessions were delivered by NAP-GSP experts from partners and other organisations, including UN Environment, UNDP, GIZ, IIED, US Environmental Protection and the Climate Policy Initiative. Uganda and Thailand shared their experiences with sectoral adaptation planning and use of appraisal and prioritization tools.