The Asia Pacific region is one of the most climate change vulnerable regions in the world due to its relatively high proportion of population depending on climate related sectors, dense population living in climate change vulnerable geographical locations, and poor development of risk governance systems. The national communications submitted to the UNFCCC showed gaps in the capacity, including research, in effectively coping with climate change impacts. The need for enhanced adaptation research and policymaking capacity in developing Asia was recognised in a series of stakeholder consultations conducted by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and the work carried out at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), and Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment (IMHEM).IGES consultations concluded that practical demonstrations on promising mainstreaming options, capacity strengthening and streamlining financial mechanisms are crucial to make further progress. Furthermore, many policymakers called for identifying metrics or indicators to monitor the effectiveness of adaptation actions. Mainstreaming adaptation concerns in sectoral policymaking is relatively new and research on adaptation metrics is almost non-existent. Hence, the current project has theoretical and practical significance and is well positioned to feed into the 5th Assessment Report of IPCC and national policy processes.Analysis of policies in select countries revealed that important decisions in the agriculture and water sectors are often implemented without consideration of projected impacts of climate change. One of the most important barriers identified was the limited capacity of researchers in the region to provide adaptation policy-relevant information. For example, research on indicators for monitoring the effectiveness of adaptation options at different spatial scales is completely lacking. Networking and communication among researchers and policymakers focusing on adaptation is also extremely limited. The proposed activity addresses these barriers and enhances capacity to bridge gaps in adaptation research, policy and implementation.Aims and Objectives
The project aims to strengthen research capacity on mainstreaming climate change adaptation concerns into agricultural and water policies and create a network for adaptation policy research in Asia (ARPNAP: Adaptation Research and Policy Network for Asia and the Pacific).The objectives of the project are
- to assess technical, institutional and regulatory barriers to integrate climate change adaptation concerns at both policy and operational levels and propose countermeasures,
- to develop metrics for monitoring the progress in mainstreaming adaptation in sectoral policies and operations,
- to identify characteristics of selected policies that will enhance adaptive capacity, and examine how such policies can adapt to a range of conditions,
- to create ARPNAP network linking adaptation research and policy makers in Asia, and
- to disseminate project findings to a wider audience and enhance knowledge of adaptation in Asia through research-policy dialogues and project publications.
Partners
- Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI) /Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention, Research Institute (SEADPRI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Kaula Lumpur, Malaysia Contact: Prof. Dr. Joy Jacqueline Pereira, joy[at]ukm.my; Dr Tan Ching Tiong, tctiong[at]gmail.com
- Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Hayama, Japan Contact: Dr. S.V.R.K Prabhakar, prabhakar[at]iges.or.jp; Dr. Takuro Kobashi, kobashi[at]iges.or.jp
- M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai, India Contact: Dr. A. A. Nambi, anambi[at]mssrf.res.in
- Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment (IMHEM), Vietnam Contact: Dr. Nguyen Van Thang, nvthang[at]vkttv.edu.vn
