Funding Adaptation: Challenges and Funding Adaptation: Challenges and OpportunitiesOpportunities

Orestes AnastasiaOrestes AnastasiaUSAID Regional Development Mission for Asia USAID Regional Development Mission for Asia

Cities at Risk: Building Adaptive Capacity of Managing Climate Cities at Risk: Building Adaptive Capacity of Managing Climate Change in Asia’s Coastal Megacities – Bangkok, Feb. 28, 2009Change in Asia’s Coastal Megacities – Bangkok, Feb. 28, 2009

Existing Policy Context

• US firmly committed to UNFCCC• Byrd-Hagel: any treaty cannot damage the US economy;

must include all major emitters • GCC linked to energy security, economic growth, poverty

reduction, and pollution reduction

New Policy Developments – Obama Administration

• Strong commitment to addressing energy and climate change challenges

• New level of international engagement• Review of US-led Initiatives under way

Major Economies Process Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate

(APP)

We will need to engage in vigorous, creative diplomacy to dramatically reduce emissions. And we will need to work with vulnerable regions and countries to help them adapt to the climate change that is already locked into the system. In the years ahead, every large emitter will have to make major changes in the way that they use energy and manage their forests and lands. There is simply no other way to preserve a safe and livable world for our children.

Todd Stern, Special Envoy for Climate Change, January 2009

Climate Change and USAID

• Climate change has implications for all areas of Foreign Assistance Framework Democracy & Governance, Peace and Security, Investing in

People, Economic Growth, Humanitarian Assistance

• USAID currently spending ~$185m per year in forestry, energy, and other GCC activities Budget increases are being considered, starting in 2010

• Emphasis on partnerships with the private sector• Adaptation: To date, emphasis on integration of

adaptation objectives into existing programs

RDMA GCC Road Map

• Vision: To establish a planning framework for RDMA to provide technical and strategic leadership in addressing climate change and development in Asia

• Objective: During the period 2008 to 2012, RDMA will implement a targeted and expanded program of work to lead and support USAID actions to address climate change in Asia’s economic development, in cooperation with current and new partners

RDMA Objectives for Climate Change and Development

• GHG emissions reduced or sequestered as a result of USG assistance

• Increased adaptive capacity to cope with impacts of climate variability and change as a result of USG assistance

• Increased economic welfare, especially in poor populations

RDMA Priority Focus Areas

• Clean and Sustainable Energy• Forests and Land Use Change• Coastal Resilience and Coral Reefs• Regional Cross-Cutting Technical Assistance

Climate Vulnerability - Coastal Areas

Relative vulnerability of coastal deltas as shown by the indicative population potentially displaced by current sea-level trends to 2050 (Source: IPCC 2007)

Climate Vulnerability - Susceptibility to Sea-Level Rise

Climate Vulnerability - Susceptibility to Sea-Level Rise

Coastal Resilience and Coral Reefs

Assessment• Climate change impacts are compounding human-induced damage to

coral reefs in Asia-Pacific• Mega-deltas are highly vulnerable to increased frequency and level of

inundation due to sea level rise, storm surges, and floods from river drainage

• New Coastal Community Resilience tools (US IOTWS Program)

Priority Activities• Coral Triangle Initiative – coastal adaptation/resilience component• Mekong Climate Initiative – possible future focus

Regional Cross-Cutting Technical Assistance

Assessment• Lack of readily usable environmental information and forest data• Lack of economic data and quality GHG inventories• Lack of capacity to apply earth observations to development• Expanding GCC programming in region

Proposed Activities• Regional information sharing: Asia Regional Visualization and

Monitoring System (ARVMS)

Water Resource Vulnerability – Melting Glaciers

Cumulative total mass balances of glaciers and ice caps, reflecting rapid retreat of Himalayan glaciers (Source: IPCC 2008)

Water Resource Vulnerability – River Basins

Environmental Water Scarcity Index by Basin (Source: WRI, 2003)

Water Resources and Services

Assessment• Expansion of severe water stress will be one of the most pressing

environmental problems in South and South-East Asia• Glaciers in the Himalaya are receding faster than in anywhere else

and the likelihood of them disappearing by the year 2035 is very high (>90%)

• Promoting Sustainable Water Services in Asia

Priority Activities• Promoting Sustainable Water Services in Asia • Water Utility Risk Assessment and Planning