Author Archives: juanhoffmaister

Agriculture and Climate: Harvesting the synergies

The Annual General Assembly of the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development is currently gathering in Rome where they will discuss the Comprehensive Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). While not a programme intended for adaptation to climate change, the linkages of adaptation to climate with the four pillars of the Programme and make an important place [...]

The Adaptation Fund- Because other financial arrangements are possible!

A very interesting article by Jan Cedergren of Sweden, current chair of that Adaptation Fund Board, highlighting the uniqueness of the Adaptation Fund.
The Adaptation Fund – where is it heading?

The Adaptation Fund (AF) was established under the Kyoto Protocol of the UNFCCC and launched at COP-7 in Marrakech, in 2001. The aim was to finance [...]

Second reading on adaptation widens divides

The second reading on adaptation began with an introduction to the introduction by the Chair, Mr. Michael Zammit of Malta, of his document reflecting comments provided by Parties on the negotiation text during the first reading on adaptation. A second forty-one pages long document was included presenting the textual submissions made by Parties in preparation [...]

Developing countries request focus on concrete actions for action on adaptation in first reading of LCA negotiation text

Some notes from Bonn.
The AWG-LCA completed the first reading of the adaptation chapter of the negotiation text between Wednesday June 3 and Thursday 4, 2009. The chair, Mr. Michael Zammit of Malta, requested Parties to use the first reading to seek clarification, set markets and placeholders, and identify gaps.
The Negotiation Text chapter on adaptation is [...]

Discussions on Adaptation to begin in the Road to Copenhagen

The UNFCCC has begun the reading of the negotiation text in Bonn, Germany. I will be providing some views on the discussion here shortly. Governments have begun to provide their general comments.  For now, a great source of updates on the negotiations can be found here.

Getting ISDR out of the darkness

A press release on the Reuters caught my attention a few days ago. The World Bank, the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed an agreement to cooperate on reducing the risk of disasters in the region. In view of the lack of political will to fund disaster risk reduction, pooling [...]

A rights-based approach to food

A note from the Commission on Sustaianble Development from the UN in New York. Discussion on land, drought, and agriculture have brought the right to food to the spotlight. Below a statement from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter.More analysis to come…

GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS, VOLATILE FOOD
PRICES, MAKE AGRICULTURAL [...]

New Report dooms South East Asia

The Asian Development Bank has published a new study warning of the vulnerability of southeast Asia to climate, concluding that Vietnam is the most vulnerable country in the region. The report titled “The Economics of Climate Change in Southeast Asia: A Regional Review” concludes that regional economies are to contract by as much as 6.7 [...]

Youth provide first contribution to Adaptation Fund

This story brings different feelings: a sense of hope in knowing that people of the world are willing to cooperate and help each other, and a sense of profound sadness in realizing that young people have more holistic morals and sense of responsibility than any of the leaders of industrialized countries negotiating in the UNFCCC.
Crossposted [...]

Developing Countries Propose Financing Framework For Adaptation

An updated from UNFCCC meetings in  Bonn, also published by the Third World Network
The contact group on adaptation, under the Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) focused on matching adaptation support with finance and technology, as well as capacity building at its meeting on the 3 April.  The meeting was chaired by Thomas [...]