Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action: Middle Africa , Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, , Gabon and São Tomé e Principe

November 2011

About the Adaptation Partnership The Adaptation Partnership was formed in May 2010 Review of Current in response to a recognized need for development practitioners to share information and lessons on and Planned adaptation efforts. Chaired by Costa Rica, Spain and the United States, the goal of the partnership is to encourage effective adaptation by serving as an Adaptation Action: interim platform to catalyze action and foster

communication among the various institutions and Middle Africa actors engaged in the effort to scale up adaptation and resilience around the world, particularly in the context of fast start finance. The Partnership is synthesizes lessons learned and good practices, highlighting needs and priorities, and identifying opportunities for cooperation and alignment of support to build resilience to the adverse effects of Contributing Authors: climate change. It is also enhancing communities of practice engaged in the adaptation effort. Alec Crawford, Hilary Hove, Jo-Ellen Parry Adaptation Partnership International Institute for Website: http://www.adaptationpartnership.org/ Sustainable Development

Foreword

In response to a growing awareness of the potential adverse effects of climate change and the particular vulnerability of developing countries to this process, a significant increase in adaptation action has been witnessed in recent years in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. These actions are providing opportunities to: increase understanding of the implications of climate change for the achievement of development objectives in the near and long terms; identify strategies and measures that can be taken to reduce climate vulnerability; communicate and build awareness of climate risks, opportunities and potential solutions; and begin implementing actions on the ground that build capacity to adapt to a changing climate.

Although the recent global upsurge in adaptation action is a welcome development, the emergence of a diverse array of efforts initiated by multiple actors within numerous jurisdictions has the potential to create confusion, lead to duplication of effort and limit the potential for sharing good practice guidance based on past efforts. Enhanced coordination among expanding networks of adaptation actors is needed to ensure resources are deployed quickly and effectively. To this end, the Adaptation Partnership was formed in 2010. Chaired by Costa Rica, Spain and the United States, the goal of the Adaptation Partnership is to encourage effective adaptation by serving as an interim platform to catalyze action and foster communication among the various institutions and actors engaged in the effort to scale up adaptation and resilience around the world.

Toward this goal, the Adaptation Partnership initiated a Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in the fall of 2010. Its purpose is to provide a baseline understanding of who is doing what on adaptation in three developing regions—Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean—and in priority adaptation sectors. Based on available resources, it seeks to provide a rapid assessment of: priority interests and adaptation needs; efforts by governments to support adaptation though policy and planning; the scope of international support for adaptation efforts in different countries and sectors; and potential gaps in adaptation efforts at the country and regional levels.

This document is one of 12 regional profiles completed as a contribution to the Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. It presents a review of current and planned adaptation action in Middle Africa. For the purpose of this review, Middle Africa is defined as including Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and São Tomé e Principe. The review first provides an overview of adaptation action at a regional level, highlighting commonalities and differences among the countries of Middle Africa. The appendices that follow discuss adaptation action taking place in each of the nine countries in the region.

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Table of Contents

Foreword ...... ii

Abbreviations and Acronyms ...... iv

Executive Summary ...... v

1.0 Introduction ...... 1

2.0 Methodology ...... 2

3.0 Climate Projections ...... 8

4.0 Needs and Priorities within Middle Africa ...... 10

5.0 Assessment of Adaptation Action within Middle Africa ...... 13

5.1 Regional Level Action...... 14 5.2 National Level Action ...... 20 5.3 Action by Communities of Practice ...... 22 6.0 Conclusions ...... 23

References ...... 25

Appendices: Country Profiles ...... 29

1.0 Angola ...... 36

2.0 Cameroon ...... 42

3.0 Central African Republic ...... 55

4.0 Chad ...... 66

5.0 Republic of the Congo...... 79

6.0 Democratic Republic of the Congo ...... 87

7.0 Equatorial Guinea ...... 100

8.0 Gabon ...... 104

9.0 São Tomé e Principe ...... 113

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Abbreviations and Acronyms

AAP Africa Adaptation Programme BMU Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit (Germany) CAR Central African Republic CARPE Central African Regional Program for the Environment CCAA Climate Change Adaptation in Africa CEN-SAD Community of Sahel-Saharan States CMEF Cameroon Ministry of Environment and Forests CMEFCPE Central African Republic Ministere des Eaux, Forets, Chasse and Peche et de l’Environnement CMEWF Chad Ministry of the Environment, Water and Fisheries COMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa COMIFAC Central African Forests Commission DFID Department for International Development (UK) DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo DRCMENCT Democratic Republic of the Congo Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism ECCAS Economic Community of Central African States GEF Global Environment Facility GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (Germany) GMFWFEPN Gabon Ministry of Forests, Water, Fisheries, the Environment and the Protection of Nature IDRC International Development Research Centre IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature LDCF Least Developed Countries Fund NAPA National Adaptation Programme of Action NBI Nile Basin Initiative RCMSDFE Republic of the Congo Ministry of Sustainable Development, Forestry and the Environment REDD Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation SADC Southern Africa Development Community STP São Tomé e Principe STPMNRE São Tomé e Principe Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

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Executive Summary

Growing understanding of the need to adapt to the impacts of climate change has led to a significant rise in ongoing and planned adaptation action in the developing regions of the world, including Middle Africa. This upsurge in climate change adaptation action is a welcome occurrence, but enhanced coordination among expanding networks of adaptation actors is needed to ensure resources are deployed quickly and effectively. Responding to this concern, a review of current and planned adaptation action in Middle Africa was undertaken by the Adaptation Partnership1 between October 2010 and April 2011. Covering the countries of Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and São Tomé e Principe (STP), the rapid review examined: priority adaptation needs; efforts by governments to support adaptation though policy and planning; the scope of international support for adaptation efforts in different countries and sectors; and potential gaps in adaptation efforts at the country and regional levels. This review of adaptation action in Middle Africa is one of 12 profiles covering regions in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean completed by the Adaptation Partnership.

Middle Africa’s population currently stands at 128.9 million and is expected to reach 273 million by 2050, growing faster than any other region in Africa (UNFPA, 2010). It contains two of the largest countries in Africa (DRC and Chad) and two of the smallest (Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé e Principe). It is also home to countries with among the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in sub-Saharan Africa (Equatorial Guinea and Gabon) and three of the countries ranked lowest in the world in terms of human development (DRC, Chad and CAR). The low level of human development in these countries, as well as in Angola, is related in part to having recently experienced civil conflicts (UNDP, 2010a). Economies in the region are heavily dependent on natural resources (including oil and gas, minerals, and timber) and agriculture. The majority of the population, 57 per cent, lives in rural areas.

To assess the level of adaptation action in Middle Africa, a desk-based review of Internet sources and relevant documentation was undertaken. The content of these sources was assessed in relation to a set of parameters established to focus the review’s scope and ensure consistency across regions. Notably, it examines discrete adaptation actions, or “policies, programs and projects designed and implemented specifically to address the current and projected impacts of climate change.” The review therefore presents only a portion of the breadth of efforts underway to reduce the vulnerability of developing countries to the impacts of a changing climate. In particular, it does not capture the broad array of development activities that are increasing the adaptive capacity of communities and countries. As well, within the review, adaptation actions have been deemed to be “current” if they were ongoing or completed in 2009 or later. As such, the review does not include

1 Formed in 2010, the Adaptation Partnership is chaired by Costa Rica, Spain and the United States. Its goal is to encourage effective adaptation by serving as an interim platform to catalyze action and foster communication among the various institutions and actors engaged in the effort to scale up adaptation and resilience around the world.

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projects completed prior to 2009 that may have contributed to building local and national capacity to adapt. The review also does not offer judgment of the effectiveness of actions taking place, only which actions are underway. In addition, reflecting the desk-based nature of the review, it is acknowledged that the content is biased toward identification of large-scale projects funded by international development assistance organizations and those projects about which information is available online. As such, small-scale projects that meet the review’s definition of adaptation action, particularly those occurring at the community level, are not fully represented within the review.

Climate Vulnerability Climate data for Middle Africa are neither strong nor widespread, and climate models for the region are not as robust as they are for other parts of the continent (particularly northern, southern and eastern Africa).2 Existing assessments project, however, that equatorial and coastal Africa (i.e., most of Middle Africa) could warm by approximately 3oC this century, at a slightly slower rate than the continental average, according to General Circulation Models (Christensen et al., 2007).3 The impact of this temperature increase on regional rainfall is uncertain, although most climate models expect a slight increase in precipitation across Middle Africa (see Figure 11.2 in Christensen et al., 2007). According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a slight increase in precipitation in the tropical region of Africa would be a plausible hydrological response to a warmer climate in this part of the continent, as higher temperatures lead to an increase in atmospheric water vapor and the region increasingly becomes an area of moisture convergence. A general increase in the intensity of high-rainfall events is also expected for the continent, which will influence flooding, drought and erosion trends (Christensen et al., 2007).

The impacts of climate change are expected to be less extreme in Middle Africa than in other parts of the continent and the region is generally seen as being of (relatively) lower climate risk (Boko et al., 2007). Abundant water resources, rich agricultural lands and low (current) population densities in most of the region mean that immediate adaptation demands are not as pronounced as they may be in the rest of Africa. Nevertheless, Middle Africa will experience a number of different impacts from climate change due to the region’s considerable size and the variety of ecosystems, topographies and climates that lie between Angola in the south and Chad in the north. These projected impacts include (Boko et al., 2007; CMEF, 2005; CMEFCPE, 2008; CMEWF, 2010; DRCMENCT, 2009; MFWFEPN, 2004; RCMSDFE, 2009; STPMNRE, 2004; STPMNRE, 2006):  Agriculture: Agricultural losses of 2 to 4 per cent by the end of the century; increases in precipitation leading to a gradual shift from grasslands to forests, reducing available pasture; increased rates of evapotranspiration; changes in the length, timing and predictability of

2 For example, climate models to date have been unable to forecast with a strong consensus future rainfall along either the coast of the Gulf of Guinea or the Sahel; outliers indicating drying and moistening trends have been generated by different climate models for these parts of Middle Africa. Climate models for the region do not take into account vegetation feedback, dust aerosol feedbacks or land surface modifications, and in general could be strengthened considerably (Christensen et al., 2007). 3 Median temperatures in Africa are expected to increase between 3oC and 4oC over the course of the century, approximately 1.5 times the global average for warming (as land heats faster than water). Temperature and precipitation projections are based on the A1B emissions scenario of the IPCC’s Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (2001).

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planting seasons; increases in heavy rainfall events; increased risks of drought and flooding; and a potential increase in the distribution of harmful livestock disease vectors.  Coastal areas: Coastal flooding from sea-level rise; intrusion of saltwater into lagoons, coastal lakes and coastal aquifers; threatened coastal infrastructure and industry; and short-term migration from coastal settlements.  Human health: Increase in water- and vector-borne diseases (such as cholera); and increases in the incidence of meningitis.

Identified Adaptation Needs and Priorities Despite a low climate risk relative to the rest of the continent, vulnerabilities to climate change do exist in Middle Africa, and without adaptation action they will likely increase. As a result of the vulnerability assessments conducted in National Communications to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and National Adaptation Programmes for Action (NAPAs), the countries of Middle Africa have identified a number of key sectors to be prioritized for adaptation action: agriculture, human health, freshwater resources, coastal zone management, forestry, and fisheries (CMEF, 2005; CMEFCPE, 2008; CMEWF, 2010; DRCMENCT, 2009; MFWFEPN, 2004; RCMSDFE, 2009; STPMNRE, 2004; STPMNRE, 2006). Adaptation needs and priorities include:  Agriculture: Awareness raising on sustainable natural resource management among pastoral communities; research into drought-resistant seed varieties; strengthening the productive capacity of the agricultural sector; and strengthening the adaptive capacity and resilience of the livestock sector.  Human health: Undertaking preventive initiatives (including education programs, improved water systems, early warning systems for natural disasters, improved access to health services); improving basic sanitation infrastructure; launching anti-malaria campaigns; and enhancing measures in place to reduce vector-borne diseases.  Freshwater resources: Increasing access to safe drinking water; developing a plan for the use of water resources; building capacity for national integrated water resource management; improving the use of surface water resources to reduce climate vulnerabilities and improve food security; and developing irrigation infrastructure.  Coastal zone management: Improving zoning requirements in the coastal zones and resettlement programs; improving the strength and resilience of coastal housing; improving protection through the construction of dikes; and improving coastal zone observation, information- sharing and climate risk management  Forestry: Capacity building among communities for forest management; promoting urban and peri-urban forestry; expanding community participation in reforestation projects; and expanding reforestation, conservation and sustainable forestry management projects for REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) benefits.  Fisheries: Building shelters and mooring stations for fishing boats; developing early storm warning systems; and increasing the productivity and safety of local fisheries.

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Policy Level Actions Policy responses to meet these adaptation needs have been initiated throughout the region, primarily at the national level. Seven of the nine countries in Middle Africa have submitted National Communications to the UNFCCC.4 Four of the six countries in the region classified as “least developed”—CAR, Chad, DRC and STP—have prepared NAPAs; a fifth country, Angola, is currently preparing its report (GEF, 2011). Only a few countries to date have gone beyond these initial policy documents: Cameroon has integrated climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies into its National Plan for Environmental Management, while the government of Gabon has established a national Climate Council to develop national climate change policies and prepare a National Climate Plan. Intra-regional climate change action at the policy level, such as through the Economic Community of Central African States and the Central African Forests Commission, is limited. Policy initiatives in general lag behind project and program-based initiatives.

Projects and Programs That Support Adaptation Project and program level action in support of climate change adaptation remains minimal in Middle Africa. While some large projects have been launched at the national and regional levels (for example, under the Africa Adaptation Programme, Climate Change Adaptation in Africa program, and activities funded through the Least Developed Countries Fund [LDCF]), most climate change action in Middle Africa is focused on mitigation—specifically, on forestry-based mitigation initiatives, due to much of the region being covered by the Congo Basin rainforest.

The adaptation programming that exists in Middle Africa is largely dominated by multi-country initiatives. Only three of the countries in the region (CAR, DRC and STP) have large, unaffiliated national programs and projects currently underway, all of which are supported by the LDCF. All other countries appear to be strictly home to projects that are part of larger regional, Africa-wide or global initiatives—and of these, only two truly regional adaptation programs appear to be underway in Middle Africa. These regional adaptation actions have thus far only partially addressed shared climate vulnerabilities.

Adaptation activities and funding varies across countries within the region; while eight adaptation initiatives were identified for Cameroon and the DRC, only one regional initiative appears to be underway in Equatorial Guinea. Neither funding nor the number of initiatives within a country is commensurate with need or size; DRC and STP have the same number of national projects and receive roughly the same amount of climate change adaptation funding, despite vast differences in size and population.

Adaptation funding—mainly project-based—has been obtained from a diverse set of donors, including multilateral, bilateral and non-governmental sources. Significant funders in the region include the African Development Bank, the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa program, the

4 Angola and Equatorial Guinea are signatories to the UNFCCC, but have not yet submitted National Communications.

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International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), la Francophonie and the LDCF, along with bilateral support from the governments of France, Germany and Japan.

Adaptation Communities of Practice in Middle Africa No evidence of climate change adaptation knowledge sharing through regional networks within Middle Africa was found during the research. However, Cameroon and Chad are participating in the AfricaAdapt Network.

Needs and Gaps Adaptive capacity among much of the population of Middle Africa remains low due to existing economic, political and environmental challenges—namely, rapid population growth, low levels of human development, high levels of poverty, weak governance, environmental degradation and deforestation, and recent and ongoing violent conflicts. And while climate change impacts may not be as significant in Middle Africa as they are expected to be in other parts of the continent, vulnerabilities exist and there is a need for more policy, project and program actions to support climate change adaptation.

Although six main vulnerable sectors have been identified through Middle African countries’ submitted National Communications and NAPAs—agriculture, freshwater resources, coastal zone management, human health, energy and forestry—current national and regional adaptation actions remain largely focused on only a few sectors—namely agriculture, coastal zones and forests. Strengthening institutional capacities at the government level also has received a relatively significant degree of attention and funding. Conversely, the health and energy sectors, despite being consistently identified as vulnerable across national level documentation, have received very little funding or operational support. Gender is also not a prominent focal area of ongoing climate change adaptation initiatives in the region.

The review suggests that a number of major gaps and needs remain for adaptation action in Middle Africa:  A need to expand policy-making and project activities into the health and energy sectors to address all identified climate vulnerabilities.  A stronger focus on assessing the gender implications of climate change impacts and designing gender-sensitive response measures.  More attention to adaptation activities concentrating on community-based adaptation, pilot projects and policy formation and integration.  Stronger integration of climate change considerations into national poverty reduction strategies and national development plans. In many of the countries in the region (such as CAR, DRC and Chad), this will require significant improvements in governance capacities.  Considerable scope for increased regional cooperation on climate change adaptation in Middle Africa to address shared vulnerabilities to climate change. Cooperation could range

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from ad hoc regional adaptation projects, to the drafting of a regional plan or strategy for adaptation action, to the establishment of a regional center for climate adaptation research.  Identification of opportunities where adaptation measures can be integrated into forestry- based mitigation programs and projects implemented in the region.

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Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action: Middle Africa

1.0 Introduction

Framed by the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Middle Africa—composed of Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and São Tomé e Principe (STP)—is a region of contrasts. It spans a number of different ecosystems and climates: Saharan desert in the far north, savannahs in the north and south, glaciers in the east, and the world’s second-largest Figure 1: Map of Middle Africa expanse of tropical rainforest in the Congo River Basin. It contains two of the largest countries in Africa (DRC and Chad) and two of the smallest (Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé e Principe). It is also home to countries with among the highest GDP per capita in sub-Saharan Africa (Equatorial Guinea and Gabon), and three of the countries rank lowest in the world in terms of human development (DRC, Chad and CAR). The low level of human development in these countries, as well as in Angola, is related in part to having recently Source: Modified from AfDB, undated. experienced civil conflicts (UNDP, 2010a).

Chad and CAR are landlocked; all other countries in the region have access to the Atlantic Ocean. Economies in the region are heavily dependent on natural resources (including oil and gas, minerals, and timber) and agriculture. The region’s current population stands at 128.9 million; it is expected to reach 273 million by 2050, growing faster than any other region in Africa (UNFPA, 2010). Most of the population (57 per cent) currently lives in rural areas.

Similar to other regions of Africa, the countries of Middle Africa are understood to be vulnerable to the potential impacts of climate change due to their levels of development and dependency on climate-sensitive economic activities. To better understand efforts underway in Middle Africa to prepare for and respond to these potential impacts, this report provides a rapid review of current

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and planned adaptation action within the region. Based on available resources, it examines identified priority adaptation needs, efforts by governments to support adaptation though policy and planning, the scope of international support for adaptation efforts in different countries and sectors, and potential gaps in adaptation efforts at the country and regional levels. The main body of the report provides an overview of adaptation action at the regional level, highlighting commonalities and differences between Angola, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Republic of the Congo, the DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and STP. In the appendices that follow, adaptation action taking place in each of these countries is discussed.

2.0 Methodology

A rapid review of current and planned adaptation action in Middle Africa—one that gives attention to policies, programs and projects at the national and regional levels—presents a considerable task given the breadth of actions that can and are being taken to reduce vulnerability to the short-, medium- and long-term impacts of climate change. Prior to undertaking this review, it therefore was necessary to clarify the terms that would be used within it and to establish a set of parameters to limit its scope. This section provides an understanding of the research parameters established for this rapid review and the process by which the information it contains was gathered. These guidelines are presented to help clarify what the study does and does not aim to achieve.

Definition of “Adaptation Action” Adaptation is generally defined as being an “adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.”5 Given the breadth of actions that may be taken and that are in keeping with this definition, a critical first step in initiating the rapid review was determining the definition of “adaptation action” to be used within it.

This process was influenced by the outcomes of a review of 135 “adaptation” activities undertaken by McGray, Hammill and Bradley (2007) that led to identification of three different models of adaptation activity:  Serendipitous adaptation – “activities undertaken to achieve development objectives [that] have outcomes that incidentally may also support adaptation” (McGray et al., 2007, p.13). This type of adaptation reflects the widely acknowledged intimate linkage between sustainable development and building capacity to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Specifically, sustainable development can enhance adaptive capacity by strengthening institutions, promoting sound management of natural resources, improving health and education systems, promoting gender equity and fostering economic growth.

5 UNFCCC glossary of climate change acronyms, http://unfccc.int/essential_background/glossary/items/3666.php.

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 Climate-proofing of development efforts – where activities are “added to an ongoing development initiative to ensure its success under a changing climate. In these cases, adaptation is seen as a means to a development end” (McGray et al., 2007, p. 13).  Discrete adaptation – where “adaptation to climate change is the primary objective of a project or initiative. From the beginning, implementers and funders of these efforts have climate change in mind” (McGray et al., 2007, p. 13).

Recognizing the critical role of “serendipitous” adaptation and climate-proofing of development efforts in fostering adaptation to climate change in developing countries while simultaneously reviewing all three types of adaptation activities would be unmanageable. This study therefore focuses on an examination of discrete adaptation activities. Adaptation action within the review is therefore defined as “policies, programs and projects designed and implemented specifically to address the current and projected impacts of climate change.” As such, specific reference has been made to supporting adaptation to climate change, and/or climate risk reduction in the objectives and/or rationale of each policy, program or project included in the study.

Due to the selection of this definition, the review automatically presents a narrow snapshot of the wide breadth of activity (often funded though official development assistance6) that is helping developing countries build adaptive capacity and reduce their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The review therefore should not be viewed as fully representative of the entirety of adaptation action occurring in developing countries—nor of the degree to which vulnerability reduction is occurring in the countries and regions profiled. Rather, the review aims to contribute to understanding of the identified adaptation needs and priorities of different countries and regions and the degree to which discrete adaptation activities are contributing to meeting these needs.

Definition of “Current” Action To further focus the study, adaptation actions have been deemed to be “current” if they were ongoing or completed in 2009 or later. As such, the review does not include a range of projects completed prior to 2009 that may have significantly contributed to building local and national adaptive capacity. This observation is particularly true of adaptation action in the Caribbean and the Pacific; reflecting the early interest and commitment of Small Island Developing States to understanding and reducing their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, countries in these regions began to explore adaptation concerns as early as the late 1990s.

While the review’s definition of “current” adaptation action limits the scope of the study, the volume of discrete adaptation initiatives has accelerated in recent years, as reflected in the following trends:

6 In 2010, official development assistance totaled US$128.7 billion (OECD, 2011)—a level of funding that significantly outstrips that which is presently provided in support of adaptation to climate change. See, for example, SEI and UNEP (2010).

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 Financing for approved projects through the Least Developed Countries Fund has risen from nearly US$24 million in 2008 to US$177 million as of mid-2011.7  Adaptation financing through the Special Climate Change Fund has increased from 22 projects worth nearly US$90.73 million in 2009 (GEF, 2009) to 31 projects approved for financing in the amount of US$128 million as of mid-2011. 8  Financing for adaptation by four Bilateral Financial Institutes increased by 31 per cent from US$3,029 million in 2008 to US$3,963 million in 2009 (SEI & UNEP, 2010). The review therefore reflects the growing number of adaptation efforts initiated in recent years.

Identification of Projects and Programs A wide range of climate adaptation related initiatives are underway throughout the world—covering the gamut from original scientific research that informs our understanding of current and future climate patterns, to capacity building and knowledge sharing, to the adoption of new planting practices by farmers, to the building of infrastructure that anticipates future climatic extremes. While acknowledging this diversity, to better achieve the specific objectives of the review, the review has focused on time-bounded projects that support preparation for and/or implementation of practical adaptation actions. As such, the review does not include projects and programs that focus on:  Conducting original scientific research that enhances knowledge of climate change impacts and development of the tools and techniques for reducing vulnerability  Ongoing, long-term monitoring efforts (whether climatic or socio-economic) that are needed to inform decision making  Stand-alone capacity building and knowledge sharing workshops, conferences and training programs  Activities solely related to participation in the ongoing international climate change negotiations

As well, the review only captures adaptation action financed through international development assistance; it does not capture adaptation efforts financed solely by national governments. This focus reflects the original impetus for conducting the review—the current scaling up of adaptation action and the potential for duplication of effort and limited sharing of good practice—and the challenge of rapidly identifying nationally funded adaptation projects. This parameter is particularly important for countries such as and China, whose governments are engaged in self-driven and self- funded adaptation efforts that are not included within this review.

Data Collection Projects and programs were primarily identified through a desk based review of the web sites of United Nations agencies, bilateral development agencies, multilateral financial institutions, international research organizations and non-governmental organizations. Reflecting the desire for a

7 GEF, Least Developed Countries Fund website, http://www.thegef.org/gef/ldcf, retrieved September 2011. 8 GEF, Special Climate Change Fund website, http://www.thegef.org/gef/sccf, retrieved September 2011.

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rapid review, a comprehensive examination of all of these organizations was not undertaken; rather, an emphasis was placed on capturing initiatives involving organizations generally recognized as being actively engaged in fostering climate change adaptation. Additional information regarding current and planned adaptation action was gathered through an examination of relevant reports.

The process by which data were gathered for inclusion in the review has biased its content. Notably, it is highly likely that a number of small-scale projects meeting the review’s definition of adaptation action, particularly those occurring at the community level, have not been captured. As well, the accuracy of the data captured in the review significantly depends upon the accuracy and completeness of the Internet resources used.

Classification of projects To support analysis of the degree to which ongoing projects are addressing the priority adaptation needs of developing countries, identified initiatives have been classified in relation to two general characterizations—their sector or areas of focus and the types of activities being implemented. For the sectors or areas in which projects are supporting adaptation action, a classification system comprised of the following 14 macro project categories was developed: food, fiber and forests; ecosystems; freshwater resources; oceans and coastal areas; disaster risk management; migration and security; gender; business; infrastructure; human settlements; human health; climate information services; governance; and multi-sectoral. These macro project categories were then divided further to provide a more detailed picture of the types of projects identified through the review. For example, the macro project category of “food, fiber and forests” was sub-divided into agriculture, pastoralism, forestry and fire management. Current adaptation projects were then labeled in relation to one or more of these sub-categories.

For the types of projects being implemented, a shorter list of categories was developed. Current adaptation projects have been assessed in relation to the degree they support research, assessment, capacity building, knowledge communication, policy formation and integration, field implementation and community-based adaptation. A fuller discussion of the project classification system used during this review is provided at the beginning of the appendices.

Gender Analysis Within the review, assessments of the degree to which gender-sensitive adaptation actions are underway in different countries and regions has focused solely upon the extent to which addressing gender inequalities is a specified objective of projects and programs. The review did not assess the degree to which individual projects and programs may or may not have integrated gender issues into their detailed design.9 The gender analysis provided in the review therefore should not be viewed as fully representative of the degree to which current adaptation actions are gender-sensitive.

9 For example, a project may have as its objective building resilience in the agriculture sector, targeting farmers in general. As no reference to gender is made in the project’s objectives, it would not be considered a gender-focused

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Assessment of the Effectiveness of Adaptation Action It should also be noted that this rapid review does not assess the quality or effectiveness of the project and programs it includes. The review therefore does not provide a basis upon which to judge the degree to which completed and ongoing projects have either achieved their stated objectives and/or made a positive contribution to increasing the ability of a country or region to adapt to the impacts of climate change. It only provides an indication of the intended outcomes of the identified initiatives, the type of action being taken (e.g., capacity building, policy integration, implementation of practical actions) and their areas of focus (e.g., agriculture, water, health).

Scientific Information Synopsis of projected changes in climate in different countries and regions included in the review are based primarily upon the content of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and national assessment reports (e.g., National Communications). New scientific analysis published since the completion of these reports may have both refined and presented revised understandings of the projected consequences of climate change in different regions of the world. The climate projections sections of the review therefore should be viewed as indicative of anticipated trends in climatic change at the time of publication of the cited reports.

Qualification of Degree of Adaptation Action In order to evaluate and consistently describe the relative level of adaptation activity occurring by country in each region, a simple benchmarking process has been applied across the review. Using a scale from zero to X, where X is equivalent to the number of current adaptation projects underway in the country in a particular region with the largest number of current projects,10 the scale was divided into five equivalent quintiles. Each quintile was then assigned a descriptor as follows:  “Very Low” level of adaptation action = 0 to 20 per cent of X  “Low” level of adaptation action = 21 to 40 per cent of X  “Moderate” level of adaptation action = 41 to 60 per cent of X  “High” level of adaptation action =61 to 80 per cent of X  “Very High” level of adaptation action = 81 to 100 per cent of X All countries in the region were allocated to one of these quintiles based on the total number of current adaptation projects and programs identified through the review.

This benchmark approach enabled a standard methodology to be applied across all 12 regions examined in the Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action while also recognizing their individual differences. (For example, the smaller geographies and populations of Small Island Developing States suggest that hosting, for instance, 15 projects might reflect a higher level of

adaptation action within the review. This finding would stand even if the detailed design of the project includes having set targets to ensure the involvement of women farmers. 10 In other words, the country in the region with the highest total number of current adaptation projects was identified and used as a benchmark against which to assess performance in all other countries.

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activity than what might be possible in other regions of the world in which countries are larger and more populous). However, this methodology does not assess the financial size of individual projects; small projects are given equal weight in comparison to large projects. Within individual regions, this approach also does not account for a country’s comparative geographic size, population, level of development and other factors that may affect its level of adaptation activity. These contextual influences are therefore discussed within individual country profiles and regional comparisons.

Countries and Regions Incorporated into the Review To identify countries to be included in the Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean and to determine their regional allocations, the following criteria were considered:  Inclusion only of non-Annex I Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)  Allocation by region in accordance with the classification system used by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD, 2010)  The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee’s list of countries eligible to receive official development assistance in 2009 and 2010 (OECD, 2009)

Definition of “Communities of Practice” Communities of practice traditionally have been defined as “groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly” (Wenger, 2006). These groups are usually defined by a shared domain of interest and relationships that enable mutual learning. Broadly speaking, two different types of communities of practice with an interest in adaptation to climate change may be identified:  Established communities of practice, usually defined by a sector or issue, that have begun to integrate consideration of adaptation needs and priorities into their existing knowledge sharing efforts (e.g., a community of foresters discussing methods of integrating projected climate risk into their management planning)  New communities of practice established specifically due to a shared interest in adaptation to climate change (e.g., community-based adaptation experts) Of these two broad groupings, the review gives attention only to communities of practice that have originated due to their shared interest in adaptation to climate change. This includes networks of non-governmental organizations actively engaged in sharing information regarding climate change. This focus reflects the greater challenge of identifying and assessing the degree to which the vast array of traditional associations and networks have begun to integrate adaptation concerns into their discussions.

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Anticipated Reader Finally, it should be noted that the review has been written in a manner that assumes that its readers will have a basic understanding of adaptation to climate change. As such it does not provide definitions of terms such as “National Communication” or “National Adaptation Programmes of Action.” Nor are explanations of key concepts included, such as “adaptive capacity,” “mainstreaming,” the relationship between climate change and development, or the challenges associated with the implementation of adaptation actions at the policy and program levels.

3.0 Climate Projections

Equatorial and coastal Africa (i.e., most of Middle Africa) is projected to warm by approximately 3oC this century, at a slightly slower rate than the continental average, according to General Circulation Models (Christensen et al., 2007).11 The impact of this temperature increase on regional rainfall is uncertain, although most climate models expect a slight increase in precipitation across Middle Africa (see Figure 11.2 in Christensen et al., 2007). According to the IPCC, a slight increase in precipitation in the tropical region of Africa would be a plausible hydrological response to a warmer climate in this part of the continent, as higher temperatures lead to an increase in atmospheric water vapor and the region increasingly becomes an area of moisture convergence. A general increase in the intensity of high-rainfall events is also expected for the continent, which will influence flooding, drought and erosion trends (Christensen et al., 2007).

However, climate data for the region are neither strong nor widespread, and climate models for Middle Africa are not as robust as they are for other parts of the continent (particularly northern, southern and eastern Africa). For example, climate models to date have been unable to forecast with a strong consensus future rainfall along either the coast of the Gulf of Guinea or the Sahel; outliers indicating drying and moistening trends have been generated by different climate models for these parts of Middle Africa (Christensen et al., 2007). Climate models for the region do not take into account vegetation feedback, dust aerosol feedbacks or land surface modifications, and in general could be strengthened considerably (Christensen et al., 2007). More attention also could be paid to projections for the region itself; in the IPCC assessment reports, the continent is divided into four principal regions (Sahara, West, East and southern Africa, with North African countries captured in the Mediterranean region). Middle African countries are included on the margins of these regions, but are not treated as a geographically distinct entity.

The impacts of climate change are expected to be less extreme in Middle Africa than in other parts of the continent, and the region is generally seen as being of (relatively) lower climate risk (Boko et

11 Median temperatures in Africa are expected to increase between 3oC and 4oC over the course of the century, approximately 1.5 times the global average for warming (as land heats faster than water). Temperature and precipitation projections are based on the A1B emissions scenario of the IPCC’s Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (2001).

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al., 2007).12 Abundant water resources, rich agricultural lands and low (current) population densities in most of the region mean that immediate adaptation demands are not as pronounced as they may be in the north, south, east and west of Africa. Nevertheless, Middle Africa will experience a number of different impacts from climate change due to the region’s considerable size and the variety of ecosystems, topographies and climates that lie between Angola in the south and Chad in the north (Boko et al., 2007).

Middle Africa is expected to incur agricultural losses of 2 to 4 per cent by the end of the century. Although this rate of loss is less than what is projected to occur in other parts of Africa,13 it is significant in a context of rapid population growth and a high economic dependence on agriculture in much of the region. Regional increases in precipitation are likely to harm livestock and pasturelands, as they lead to a gradual shift from grasslands to forests and a potential increase in the distribution of disease vectors that are harmful to livestock (Boko et al., 2007).

A predicted global sea-level rise of between 0.18 and 0.6 meters14 over the course of the century is expected to lead to coastal flooding and the intrusion of saltwater into lagoons, coastal lakes and coastal aquifers along the region’s Atlantic coast, with impacts on local fisheries, aquaculture and drinking water sources. A rise in sea level and an increase in storm surges could also threaten coastal infrastructure and industry and could lead to short-term migration from coastal settlements (Boko et al., 2007). This issue is of particular concern to the coastal countries of Gabon, Cameroon and São Tomé e Principe.

Adverse health impacts resulting from climate change are expected for Middle Africa, although they are poorly understood for the region as a whole. Broadly, vulnerability assessments provided in Middle African countries’ National Communications to the UNFCCC and National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) commonly state that countries should expect an increase in water- and vector-borne diseases (such as cholera and malaria) due to increases in annual precipitation and in the intensity of heavy rainfall events. A rise in temperatures throughout the year could also increase the length of the dry season in some parts of Middle Africa, with resulting increases in the incidence of meningitis, according to the NAPA for CAR (CMEFCPE, 2008).

12 Countries of the region are typically given a relatively low ranking on the Global Climate Risk Index (Harmeling, 2009). 13 Broadly, climate models expect significant decreases in land suitable for rain-fed agriculture and in cereal production across Africa by 2080. The area of arid and semi-arid land is expected to increase by 5 to 8 per cent over that time period (Christensen et al., 2007). 14 IPCC emissions scenarios present a range of sea-level rise predictions, based on various emissions scenarios and resulting from thermal expansion of the oceans and land ice changes. On one end of the spectrum, under the B1 emissions scenario of the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (2001), global sea levels are expected to rise from between 0.18 metres to 0.38 metres over the course of the century. On the opposite end of the spectrum, emissions scenario A1F1 predicts a global sea-level rise of between 0.25 metres and 0.6 metres over the same time period. There is still a significant amount of uncertainty in these projections, as records on sea-level rise remain relatively short and there are uncertainties relating to the loss of land ice (Meehl et al., 2007).

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4.0 Needs and Priorities within Middle Africa

Despite a low climate risk relative to the rest of the continent, vulnerabilities to climate change do exist in Middle Africa, and without adaptation action they will likely increase. These vulnerabilities are rooted in the region’s existing development context. Low levels of development, high levels of poverty, rapid population growth, high rates of deforestation and pollution, expanding cities, weak governance and a legacy of violent conflict in countries like CAR, Chad and DRC mean that there are desperately poor populations trying to cope with the rising challenges of climate change throughout the region. Many of these populations—and the economies they support—are highly dependent on climate-related sectors and activities: three of four laborers in CAR work in the agricultural sector, while the same is true for four of five workers in Chad (USDS, 2010b). Even in the more developed countries in the region (Gabon, Cameroon), high population densities are concentrated in areas exposed to significant climate risks from sea-level rise and storm surges: for example, 75 per cent of Gabon’s population lives in the country’s coastal zone (GMFWFEPN, 2004).

Seven of the nine countries in Middle Africa have submitted National Communications to the UNFCCC; Angola and Equatorial Guinea are signatories to the UNFCCC, but neither has yet submitted a National Communication. As well, four of the region’s six countries classified as being least developed—CAR, Chad, DRC and STP—have prepared NAPAs; a fifth country, Angola, is currently preparing its report (GEF, 2011). In these national reports, vulnerability assessments have identified a number of key challenges faced by each country. A significant amount of overlap among countries allows for the generation of a set of six common climate vulnerabilities faced across Middle Africa: agriculture, fisheries, forests, freshwater resources, coastal zone management, and human health (see Table 1).

Resource-Dependent Economic Sectors: Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries15 Threats to their agricultural sector and food security were the most commonly cited vulnerabilities in the National Communications and NAPAs of Middle African countries. For most countries in the region, agriculture remains a key economic sector, particularly in regards to employment: farming employs 75 per cent of the workforce in CAR, 80 per cent of the workforce in Chad, and 85 per cent of Angola’s working population (USDS, 2010b). The sector is also vulnerable due to the high regional reliance on rain-fed agriculture and the widespread absence of irrigation systems; both reduce the ability of the local population to cope with the impacts of climate change.

Increased rates of evapotranspiration; changes in the length, timing and predictability of planting seasons; increases in heavy rainfall events; and increased risks of drought and flooding were all identified in national reports as challenges faced by the agricultural sector in Middle Africa. Due to its tropical location, the region has relatively plentiful water resources, but changes in temperature

15 All information in this section is taken from National Communications and NAPAs submitted by Middle African governments to the UNFCCC.

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Table 1: Comparison of priority sectors for adaptation as identified by Middle African countries through their National Communications and NAPAs Agriculture Fisheries Forestry Freshwater Coastal Zone Human Other Priorities Resources Management Health Infrastructure, biodiversity Angola    loss Cameroon    Central African     Energy Republic Population, transport, Chad      industry Republic of Human settlements      Congo Democratic Land and ecosystem Republic of     degradation Congo Equatorial Has not submitted a National Communication or NAPA Guinea Gabon    

São Tomé e Infrastructure, energy,       tourism, public safety and Principe protection Sources: CMEF, 2005; CMEFCPE, 2008; CMEWF, 2010; DRCMENCT, 2009; Eriksen, O’Brien & Rosentrater, 2008; GMFWFEPN, 2004; RCMSDFE, 2009; STPMNRE, 2006. and precipitation are still expected to have largely adverse impacts on the region’s ability to produce food and export crops. Most countries expect agricultural production to decrease over the course of the coming century. In Cameroon, for example, the expected loss in yields will be between 10 to 15 per cent. Declines in agricultural productivity are particularly expected in those ecological zones outside of the tropical Congo Basin (e.g., northern Chad).

Those countries with significant pastoral communities also face significant challenges. In Chad, for example, increased temperatures and decreased precipitation are expected to almost eliminate rain- fed mixed-crop and livestock systems and lead to livestock deaths and the abandonment of traditional pastoral zones (CMEWF, 2010). In a context of rapidly growing populations, and with a number of countries already struggling to meet domestic food production needs (e.g., Angola and CAR are both net food importers), the cumulative, expected impact will likely be decreased food security.

Middle Africa has very rich forest cover due to the regional dominance of the Congo Basin rainforest. Nevertheless, some countries in the region—primarily CAR and Chad, lying north of the basin—have identified climate change as a threat to their forest resources. Increased temperatures and changing rainfall patterns are expected to lower vegetation cover, degrade soils and increase the risk of desertification (which is already a significant challenge). Extended periods of future drought could also increase the risk of brushfires. All countries in the region have strong motivations to

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protect these resources—not only for their economic, cultural and ecosystem service values, but also for the potential investment they hold for climate change mitigation.

Fisheries also represent an important economic sector—and component of food security—for many of the countries in Middle Africa. The challenges posed to the sector are particularly acute in Chad; increasing temperatures and decreasing precipitation rates are contributing to the shrinking of Lake Chad (along with unsustainable levels of water extraction and population pressures; see OneWorld, 2010), while at the same time a number of farmers—having abandoned agriculture due to these same climate stresses—have turned to fishing on the lake for their livelihoods (CMEWF, 2010). These two sources of climate-induced stress are jeopardizing the local fishery. For coastal communities throughout the region, predicted increases in storm surges are expected to threaten fishing operations (identified as a concern in STP), while increased coastal erosion from sea-level rise and increasingly frequent storm events will likely degrade the coastal ecosystems that support aquaculture operations in Cameroon.

Freshwater Resources Water resources remain relatively abundant throughout the region. Nevertheless, the majority of the countries in Middle Africa identified water resources as a source of climate vulnerability for a variety of reasons, in addition to the links to agricultural productivity (as covered in the previous section). In CAR, changing rainfall patterns are expected to decrease the volume and quality of water in the country’s two principal basins (the Chari and Obangui) and restrict the country’s significant potential for generating hydroelectricity. In Chad, projected reductions in annual rainfall will contribute to reducing the amount of water flowing into the very shallow Lake Chad, thereby contributing to its continued shrinking and—as mentioned—threatening its fishery. Changing rainfall patterns in the Congo Basin are expected to reduce the transport and shipping potential of the Congo River, according to Congo’s National Communication (RCMSDFE, 2009). In Gabon, increased flooding and erosion from higher annual rainfall rates are expected to compromise infrastructure by accelerating the degradation of roads and by destroying settlements.

Coastal Zone Management Gabon and Cameroon, each with relatively heavily populated coastlines, both identified improved coastal zone management as their most pressing adaptation need. For Cameroon, the National Communication lists a multitude of challenges. Sea-level rise is expected to adversely impact mangrove forests along the coast due to increases in flooding, erosion, sedimentation and salinity. Shifts in temperature could affect local marine biodiversity, impacting aquaculture. Saltwater intrusion into lagoons and coastal aquifers will impact the viability of coastal agriculture. Finally, infrastructure is at risk: low-lying Douala airport could face increased threats from storm surges should mangrove protection be reduced due to erosion, while the city’s port faces increased sedimentation as a result of coastal flooding and erosion.

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National Communications and NAPAs from Republic of the Congo, DRC and Gabon identify similar challenges. The intrusion of saltwater into coastal aquifers is a particular concern, given that significant coastal populations depend on these aquifers as their source of water. For Gabon, 75 per cent of the country’s population is located on the coast, with the country’s two major urban centers (Libreville and Port Gentil) less than 10 meters above sea level. Increased coastal erosion, flooding and aquifer salinization are likely to challenge the viability of many settlements within these two cities and along the country’s coastline, according to the National Communication (MFWFEPN, 2004).

Human Health All vulnerability assessments produced by governments in the region identified human health as a source of significant vulnerability to climate change (CMEF, 2005; CMEFCPE, 2008; CMEWF, 2010; DRCMENCT, 2009; GMFWFEPN, 2004; RCMSDFE, 2009; STPMNRE, 2006). Water- and vector-borne diseases are cited as the primary threats; the prevalence of malaria is expected to increase in many countries as a result of increases in heavy rainfall events,16 while related flooding may increase the risk of cholera outbreaks (as identified by Cameroon; see CMEF, 2005). These diseases are already significant killers in many parts of the region, and climate change is expected to place an additional burden on already stressed health systems. A lack of adequate access to health services for much of the regional population, along with low public awareness of health risks, will only compound these climate-induced threats.

Despite many shared climate change challenges, adaptation actions proposed in National Communications and NAPAs from Middle Africa tend to focus on domestic responses to climate change; regional actions are not proposed in any of the documentation submitted by governments in the region to the UNFCCC (reflecting in part the national focus of these documents).

5.0 Assessment of Adaptation Action within Middle Africa

Action on climate change adaptation in Middle Africa remains minimal. While some large projects have been launched at the national and regional levels (for example, under the Africa Adaptation Programme [AAP], Climate Change Adaptation in Africa [CCAA] program and activities funded through the Least Developed Countries Fund [LDCF]), most climate change policy making is focused on mitigation strategies—specifically, the potential for forestry-based mitigation initiatives in the region. This is unsurprising given that much of the region is covered by the Congo Basin rainforest, the world’s second-largest rainforest, which stores 8 per cent of global forest carbon. The assessment that countries in the region are at lower climate risk than many other developing regions (Harmeling, 2009) may also perpetuate this limited engagement on adaptation action.

16 Excessive moisture, such as through heavy rainfall events, is associated with malaria outbreaks in semi-arid areas (Thomson et al., 2006).

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However, a number of key climate vulnerable sectors exist in Middle Africa, particularly agriculture, fisheries, water, health, coastal zones and forests. Global, regional and national level activities are beginning to be implemented to address these vulnerabilities, and further adaptation strategies and projects have been proposed in National Communications and NAPAs.

5.1 Regional Level Action Although Middle African countries are members of a few regional, intergovernmental organizations, collaborative adaptation action through these bodies is quite limited. Greater, but still limited, interaction is occurring through multi-country initiatives, as these dominate adaptation programming in the region; only three countries in the region (CAR, DRC and STP) have large, unaffiliated national programs and projects currently underway. Although most adaptation programming in Middle Africa is occurring though larger multi-country initiatives, only two truly regional adaptation programs appear to be underway. Within the set of multi-country adaptation projects underway in Middle Africa, the focus is on project and program-based actions; policy formation-based initiatives are less common. Finally, regional adaptation actions have thus far only partially addressed shared climate vulnerabilities.

Regional Policy Actions The countries of Middle Africa are members of several different intergovernmental organizations engaged to varying degrees in collaborative response to climate change. All countries in the region are members of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). However, ECCAS is not at present undertaking any specific regional actions on climate change adaptation. Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, DRC and STP are also members of the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC).17 Composed of participating African countries’ forestry ministers, COMIFAC coordinates initiatives and actions related to the conservation and sustainable management of the Congo Basin forests. As described below, COMIFAC is coordinating the project, “Climate Change Scenarios for the Congo Basin.”

In addition, Chad and CAR are members of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD),18 but neither are home to CEN-SAD adaptation initiatives. Angola and the DRC are members of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC),19 which announced a “regional campaign against climate change” at its 29th Summit in September 2009. In November 2009 SADC ministers responsible for the environment and sustainable development resolved that adaptation to climate change remains a top priority for the region (SADC, 2009).

17 Additional member states of COMIFAC are Burundi and Rwanda. 18 The 23 member states of CEN-SAD are Benin, Burkina Faso, CAR, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, The Gambia, , Guinea-Bissau, , Libya, Mali, Morocco, Niger, , Senegal, Sierra Leone, , The Sudan, Togo and Tunisia. 19 SADC member states are Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Madagascar, , Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, , Swaziland, , and .

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The DRC is also a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)20 and the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI).21 In 2007, COMESA launched its Climate Change Initiative to encourage climate change protection while promoting economic prosperity.22 Its ongoing climate change work seeks to strengthen African positions in international negotiations. The NBI has also begun to look at the implications of climate change for this shared water resource. This work is occurring in part through the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) ongoing project, “Adapting to Climate Change Induced Water Stress in the Nile River Basin,” which aims to build the resilience of ecosystems and economies through knowledge-based policy intervention, technology transfer and investment in key infrastructure.

This review suggests that intergovernmental collaboration among the majority of Middle African countries is largely limited. Yet, the region’s shared climate vulnerabilities indicate that there is considerable scope for cooperative responses to climate change. For example, cooperative research and knowledge sharing on drought- and heat-resistant crops, or best practices on soil management and erosion control in a future of increased heavy storms and runoff, could benefit those countries in the region with similar agricultural sectors and avoid a duplication of efforts. Greater collaborative management of transboundary water resources could help countries better manage their water resources and coordinate drought or flood responses. Regional cooperation on the Congo Basin rainforest is necessary to maintain the forest’s integrity, as well as its central role in global mitigation strategies and local livelihoods in the face of climate change. Regional early warning systems on drought, flooding and storm surges could reduce the vulnerability of affected rural, urban and coastal populations. These examples are just some of the possible areas in which collaboration (and, as a result, adaptive capacity) could be strengthened on Middle Africa, and they illustrate how regional level adaptation actions might improve the effectiveness with which shared challenges are addressed.

Project and Program Actions At the project level, as presented in Table 2, cooperative adaptation action in Middle Africa is occurring through a COMIFAC project and one focused on Lake Chad. These projects are helping national and regional decision makers address forest and freshwater vulnerabilities. Through the COMIFAC project, all countries in the region except Angola are participating in research on climate change scenarios for the Congo Basin. This work is being undertaken with €1,520,000 in funding from BMU (the Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit, Germany). The extent of activities being carried out in each country participating in the project is unknown, but

20 The 19 members states of COMESA are the East African countries of Burundi, Comoros, DRC, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, , , Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, , Zambia and Zimbabwe. 21 The member states of the NBI are Burundi, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. 22 The objectives of COMESA’s Climate Change Initiative include: articulating a shared vision for Africa on climate change; fostering regional and national cooperation to address climate change; promoting integration of climate considerations into regional, national and sectoral planning policies; enhancing the institutional capacities of the COMESA Secretariat to effectively address the challenges of climate change; and promoting collaboration, synergy and partnerships among stakeholders on adaptation initiatives (COMESA, undated).

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it is hoped that these scenarios will enable decision makers at the national level and throughout the COMIFAC region to adapt and prepare their natural resource management strategies to meet the regional challenges of climate change (BMU, 2010).

The Government of Chad is leading (and partially financing, along with the African Development Bank) the six-year “Lake Chad Sustainable Development Support Program,” a five-country, US$95 million effort to promote sustainable development in the Lake Chad Basin and reverse the lake’s decline. Cameroon and CAR are also participating in this initiative, along with Niger and Nigeria. One of the project’s specific objectives is to improve the adaptive capacity of the lake’s productive systems to climate change, though it is unclear what proportion of activities under this project will relate directly to adaptation. The project also includes a significant infrastructure component, focused on cleaning out the Vrick Canal to increase the flow of water into the lake, as well as a research component on implementation options for transferring waters from the Oubangui River (in CAR) to the lake (AfDB, 2009).

Cameroon, CAR and the DRC are also participating in the project, “Altering the Climate of Poverty under Climate Change: The forests of the Congo Basin,” co-financed by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the ’s Department for International Development (DFID) through the CCAA program. This research and policy formation project aims to underscore the importance of the Congo Basin forests in climate change adaptation efforts and relies on community participation and perspectives in all three countries to develop appropriate forest management strategies. It is being implemented by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and is part of a larger global program on enhancing the role of forests in climate change adaptation (IDRC, 2008).

Middle African countries are also participating (or have participated) in two programs being implemented across Africa. Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Gabon and São Tomé e Principe are participating in the program, “Supporting Integrated and Comprehensive Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation in Africa,” or the African Adaptation Program (AAP), a multi-national, US$92.1 million initiative launched in 20 African countries by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in 2008. National projects under the program are designed to address key vulnerabilities identified in each country’s National Communication or NAPs. In Cameroon, the focus is on ensuring that the country has the institutional, individual and systemic capacity to address climate change risks and opportunities through a national approach to adaptation; the formation of such a plan is a key priority for the government. In the Republic of Congo, the project is working to support integrated and comprehensive approaches to climate change adaptation in the country, with a focus on the health, economy, agriculture, water and energy sectors. In Gabon, the program is supporting institutional capacity for better adaptation in the country’s coastal zones, which were identified in the National Communication as the country’s key area of vulnerability. Finally, in São Tomé e Principe, the initiative is focused on capacity building and leadership, with a geographic focus on both the coastal zones and the northern part of the country (UNDP, 2010b).

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In addition, between 2007 and 2009, Helio International implemented a research project on climate- proofing energy systems in a number of African countries, including Cameroon and the DRC. The objective of the project was to develop a methodology and indicators for assessing the vulnerability of energy systems to climate change and to adapt these systems to climate change (Helio International, 2009).

Reflecting their geographic and economic ties to other regions of Africa and the world, some countries are also the sole participants from the Middle African region involved in several other multi-country projects, including:  Angola is involved in a number of projects involving southern African countries, including “Strategies for Adapting to Climate Change in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa: Targeting the most vulnerable,”23 “Southern Africa Regional Climate Change Program,”24 and “Regional Science Service Centre for Adaptation to Climate Change and Sustainable Land Management in Southern Africa.”25  Cameroon is participating in the global project, “Mangroves and Coral Reef Conservation”26 and the Africa-wide project, “Advancing Capacity for Climate Change Adaptation.”27  Chad is collaborating with a number of West African countries through the following projects: “Climate Change Adaptation Capacity Support,”28 “Pilot Projects on Uses of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture to Put Strategic Plans into Action to Promote Sustainable Use and Management of Land for Adaptation to Climate Variability,”29 “Evolution of Protected Area Systems with Regard to Climatic, Institutional, Social, and Economic Conditions in the West Africa Region,”30 and the “Great Green Wall.”31  DRC is participating in the following African projects: “Enhancing the Disaster Risk Reduction Capacity in Agriculture and Rural Development,”32 “Southern Africa Regional

23 FANPRAN, http://www.fanrpan.org/themes/eachproject/?project=2. 24 Southern Africa Regional Climate Change Program, http://www.rccp.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68&Itemid=61&lang=en. 25 Regional Science Service Centre, http://www.rssc-southernafrica.net. 26 WWF, http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/aboutcc/problems/rising_temperatures/hotspot_map/cameroon.cfm. 27 ACCCA, http://www.acccaproject.org/accca. 28 CIDA, http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/CIDAWEB/cpo.nsf/vWebCSAZEn/7B2BF58864FCD1C785257811003F7C1E. 29 FAO, http://unfccc.int/files/adaptation/sbsta_agenda_item_adaptation/application/pdf/fao_pledge_2.pdf and http://www.fao.org/climatechange/unfccc-process/63662/en. 30 UNEP, http://www.unep-wcmc.org/protected_areas/cppawa.htm. This project is also known as “Climate Proofing Protected Areas in West Africa.” 31 GEF, http://www.thegef.org/gef/node/4503. 32 GFDRR, http://gfdrr.org/gfdrr/ca_projects/detail/1228.

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Climate Change Program,”33 and “Adapting to Climate Change Induced Water Stress in the Nile River Basin.”34  STP is collaborating with on the project, “CapaSIDS: Capacity Building and Knowledge on Sustainable Responses to Climate Change in Small Island States.”35

Table 2. Current regional actions in Middle Africa Name Objectives Participating Project Details Countries Regional Initiatives Altering the Climate of This project aims to underscore the Cameroon, CAR, Funder(s) DFID and IDRC Poverty under Climate importance of the Congo Basin DRC through the CCAA Change: The forests of forests in climate change program 36 Congo Basin adaptation efforts in Cameroon, Total Budget CAD$1,699,900 Central African Republic and the Implementing CIFOR Democratic Republic of Congo. Agency(s) Researchers will map adaptation

1. priorities and policies in the Duration 2008 – 2011 countries under study. They will Project Type Research; engage with stakeholders to ensure Community-based that local perspectives are brought adaptation; Policy to bear on forest management formation and strategies. integration Focus Area Forestry Climate Change The project aims to provide national COMIFAC Funder(s) BMU Scenarios for the Congo and regional decision makers with (Cameroon, CAR, Total Budget €1,520,000 Basin37 climate change scenarios that have Chad, Congo, Implementing GTZ, COMIFAC been calculated specifically for the DRC, Equatorial Agency(s) 2. Congo Basin, which will enable Guinea, Gabon, them to adapt natural resource São Tomé e Duration 2009 – 2011 management strategies to climate Principe, plus Project Type Research change. Burundi and Focus Area Climate information Rwanda) services Participation in Africa-wide Projects Climate Proofing The objective was to develop a Benin, Burkina Funder(s) France, GIZ, BMZ, 3. Energy Systems: methodology and indicators in Faso, Cameroon, IUCN, and La

33 Southern Africa Regional Climate Change Program, http://www.rccp.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68&Itemid=61&lang=en. 34 UNEP, http://www.unep.org/climatechange/adaptation/EcosystemBasedAdaptation/NileRiverBasin/tabid/29584/Default.as px. 35 IDRC, http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-148720-201_105838-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html. 36 IDRC, http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-127593-201_104835-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html. This project is part of the larger CGIAR/CIFOR initiative, “Enhancing the Role of Forests in Adaptation to Climate Change,” http://www.cifor.org/forest-research/research-themes/adapting-to-climate-change.html. 37 BMU, http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550.

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Name Objectives Participating Project Details Countries Vulnerability- order to evaluate the vulnerability DRC, Kenya, Francophonie 38 Adaptation-Resilience of energy systems to climate Nigeria, Senegal, Total Budget change and to adapt to climate Tanzania, Uganda Implementing Helio International change. Agency(s) Duration 2007 – 2009 Project Type Research; Assessment Focus Area Energy Interdisciplinary and The project will identify the Benin, Burkina Funder(s) France’s Ministry of Participative Research relations between ecosystem Faso, Cape Verde, Foreign Affairs on Interactions vulnerabilities and human Cameroon, CAR, Total Budget between Ecosystems, populations in order to scientifically Chad, Côte Implementing Agence inter Climate and Societies in support political responses to d’Ivoire, The Agency(s) établissements de la West Africa39 climate change. Gambia, Ghana, recherche pour le Guinea, Guinea- développement 4. Bissau, Mali, (Inter-institutional Mauritania, Research Agency for Niger, Nigeria, Development) Senegal, Togo Duration 2007 – 2011 Project Type Research Focus Area Ecosystem conservation Supporting Integrated Under this program, UNDP will 20 African Funder(s) Japan International and Comprehensive assist 20 African countries in countries,41 Cooperation Agency Approaches to Climate implementing integrated and including Total Budget US$92.1 million Change Adaptation in comprehensive adaptation actions Cameroon, Implementing UNDP and national Africa (or Africa and resilience plans. The projects Gabon, Republic Agency(s) partners Adaptation Program – will ensure that national of Congo, and AAP)40 development processes incorporate São Tomé e Duration 2008 – 2011 climate change risks and Principe Project Type Capacity building; 5. opportunities to secure Policy formation and development gains under a integration; changing climate. UNDP will help Knowledge sharing countries establish an enabling Focus Area Government environment and develop the capacity required to design, finance, implement and monitor long-term and cost-effective adaptation

38 Helio International, http://www.helio-international.org/projects/VAR.cfm. 39 http://www.aird.fr/ripiecsa/index.htm. 40 ALM, http://www.adaptationlearning.net/program/africa-adaptation-programme and UNDP-APP, http://www.undp-aap.org. 41 These countries are Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé e Principe, Senegal, Tanzania and Tunisia.

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Name Objectives Participating Project Details Countries policies and plans. 6. Lake Chad Sustainable To promote sustainable Cameroon, CAR, Funder(s) African Development Development Support development in the Lake Chad Chad, Niger, Bank; Government of Program Basin, this project will: clean out the Nigeria Chad; other co- (PRODEBALT)42 Vrick canal to augment the volume financing of water flowing into the lake; Total Budget US$95 million; undertake feasibility and proportion of budget implementation studies on for Middle Africa: transferring waters from the US$11.69 million Oubangui River in the CAR to the Implementing Lake Chad Basin lake; and undertake studies to Agency(s) Commission reduce the water losses provoked by the many small dams built on the Duration 2009 – 2015 waterways feeding the lake. One of Project Type Field implementation the project’s specific objectives is to Focus Area Watershed improve the adaptive capacity of management the lake’s productive systems to climate change.

5.2 National Level Action As previously noted, climate change programming in Middle Africa is largely focused on mitigation strategies, particularly in countries with large forest resources. Adaptation activities and funding are generally minimal, but vary across countries within the region; as seen in Table 3, while 10 adaptation initiatives were identified for Cameroon and eight in the DRC, only one regional initiative appears to be underway, in Equatorial Guinea. Neither funding nor the number of initiatives within a country is commensurate with need or size; DRC and STP have the same number of national projects and receive roughly the same amount of climate change adaptation funding, despite vast differences in size and population.

The degree to which governments in the region have integrated climate change into national development plans also varies. At one extreme, Angola and Equatorial Guinea have yet to submit National Communications or NAPAs; on the other, Gabon and Cameroon have made significant strides toward integrating climate change considerations into national development policies. The remaining countries in the region lie within this spectrum.

National adaptation activities by and large have focused on addressing three key areas of vulnerability: agriculture and food security, coastal zones and water. These priorities are reflected in the three large national level projects currently being implemented in the region funded by the LDCF:

42 African Development Bank, http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-z1-cz0- 002/#.

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Table 3: Comparison of adaptation action at the policy and program level in Middle Africa (as of April 2011) Policy Action Participation in Projects/Programs National Country- 1st National 2nd National Multi- NAPA Adaptation specific/ Total Communication Communication country Strategy/Plan National Angola In preparation In preparation 0 3 3 Cameroon 2005 Non-LDC 1 8 9 Central African 2003 2008 1 4 5 Republic Chad 2001 2010 1 6 7 Republic of 2001 2009 Non-LDC 0 2 2 Congo Democratic Republic of 2000 2009 2006 2 6 8 Congo Equatorial Guinea Non-LDC 0 1 1 Gabon 2004 Non-LDC 0 2 2 São Tomé e 2004 2006 2004 2 3 5 Principe Note: Information contained in this table is based upon research completed as of April 2011. Additional project and programs, for example, may be underway in each country. Full information regarding adaptation action in each country as of April 2011 is available in the Appendix of this report.

 In CAR, a project aiming to strengthen climate risk management capacity for enhanced food security and rural livelihoods  In DRC, an initiative to build the capacity of the agricultural sector to plan for and respond to the additional threats posed by climate change on food production and security  In STP, a project to increase the adaptive capacity of the local population to reduce its vulnerability to the adverse impacts of climate variability and change

These three LDCF projects appear to represent the only significant national level projects underway in the region. Some small nationally focused initiatives are taking place in a few countries,43 but most other adaptation initiatives in Middle Africa are part of larger regional or global programs. Conversely, all adaptation projects proposed in submitted National Communications or NAPAs are national in scope, with no suggested efforts at broader regional cooperation.

43 For example, two of eight organizations that received funding in the AfricaAdapt Knowledge Sharing Innovation Fund in 2009 are based in Cameroon and Chad. With support from the fund, the Association for the Promotion of the Environment and Sustainable Development in Cameroon implemented a small project to increase awareness and improve the capacity of the country’s Pygmy communities to adapt to climate change. In Chad, the Association of Pulaar Women of Chad implemented a small project to create a knowledge sharing film on experiences of adapting to climate change in the country (AfricaAdapt, 2009).

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Capacity building is the most dominant type of project being implemented at the national scale. Strengthening institutional capacities at the government level has also received a relatively significant degree of attention and funding. Conversely, the health and energy sectors, despite being consistently identified as vulnerable across national level documentation, have received very little funding or operational support. None of the projects identified through this review have a clear objective of addressing the linkages between climate change and gender.

Adaptation funding—mainly project-based—has been obtained from a diverse set of donors, including multilateral, bilateral and non-governmental sources. As previously noted, national level projects are being supported primarily through the LDCF; other funders of country-targeted projects are AfricaAdapt, the World Wildlife Fund, the Portuguese Institute for the Environment and the United States Agency for International Development, as well as national governments. Multi-country projects involving Middle African countries are receiving funding from the African Development Bank, DFID and IDRC through the CCAA program, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Global Fund for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Global Environment Facility, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, la Francophonie and from the governments of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

However, financing for adaptation in Middle Africa has thus far been limited, particularly in comparison to financing geared toward mitigation projects (principally the readiness of countries in the region for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation [REDD]).44 Most projects are being implemented by external actors (UN-based, bilateral donor country teams) and government ministries; national civil society organizations have not played a large role in climate change adaptation to date. Countries in the region may need to further build their capacities to identify and implement fundable adaptation projects.

5.3 Action by Communities of Practice No evidence of climate change adaptation knowledge sharing through regional networks within Middle Africa was found during the research. However, Cameroon and Chad are participating in the AfricaAdapt Network described in Table 4; individuals in other Middle African countries also may be participating in this platform.

44 For example, US Fast Start funding has supported both the Central African Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in its regional project on sustainable forest management; both initiatives have strong mitigation components (USDS, 2010a).

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Table 4: Selected climate change communities of practice in West Africa Geographic Organization Type of Action Sector / area of work scope

AfricaAdapt Africa-wide Field AfricaAdapt serves as a facilitation instrument within Africa to Network45 implementation; share knowledge for sustainable livelihoods among 1. Knowledge researchers, policy makers, civil organizations and communities communication who are vulnerable to climate variability and change.

6.0 Conclusions

Middle Africa is expected to face lower climate risks than other parts of the continent. Temperature increases for this tropical region are expected to be less severe than in other parts of Africa; rainfall could increase, although only moderately and some uncertainty remains; and while the intensity and frequency of storms is projected to increase, it is not expected to do so at a faster rate than in other regions of the continent. Nevertheless, climate vulnerabilities exist, and adaptive capacity among much of the population remains low due to existing economic, political and environmental challenges—namely rapid population growth, low levels of human development, high levels of poverty, weak governance, environmental degradation and deforestation, and recent and ongoing violent conflicts.

The process of completing national climate vulnerability assessments, identifying adaptation priorities, and preparing National Communications and NAPAs by most Middle African countries has improved the capacity of their governments to plan adaptation action. Still, climate change policy making and project design in Middle Africa remains largely focused on forestry-related mitigation strategies. Investments in adaptation action have not yet matched needs; despite the identification of six main vulnerabilities across submitted National Communications and NAPAs (agriculture, water, coastal regions, health, energy and forests), current national and regional adaptation strategies remain largely focused on only a few sectors—namely agriculture, coastal zone management and forests. The health and energy sectors remain underserved, despite identified vulnerabilities. While adaptation projects focusing on health are identified in National Communications and NAPAs, it appears that none have yet received funding. Gender and climate change linkages also could be specifically addressed within adaptation action; no existing or proposed projects do so at present. In addition, opportunities should be identified where adaptation can be integrated into forestry-based mitigation programs and projects implemented in the region.

Projects to date have also focused on research and capacity building. Both are necessary first steps in the building of national adaptive capacity, and as they are further strengthened adaptation activities concentrating on community-based adaptation, pilot projects and policy formation and integration could be given more attention. The latter is particularly important; two countries in the region

45 AfricaAdapt, http://www.africa-adapt.net/AA.

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(Gabon and Cameroon) have made strides toward the integration of climate change into national development policies, but these remain isolated cases. More could be done at the government level; for example, climate change considerations could be better reflected in national poverty reduction strategies. In many of the countries in the region (such as CAR, DRC and Chad), this will require significant improvements in governance capacities.

There is considerable scope for increased regional cooperation on climate change adaptation in Middle Africa. To date, very few adaptation initiatives have involved collaboration across the governments of Middle Africa, despite shared vulnerabilities to climate change. Opportunities for regional cooperation on adaptation were not identified in any of the submitted National Communications or NAPAs, but this could be an area for future adaptation investment. Cooperation could range from ad hoc regional adaptation projects, to the drafting of a regional plan or strategy for adaptation action (within ECCAS, perhaps), to the establishment of a regional center for climate adaptation research.

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Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit [BMU] (2010). Climate Change Scenarios for the Congo Basin. Retrieved from http://www.bmu- klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

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Central African Republic Ministere des Eaux, Forets, Chasse and Peche et de l’Environnement [CMEFCPE] (2008). Programme d’action National d’adaptation (PANA) aux changements climatiques. Retrieved from http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/napa/caf01f.pdf

Chad Ministry of the Environment, Water and Fisheries [CMEWF] (2010). National Adaptation Programme of Action. Ministry of the Environment, Water and Fisheries of Chad: N’Djamena.

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Democratic Republic of Congo Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism [DRCMENCT] (2009). Second National Communication for the UNFCCC. Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism of the Democratic Republic of Congo: Kinshasa.

Eriksen, S., O’Brien, K. & Rosentrater, L. (2008). Climate Change in Eastern and Southern Africa: Impacts, vulnerability and adaptation. Global Environmental Change and Human Security Report 2008:2. University of Oslo: Norway. Retrieved from http://www.gechs.org/downloads/reports/2008-2.pdf

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Global Environment Facility (GEF) (2009). Global Environment Facility: Financing adaptation action. Washington, D.C.: GEF Retrieved from http://www.thegef.org/gef/sites/thegef.org/files/publication/adaptation-actions_0.pdf

Global Environment Facility [GEF] (2011). Progress Report on the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF). GEF/LDCF.SCCF.10/Inf.3/Rev.1. Retrieved from http://www.thegef.org/gef/sites/thegef.org/files/documents/Progress%20Report.rev1_.pdf

Harmeling, S. (2009). Global Climate Risk Index 2010: Who is the most vulnerable? Weather-related loss events since 1990 and how Copenhagen needs to respond. Berlin: Germanwatch.

Helio International (2009). Energy Systems: Vulnerability-Adaptation-Resilience. Retrieved from http://www.helio-international.org/projects/VAR.cfm

International Development Research Centre [IDRC] (2008). Altering the Climate of Poverty under Climate Change: The forests of Congo Basin. Ottawa: IDRC. Retrieved from http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-127593-201_104835-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html

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Ministry of Forests, Water, Fisheries, the Environment and the Protection of Nature [MFWFEPN] (2004). National Communication on Climate Change. Ministry of Forests, Water, Fisheries, the Environment and the Protection of Nature of Gabon: Libreville.

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Appendices: Country Profiles

The appendices to this report, “Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action: Middle Africa,” provide an over view of adaptation action in each of: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and São Tomé e Principe.

To assess the level of adaptation action occurring in each of these countries, a desk-based review of internet sources and relevant documentation was undertaken. The content of these sources was assessed in relation to a set of parameters established to focus the review’s scope and ensure consistency across regions. Notably, it examines discrete adaptation actions, or policies, programs and projects designed and implemented specifically to address the current and projected impacts of climate change. Therefore, the review presents only a portion of the breadth of the efforts underway to reduce the vulnerability of developing countries to the impacts of climate change. In particular, it does not capture the broad array of development activities that are increasing the adaptive capacity of communities and countries. As well, within the review, adaptation efforts have been deemed to be “current” if they were ongoing or completed in 2009 or later. Therefore, the review does not include projects completed prior to 2009 that may have contributed to building local and national capacity to adapt. The review also only identifies those actions currently underway; it does not offer judgment of the effectiveness of actions taking place. In addition, reflecting the desk-based nature of the review, it is acknowledged that the content is biased toward identification of large-scale projects funded by international development assistance organizations and those projects about which information is available online. Therefore, small-scale projects that meet the review’s definition of adaptation action, particularly those occurring at the community level, are not fully represented within the review. A fuller explanation of the methodology used to develop the country profiles that follow is provided in the methodology section of this report.

To facilitate analysis of the degree to which current adaptation projects and programs identified through the review are helping to meet the adaptation needs and priorities of developing countries, a common classification system was developed. This system examined identified projects and programs from two perspectives—their sector or areas of focus and the types of activities they are supporting. A fuller description of these two types of classifications is provided below.

Sector or Area of Focus To support development of a general classification system for adaptation projects on the basis of their sector or area of focus, a review of the categories used by the Adaptation Learning Mechanism, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), United Nations

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Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Nairobi Work Programme was completed and used to guide development of a series of categories for characterizing activities included in this review. Based on this review and expert judgment, a set of 14 macro project categories were identified: food, fiber and forests; ecosystems; freshwater resources; oceans and coastal areas; disaster risk management; migration and security; gender; business; infrastructure and transportation; human settlements; human health; climate information services; governance; and multi-sectoral. Where appropriate, these macro project categories were further refined through the identification of various sub-categories. These sub-categories were then used to label the discrete adaptation projects included in the review.

Definitions of the macro project categories used in the review along with descriptions of the types of projects included within their individual sub-categories are presented below.

1. Food, Fiber and Forests – Defined as the management and use of terrestrial natural resources to directly improve human well- being. Its sub-categories are:  Agriculture – Encompassing subsistence agriculture, commercial agriculture and the rearing of confined domestic animals.  Pastoralism – Encompassing the use of domestic animals as a primary means for obtaining resources from habitats (UNEP, 2007), particularly in nomadic and semi-nomadic communities.  Forestry – Encompassing afforestation, reforestation, agroforestry, commercial forestry, community-based forest management and woodland management.  Fire management – encompassing monitoring, planning and management to address the impact of fires on settlements and ecosystems, including forested and grassland ecosystems.

2. Ecosystems – Defined as a system of living organisms interacting together and with their physical environment, the boundaries of which may range from very small spatial scales to, ultimately, the entire Earth (IPCC, 2007). Its sub-categories are:  Biodiversity – Encompassing activities related to the maintenance of living organisms at various spatial scales, including the establishment and protection of parks and bio-reserves.  Ecosystem conservation – Encompassing efforts to maintain the health of particular ecosystems, such as wetlands, grasslands, forests, mangroves and coral reefs.  Ecosystem restoration – Encompassing efforts to restore the health of particular ecosystems, such as wetlands, grasslands, forests, mangroves and coral reefs.

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3. Freshwater Resources – Defined as the management and use of freshwater contained in terrestrial ponds, lakes, rivers, watersheds, among others. Its sub-categories are:  Freshwater fisheries – Encompasses the catching, packing and selling of fish and shellfish derived from lakes, rivers and ponds, as well as through freshwater aquaculture.  Watershed management – Encompassing management of the basins that supply water to different streams, rivers, lakes and reservoirs, including integrated watershed management.  Freshwater supply – Encompassing efforts to access and preserve freshwater for human consumption and use including drinking water sources, groundwater resources, rainwater harvesting and water infrastructure such as wells, dams and dikes.

4. Oceans and Coastal Areas – Defined as the management and use of coastal areas and oceans. Its sub-categories are:  Coastal zone management – Encompassing the management of land and water resources in coastal areas, including through integrated coastal zone management and the establishment and maintenance of coastal infrastructure.  Marine management – Encompassing the management and use of off-shore ocean and sea resources.  Marine fisheries – Encompassing the catching, packing and selling of fish, shellfish and other aquatic resources found in the oceans and seas, including through marine and coastal aquaculture.

5. Disaster Risk Management – Defined as the “systematic process of using administrative directives, organizations, and operational skills and capacities to implement strategies, policies and improved coping capacities in order to lessen the adverse impacts of hazards and the possibility of disaster” (UNISDR, 2009, pp. 10). It includes emergency response measures, preparation for extreme events and early warning systems. No sub-categories were established in relation to this macro project category.

6. Migration and Security – Defined as efforts to support the movement of people and maintain their personal security in the face of incremental climate changes or climate shocks.  Migration – Encompassing preparations for and responses to the potential movement of people from one location to another due to climate change impacts.  Security – Relates to personal security and freedom from violence, crime and war due to natural and human-induced disasters (UNEP, 2007) and encompasses peace building, conflict reduction and conflict avoidance activities.

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7. Gender – Defined as the social attributes and opportunities associated with being male and female and the relationships between women and men, and girls and boys, as well as the relations between women and those between men. These attributes, opportunities and relationships are socially constructed and are learned through socialization processes (UN Women, undated). It includes efforts to understand the vulnerability of women to the impacts of climate change, gender-sensitive adaptation strategies, and measures to improve the situation of women at the local and policy level, including through gender mainstreaming. No sub- categories were established in relation to this macro project category.

8. Business – Defined as the purchase and sale of goods and services with the objective of earning a profit. Its sub-categories are:  Tourism – Encompassing the adjustment and development of tourist facilities and operations to account for current and future vulnerabilities, including these actions in relation to ecotourism.  Private sector – Encompassing potential impact of climate change and potential adaptation strategies on the diverse activities underway in the portion of the economy in which goods and services are produced by individuals and companies including industry, mining and other economic sectors.  Trade – Encompassing the exchange of goods and services within and between countries.  Insurance – Encompassing the development, testing and adjusting of insurance and risk-management schemes, including weather- based index systems.

9. Infrastructure – Defined as the basic equipment, utilities, productive enterprises, installations, institutions and services essential for the development, operation and growth of an organization, city or nation (IPCC, 2001). Its sub-categories are:  Energy – Encompassing energy-related systems and infrastructure, including small-scale and large-scale energy generation through hydroelectric power generation, wind, solar and other forms of traditional and new energy sources, as well as transmission networks.  Transportation – Encompassing the components of the system required to move people and goods, including roads, bridges, railway lines, shipping corridors and ports.  Waste management – Encompassing sanitation, sewage systems, drainage systems and landfills.  Buildings – Encompassing actions related to built structures such as houses, schools and offices, including changes to building codes, building practices and green ways of construction.

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10. Human Settlements – Defined as a place or area occupied by settlers (IPCC, 2001). Its sub-categories are:  Peri-urban areas – Encompassing the outskirts of urban centers, and the transition zone between rural and urban areas.  Urban areas – Encompassing municipalities, towns and cities, as well as areas in these centers (such as slums).  Rural areas – Encompassing villages and other small settlements, as well as rural landscapes and integrated rural development.

11. Human Health – Defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO, undated). It includes efforts to assess vulnerabilities to and the impacts of climate change on human health directly and indirectly, and the development and implementation of appropriate adaptation strategies at the local, regional and national levels. No sub-categories were established in relation to this macro project category.

12. Climate Information Services – Defined as the production and delivery of authoritative, timely and usable information about climate change, climate variability, climate trends and impacts to different users at the local, sub-national, national, regional and global levels.46 It includes efforts to develop, adjust and provide short- and long-term climate forecasts, including climate change projections, to different audiences. No sub-categories were established in relation to this macro project category.

13. Governance – Defined as the institutions (laws, property rights systems and forms of social organization) through which societies define and exercise control over resources.47 Its sub-categories are:  Government – Encompassing efforts to build the capacity of government officials, either at the national or sub-national level, to prepare for and facilitate adaptation to climate change, including through the development of policies, plans, frameworks and strategies, as well as the establishment and operation of climate change trust funds.  Civil society – Encompassing efforts to build the capacity of the public including non-governmental organizations, to understand, prepare for and respond to climate change.

14. Multi-sectoral – Defined as actions that simultaneously address more than one sector in one and/or multiple locations. It includes efforts that address more than one sector, which are challenging to tease apart, and in the context of this review includes large, multi-country projects in which the specific sector of focus is nationally determined and, therefore, varies from country to country. No sub-categories were established in relation to this macro project category.

46 Derived from: http://www.joss.ucar.edu/cscc/climate-service-definition-condensed.pdf 47 Derived from UNEP, 2007.

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Types of Activities The following categories were used to organize the types of activities being completed as part of current adaptation projects and programs identified through the review:  Research – Encompassing efforts to develop new knowledge and/or organize existing information so as to increase understanding of the links between climate change, human society and ecosystems and inform adaptation decision-making.  Assessment – Encompassing risk, impact and vulnerability assessments, as well as monitoring of ecological and societal trends.  Capacity building – Encompassing the provision of technical training, technical assistance, institutional strengthening and education.  Knowledge communication – Encompassing efforts to share information, knowledge and practices related to climate change adaptation, including awareness raising and engagement of media.  Policy formation and integration – Encompassing efforts to inform, develop and implement climate change adaptation plans, strategies, frameworks and policies at the local, sub-national, national and international levels.  Field implementation – Encompassing physical measures to reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, including the implementation of pilot projects, construction of infrastructure, development and modification of technologies and the management of physical resources.  Community-based adaptation – Encompassing actions that directly engage community members in efforts to understand, plan for and respond to the impacts of climate change.

References: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC] (2001). Annex B. Glossary of Terms. Climate Change 2001: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Retrieved from: http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/glossary/tar-ipcc-terms-en.pdf

United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women [UN Women] (undated). Gender Mainstreaming: Concepts and definitions. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/conceptsandefinitions.htm

United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP] (2007). Glossary. Global Environment Outlook 4. Retrieved from: http://www.unep.org/geo/geo4/report/Glossary.pdf

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United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction [UNISDR] (2009). 2009 UNISDR Terminology on Disaster Risk Reduction. Geneva: UNISDR. Retrieved from: http://unisdr.org/files/7817_UNISDRTerminologyEnglish.pdf

World Health Organization [WHO] (undated). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/suggestions/faq/en/index.html

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1.0 Angola

ASARECA Association for Strengthening Agriculture Research in Eastern and Central Africa BMZ Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit/German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany) DFID UK Department for International Development FANRPAN Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network IFPRI International Food Policy Research Institute GDP Gross Domestic Product NAPA National Adaptation Programme of Action NORAD Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation PIK Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research SIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency UNDP United Nations Development Program UNEP United Nations Environment Program UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFPA United Nations Population Fund ZALF Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research

Angola is located on the south-west coast of sub-Saharan Africa, and is the second-largest country in the continent. The legacy of a 27- year civil war continues to impede the country’s development goals; although economic activity has improved considerably over the past several years, Angola’s Human Development Index remains one of the lowest in the world (UNDP, 2010; USDS, 2010). Approximately 19 million people live in Angola (59 per cent in urban areas) and the population is projected to reach 42.3 million by 2050 (UNFPA, 2010).

The country is rich in natural resources, with a formal economy dominated by the oil and diamond industries. In 2009, oil production accounted for 85 per cent of GDP, 96 per cent of exports and 87.5 per cent of government revenues, with diamonds comprising the remainder of Angola’s exports (USDS, 2010). Approximately 85 per cent of Angola’s working population is employed in the agriculture sector, and smallholder agricultural production has increased considerably over the past several years as a result of demining efforts,

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infrastructure improvements, and the resettlement of displaced persons (UNEP, 2007; USDS, 2010). During the colonial period Angola was a major agricultural exporter. Today, however the country is a net food importer (USDS, 2010).

Though rich in biodiversity, conflict and poverty have exacted a heavy toll on Angola’s environment; soil erosion, desertification and deforestation are all prominent environmental issues and enhance the country’s vulnerability to climate change (UNEP, 2007).

A. Adaptation Needs and Priorities Angola’s climate is primarily tropical, with semi-arid areas in the south and coastal lowlands and rainforest in the north (UNEP, 2007; USDS, 2010). The country typically experiences a hot rainy season from November to April with a dry season lasting from May to October (USDS, 2010). Current climate variability, including incidence of floods and droughts, adversely impact certain areas of the country. These events are made worse by an under-developed emergency preparedness system (NORAD, 2008).

Over the next 50 to 100 years, climate models predict that Angola will experience increased temperatures, more extreme weather events, an expansion of arid and semi-arid regions, seasonal shifts in rainfall, localized floods, increased wildfires, sea level rise, increased rainfall in the northern parts of the country, changes in river flows and changes in sea and lake temperatures (Eriksen et al., 2008; NORAD, 2008). According to one source, available projections agree that there will be a decline in the length of agricultural growing period in southern Angola and along the coast, while areas in the north that currently benefit from two growing seasons may in the future only experience one (NORAD, 2008).

In light of these projected changes in climatic conditions, the country’s key vulnerabilities by sector include biodiversity loss, human health, infrastructure, fisheries, and agriculture and food security (Eriksen et al., 2008). Although a comprehensive assessment of priority adaptation needs is lacking, there is a need for action to address the aforementioned vulnerabilities as well as the improvement of hydrological and meteorological observation networks, institutional capacity, and to raise awareness about adaptation. Climate change also needs to be integrated into the country’s development policies (NORAD, 2008).

B. National Level Policies and Strategic Documents It has been observed that climate change adaptation has not figured prominently on Angola’s political agenda over the past decade due to competing development priorities, although there are signs this is changing. The country is in the process of preparing a National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) as well as a National Communication under the United Nations Framework Convention on

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Climate Change (FANRPAN, 2010; NORAD, 2008). Along with these documents, Angola has planned to develop a national action plan on climate change and establish a Designated National Authority as well as a national carbon fund (NORAD, 2008).

C. Current Adaptation Action Angola is currently benefitting from a low number of adaptation projects relative to other countries in Middle Africa, all of which are occurring through multi-country initiatives. It is a beneficiary of the Southern Africa Regional Climate Change Program—funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)— which focuses on building a transboundary response to climate change in southern Africa by integrating climate change science and engaging in strategic research. Angola is also a participant in an International Food Policy Research Institute program that aims to advance adaptation in vulnerable populations and accelerate the adoption of adaptation strategies at the community, national and regional level. It participates as well in a research project supported by the Germany Ministry of Education and Research that is building a science services center for southern Africa. In addition, UNDP programming in the country is currently supporting disaster risk analysis, community preparedness and the establishment of early warning systems, and will also aim to mainstream climate change adaptation into national policies (UNDP, 2009).

Table 1: Current Adaptation Projects and Programs active in Angola Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) Participation in Regional and Global Actions 1. Strategies for Adapting to “Promote adaptation among vulnerable BMZ IFPRI (lead); Capacity 2008 – 2011 Rural areas; African: Climate Change in Rural populations through developing ASARECA; building; Agriculture; Angola, Sub-Saharan Africa: comprehensive systems for assessing global Budget: FANRPAN; PIK; Community Government Botswana, Targeting the most changes and the changes of these impacts US$91,241 ZALF based Lesotho, vulnerable48 across disaggregated systems, groups, and development; Madagascar, factors influencing initial state of Policy Malawi, vulnerability. Provide regional formation and Mauritius, organizations, policy-makers and farmers in integration Mozambique, sub-Saharan Africa with tools to identify and Namibia, implement appropriate adaptation South Africa,

48 FANRPAN, http://www.fanrpan.org/themes/eachproject/?project=2 and http://www.fanrpan.org/documents/d00539/BMZ_Climate_Change_Adaptation_Jun2008.pdf

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) strategies.” Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe In Angola: Further information required. 2. Southern Africa Regional The program aims to synthesize relevant DFID, SIDA OneWorld Policy 2009 – 2014 Government; African: Climate Change Program49 climate change science, develop strategic Sustainable formation and Climate 15 research and strengthen the science-policy- Investments integration; information countries,50 governance-finance dialogue. The program Research services including will aim to build an evidence base for Angola and transboundary responses to climate the DRC change, strengthen the region’s voice in In Angola: Further information required. international platforms, and enhance its ability to access necessary finance for climate change adaptation.

3. Regional Science Service The objective is to develop a program that Germany Research; 2009 – 2012 Ecosystem Regional: Centre for Adaptation to will conduct problem-oriented research in Federal Capacity conservation Angola, Climate Change and the area of adaptation to climate change Ministry of building; Botswana, Sustainable Land and sustainable land management and Education and Knowledge Namibia, Management in Southern provide evidence-based advice for all Research communicatio South Africa, Africa51 decision-makers and stakeholders. Research n Zambia will be geared towards filling current In Angola: Local implementing agency is the Angola Ministry of Research. regional or local gaps in integrated knowledge. The research will aim to: integrate research on land- and resource management; link science and theory to practice and decision-making; compile, analyze and disseminate best practices.

49 Southern Africa Regional Climate Change Program, http://www.rccp.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68&Itemid=61&lang=en 50 These countries are: Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 51 SASSCAL, http://www.sasscal.org/

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D. Proposed Adaptation Action Given that Angola’s NAPA and first National Communication are forthcoming, the country has not formally proposed adaptation actions through these processes.

E. Assessment There are encouraging indications that Angola is developing a national adaptation policy framework, including the preparation of a National Communication and NAPA. In particular, the forthcoming NAPA will assist in identifying the country’s most acute areas of vulnerability to climate change and allow for insights into the most important adaptation actions to prioritize going forward.

Based on available information, current adaptation actions in the country are focused on the country’s adaptation needs including capacity building, policy formulation, research and community based adaptation in the agriculture, water and policy fields. Current projects are focused at community, national as well as regional levels, thereby improving awareness of adaptations across a range of stakeholders. Building on present activities, there may be a need for improved climate data collecting and weather monitoring systems, disaster risk management, coastal zone management, as well as efforts to address vulnerability to climate change in the smallholder agriculture sector.

References: Eriksen et al. (2008). Climate Change in Eastern and Southern Africa: Impacts, Vulnerability, and Adaptation, in Global Environmental Change and Human Security. University of Oslo: Norway. Accessible here: http://www.gechs.org/downloads/reports/2008-2.pdf

Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network [FANRPAN] (2010). Strategies for Adapting to Climate Change in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa: Targeting the Most Vulnerable in Southern Africa. Working document submitted by Jonathan Makau Nzuma. Accessible here: http://www.fanrpan.org/documents/d01073/Strategies_for_Adopting_to_Climate_Change_November2010.pdf

Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation [NORAD] (2008). Climate Proofing and the Greening of the Portfolio. Review of the Embassy’s Development Assistance Portfolio: Climate Change and Environment (Angola). , Angola: The Royal Norwegian Embassy. Accessible here: http://www.norad.no/en/Tools+and+publications/Publications/Publication+page?key=109768

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United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] (2009). Program document for Angola (2009-2013). Accessible here: http://www.undp.org/africa/programmedocs/angola-CPD-2009-2013.pdf

United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] (2010). The Real Wealth of Nations – Pathways to Human Development. Human Development Report 2010. Accessible here: http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2010_EN_Complete_reprint.pdf

United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP] (2007). Project Document: Enabling Activities for the Preparation of a National Adaptation Plan of Action in the Republic of Angola (2007-2008). Accessible here: http://gefonline.org/projectDetailsSQL.cfm?projID=3409

United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] (2010). The State of World Population 2010. New York: United Nations Population Fund.

United States Department of State [USDS] (2010). Background Note: Angola. Accessible here: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/6619.htm

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2.0 Cameroon

AAP Africa Adaptation Programme BMU Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit (Germany) BMZ Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (Germany) CAR Central African Republic CCAA Climate Change Adaptation in Africa CFA Communauté Financière Africaine (African Financial Community) CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research CIFOR Center for International Forestry Research CMEF Cameroon Ministry of Environment and Forests COMIFAC Central African Forests Commission DFID Department for International Development (UK) DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo GDP Gross Domestic Product GEF Global Environment Facility GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (Germany) IDRC International Development Research Centre IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature LDC Least Developing Country UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change WWF World Wide Fund for Nature

Extending from the Gulf of Guinea through west-central Africa to Lake Chad, the Republic of Cameroon contains a large (475,000 square kilometer) and diverse landscape of northern plains, central and western highlands, southern and coastal tropical forests (USDS, 2010). Its current population of approximately 20 million people52 is predominately urban (58 per cent of Cameroonians live in urban

52 The number of people in Cameroon is forecasted to grow to 36.7 million people as of 2050 (UNFPA, 2010).

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areas; UNFPA, 2010). Cameroon is classified as a lower middle income country (OECD, 2009), as reflected in its GDP per capita of US$1,226 (in 2008; UNDP, 2010a). Much of the country’s economic activity occurs within the services sector (50.4 per cent) followed by industry (9.7 per cent; mostly from mining, and oil and gas) and agriculture (19.8 per cent, particularly timber and coffee) (USDS, 2010). Of the countries in Middle Africa, Cameroon has the most developed legal, economic and political structures (EcoSecurities, 2009).

A. Adaptation Needs and Priorities The diverse ecological zones of Cameroon reflect the country’s array of climate regimes. The northern plains and Sudano-Sahelian zones are semi-arid, with a dry season that lasts for seven months, and have significantly higher temperatures in comparison to the rest the country. The central and western highlands are cooler, with a shorter dry season. Conditions become more tropical in the south, with the southern tropical forest region being warm with a limited four-month dry season and the coastal tropical forest being warm and humid year-round. The wet season typically occurs between May and November, depending on the West African Monsoon winds blowing from the south-west (McSweeney et al., 2008). Since the 1960s, mean annual temperatures have increased by 0.7oC and mean annual precipitation has declined by 2.2 per cent per decade. Rainfall was particularly low in 2003 and 2005 (McSweeney et al., 2008).

Current projections suggest that Cameroon will experience a moderate increase in temperature this century: 1.0 to 2.9oC by the 2060s and 1.5 to 4.7oC by 2090s. Warming is expected to be faster in the interior and slower in the coastal areas, and to reflect an increase in the number of “hot” days and nights and a decrease in “cold” days and nights (McSweeney et al., 2008). Although temperatures will rise, there is no consensus among climate models on projected mean annual rainfall. Models are, however, consistent in projecting increases in the proportion of total annual rainfall that falls in heavy events (-2 to +15 per cent) (McSweeney et al., 2008). This could have an impact on flooding. Sea level rise is also a concern for Cameroon. Depending upon future emissions scenarios, it is projected that the coastal areas of Cameroon could experience a rise in sea level of between 0.13 and 0.56 meters by 2090 (McSweeney et al., 2008). By 2100, sea level rise could lead to the displacement of 580,300 people and the destruction of 39,000 homes (CMEF, 2005).

Given these projected changes in climate, Cameroon identified a number of key vulnerabilities for two of its regions and for the health of its people within its First National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (CMEF, 2005). Concerns within its coastal zones include the potential for sea level rise to adversely affect mangrove forests by causing flooding, coastal erosion, sedimentation, and increased salinity. Along with the change in temperatures, this process could change the mangrove ecosystem, and the flora and fauna contained within it—and by extension affect the local shrimp fisheries. Sea level rise is also expected to cause saltwater to intrude the Dibamba and Wouri rivers, and into coastal aquifers, negatively impacting agriculture

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industries. Coastal infrastructure is also at risk. The Douala airport, due to its position at low altitude, could be threatened, particularly with the loss of mangrove forest protection. As well, there is the potential for increased sedimentation at Douala’s port. Overall, Cameroon estimated in its 2005 National Communication that its coastal industrial properties were at risk of experiencing up to 2.74 billion CFA in damages due to climate change by 2100 (CMEF, 2005).

In Cameroon’s interior Sudano-Sahelian zone, agricultural productivity is already expected to grow at a slower rate than population. Agriculture and livestock production will be most affected by any future changes in temperature, with agriculture production projected to decrease by between 10 and 25 per cent depending on the warming scenario (CMEF, 2005).

A third area of concern for Cameroon is its health sector. Climate change could bring about potential increases in the incidence of malaria (due to more heavy rainfall events) and the threat of cholera (due to greater flood risk). More positively, there is the potential for a decrease in the incidence of meningitis due to the decline in the length of the dry season (with which meningitis is typically associated) (CMEF, 2005).

B. National Level Policies and Strategic Documents Cameroon submitted its First National Communication in 2005, under the direction of the Ministry of Environment and Forests. This document is summarized in Table 1 below. Today, the Government of Cameroon aims to establish a country-wide approach to adaptation that would particularly test adaptation measures in the different eco-zones, taking a poverty reduction focus and integrating gender-sensitive approaches. The government has also established a body called the Cellule Nationale des Changements Climatiques, which is mandated to:  Create an inventory of national greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation measures;  Put into place an information system and database on climate change, and to establish an online home for this information to ensure its accessibility and dissemination;  Design sectoral projects addressing priority actions for climate change prevention, mitigation and adaptation; and  Evaluate the impacts and policies associated with adaptation and mitigation (CMEF, 2005).

Climate change adaptation and mitigation considerations have also been integrated into the country’s National Plan for Environmental Management (Plan National de Gestion de l’Environnement, PNGE). Greenhouse gas emissions have been designated a source of air

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pollution under the PNGE, to be reduced accordingly, and coastal zone management has been identified as a central component of the Plan. With Cameroon’s high vulnerability to sea level rise, coastal adaptation strategies will be included under the plan (CMEF, 2005).

Table 1: Key Government Policies and Reports reflecting Adaptation Needs, Priorities and Planned Actions Name of Policy Action Government Division Status Sector(s) of Focus Summary description Responsible 1. National Plan for Ministry of Environment Adopted in Multi-sectoral The objective of this national plan is to ensure national Environmental Management and Forests 1996 sustainable development through the protection of the environment and the sustainable use of natural resources. Climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies are included in the national plan in the areas of: reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the preservation of forests; coastal zone management; and the promotion of alternative energy sources. Greenhouse gas emissions are considered a form of air pollution in the plan. 2. Communication nationale Ministry of Environment Submitted in Agriculture, This document presents an inventory of greenhouse gas initiale du Cameroun sur les and Forests January 2005 Forests, Energy, emissions in Cameroon, identifies the negative impacts that changements climatiques Waste climate change might have on vulnerable populations and (Cameroon’s Initial National management, ecosystems in the country, and lists the necessary measures that Communication on Climate Coasts must be undertaken to respond to these challenges. Change)53

C. Current Adaptation Action Cameroon has more adaptation activities underway than any other country in Middle Africa. Nearly all of these initiatives are regional and global. Ongoing project are focused on a number of sectors, covering forests, water, coastal zones, agriculture, energy and natural resource management. They are designed as research, capacity building, knowledge sharing, awareness raising, vulnerability assessment, policy formation and community based adaptation projects (see Table 2 below).

Programs and projects active in Cameroon include the following:  Cameroon was one of eight countries that received funding in the AfricaAdapt Knowledge Sharing Innovation Fund in 2009. In this nationally focused project, the Association for the Promotion of the Environment and Sustainable Development

53 UNFCCC, http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/natc/cmrnc1f.pdf

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implemented a small project to increase awareness and improve the capacities of the country’s Pygmie communities to adapt to climate change (AfricaAdapt, 2009).  On a regional level, Cameroon is participating in the program, “Supporting Integrated and Comprehensive Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation in Africa,” or Africa Adaptation Programme, a multi-national, US$92 million initiative launched in 20 African countries by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in 2008. In Cameroon, a US$3 million project is being implemented with the goal of ensuring that the country has the institutional, individual and systemic capacity to address climate change risks and opportunities through a national approach to adaptation (UNDP, 2010b).  Cameroon is also participating in the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) program, co-financed by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Their project, “Altering the Climate of Poverty under Climate Change: The forests of the Congo Basin,” aims to underscore the importance of the Congo Basin forests in climate change adaptation efforts. This research and policy-formation project is also being implemented in neighboring Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and will rely on community participation and perspectives in all three countries to develop appropriate forest management strategies. It is being implemented by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), and is part of their larger global program on enhancing the role of forests in climate change adaptation (IDRC, 2008).  Under the same regional CCAA program, Cameroon is participating in the regional project “Advancing Capacity to Support Climate Change Adaptation.” The aim of the project is to reduce the vulnerability of poor populations in sub-Saharan countries to climate change by mobilizing scientists and other stakeholders to inform political decision-making. In Cameroon, the project will emphasize the “generation, organization and communication of information on the risks resulting from climate change, climate variability and extreme climatic events, as well as preparation for their effects on food security” (IDRC, 2007).  Cameroon is involved in a global Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF, n.d.) project examining its approach to building resilience to climate change in tropical mangroves and associated coral reefs. The vulnerability assessment and capacity building project is also being implemented in Tanzania, Fiji and India, though specific activities being carried out in each country are unknown.  Between 2007 and 2009, Helio International implemented a research project on climate-proofing energy systems in a number of African countries, including Cameroon and DR Congo. The objective of the project was to develop a methodology and indicators for assessing the vulnerability of energy systems to climate change, and to adapt these systems to climate change (Helio International, 2009).  As part of the Lake Chad watershed, Cameroon is also participating in the six-year “Lake Chad Sustainable Development Support Program,” a five-country, US$95 million effort to promote sustainable development in the Lake Chad Basin and reverse

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the watershed’s decline. One of the project’s specific objectives is to improve the adaptive capacity of the lake’s productive systems to climate change. The extent of activities being undertaken in Cameroon under the project is unclear (AfDB, 2009).  As a member of the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC), Cameroon will also benefit from COMIFAC’s current project on climate change scenarios for the Congo Basin. The extent of activities being carried out in Cameroon under the project is unknown, but it is hoped that these scenarios will enable decision makers in the country and throughout the COMIFAC region to adapt and prepare their natural resource management strategies to meet the regional challenges of climate change (BMU, 2010).  Cameroon’s First National Communication (CMEF, 2005) lists a number of indigenous climate change adaptation activities that have been undertaken by the farming communities in the Bénoué Valley (including: stockpiling, changing crops, scheduling changes, and damming the Bénoué River for improved water management).

Table 2: Current Adaptation Projects and Programs active in Cameroon Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) National Action 1. The Pygmies of Eastern This project aims to increase awareness and AfricaAdapt Association for Knowledge 2009 – 2010 Civil society Eastern Cameroon face Climate improve Pygmies’ capacity to adapt to the Promotion communicatio Cameroon Change (Les Pygmées de climate change. More specifically, it will of the n; Community l’Est du Cameroun face aux survey Pygmy perceptions on climate Environment based changements climatiques)54 change, provide them with a forum for and adaptation identifying the major climatic changes Sustainable affecting their lives and identifying Development adaptation options. Through these processes they will be able to articulate their expectations around the actions need to strengthen their resilience. Participation in Regional and Global Actions 2. Developing a Method for This project sought to develop a GEF/UNEP; WWF, Capacity 2007 – 2009 Coastal zone Global: Adaptive Management and generalizable approach for assessing WWF; Wetlands building management; Cameroon, Protection from Climate vulnerability and adaptation of mangroves Partner International, Ecosystem Fiji, Tanzania

54 AfricaAdapt, http://www.africa-adapt.net/aa/ProjectOverview.aspx?PID=uX2xuK8k67M%3d

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) Change in Mangrove and and associated ecosystems in high organizations Institute of conservation Coral Reef Ecosystems55 biodiversity tropical mangrove areas and Applied associated coral reed, sea-grass and upland Sciences, ecosystems. Wildlife Conservation Society, communities In Cameroon: More information required 3. Climate Proofing Energy The objective is to develop a methodology France; GIZ; Helio Research; 2007 – 2009 Energy African: Systems: Vulnerability- and indicators in order to evaluate the BMZ; IUCN; La International Assessment Benin, Adaptation-Resilience56 vulnerability of energy systems to climate Francophonie Burkina Faso, change and to adapt to climate change Cameroon, DRC, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda In Cameroon: Conducted an assessment of the vulnerability and resilience of energy systems to climate change in Cameroon 4. Advancing Capacity for The rational for this project is that countries IDRC; DEFRA; UNITAR Assessment; 2007 – 2010 Multi-sectoral Global Climate Change Adaptation lack scientific knowledge and understanding Swiss Federal Capacity 17 countries (ACCCA)57 of climate risks, and that this is an Office for the building; in Asia and impediment to addressing climate Environment; Policy Africa58 variability. Activities include the following: NCAP; formation and including identify and prioritize climate risks; assess European integration Mail, Niger available knowledge about risks and Commission and Nigeria adaptation opportunities; develop, test, and

55 Wetlands, http://wetlands.org/Whatwedo/Ourfieldprojects/Projectarchive/tabid/59/mod/601/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1994/Default.aspx 56 Helio, http://www.helio-international.org/projects/VAR09.cfm#reports 57 ACCCA, http://www.acccaproject.org/accca/ 58 African countries include: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Tanzania, Tunisia and South Africa. Asian countries include: Bangladesh, India, Mongolia, Nepal and the Philippines.

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) disseminate risk communication materials In Cameroon: “Climate variability and Climate Change in Northern Cameroon: Social that are designed to assist adaptation economic and adaptive strategies” decisions; and identify critical knowledge Objective: The pilot action sought to study the empirical relationship between agriculture gaps that impede effective adaptation and farming decisions concerning climate variability by identifying, evaluating and decisions. popularizing existing adaptation methods.59 5. Interdisciplinary and The project will identify the relations France’s Agence inter Research 2007 – 2011 Ecosystem Regional: Participative Research on between ecosystem vulnerabilities and Foreign établissements conservation Benin, Interactions between human populations in order to scientifically Affairs de la recherche Burkina Faso, Ecosystems, Climate And support political responses to climate Ministry pour le Cameroon, Societies in West Africa60 change. développemen Cape Verde, t (Inter- CAR, Chad, institutional Côte d’Ivoire, Research Gambia, Agency for Ghana, Development) Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo In Cameroon: to be determined. 6. Altering the Climate of This project aims to underscore the DFID through Center for Research; 2008 – 2011 Forestry Regional: Poverty under Climate importance of the Congo basin forests in IDRC’s CCAA International Community- Cameroon, Change: The forests of climate change adaptation efforts in program Forestry based CAR, DRC Congo Basin61 Cameroon, Central African Republic and the Research adaptation; Democratic Republic of Congo. Researchers (CIFOR) Policy will map adaptation priorities and policies in formation and

59 ACCCA, http://www.acccaproject.org/accca/files/ACCCA_Brochure_19pilotactions.pdf 60 http://www.aird.fr/ripiecsa/index.htm. 61 IDRC, http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-127591-201_104835-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html. This project is part of the larger CGIAR/CIFOR initiative “Enhancing the Role of Forests in Adaptation to Climate Change”: http://www.cifor.org/forest-research/research-themes/adapting-to-climate-change.html

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) the countries under study. They will engage integration with stakeholders to ensure that local In Cameroon: to be determined. perspectives are brought to bear on forest management strategies. 7. Supporting Integrated and Under this program, UNDP will assist 20 Japan UNDP Capacity 2008 – 2011 Government African: Comprehensive Approaches African countries in implementing International building; 20 African to Climate Change integrated and comprehensive adaptation Cooperation Policy countries63 Adaptation in Africa (or actions and resilience plans. The projects Agency formation and including Africa Adaptation Program – will ensure that national development integration; Cameroon, AAP)62 processes incorporate climate change risks Budget: Knowledge Gabon, and opportunities to secure development US$92.1 communicatio Republic of gains under a changing climate. UNDP will million n Congo, and help countries establish an enabling STP environment and develop the capacity In Cameroon: required to design, finance, implement, and  Objective: Cameroon has the institutional, individual and systemic capacity to address monitor long-term and cost-effective climate change risks and opportunities through a national approach to adaptation adaptation policies and plans.  Implementing organization: Ministry of Environment and the Protection of Nature  Budget: US$3 million 8. Climate Change Scenarios The project aims to provide national and BMU (Federal GIZ and Research 2009 – 2011 Climate African: for the Congo Basin64 regional decision-makers with climate Ministry for COMIFAC information COMIFAC change scenarios that have been calculated the services (Burundi, specifically for the Congo Basin, and which Environment, Cameroon, will enable them to adapt natural resource Nature CAR, Chad, management strategies to climate change. Conservation Congo, DRC, and Nuclear Equatorial Safety, Guinea, Germany) Gabon, Rwanda, Sao

62 ALM, http://www.adaptationlearning.net/program/africa-adaptation-programme and UNDP-APP, http://www.undp-aap.org/ 63 These countries are Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome et Principe, Senegal, Tanzania and Tunisia. 64 BMU, http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) Tome and Principe) In Cameroon: More information required 9. Lake Chad Sustainable To promote sustainable development in the African Lake Chad Field 2009 – 2015 Watershed African: Development Support Lake Chad Basin, this project will do several Development Basin implementati management Cameroon, Program (PRODEBALT)65 things: clean out the Vrick canal to augment Bank, Commission on the Central the volume of water flowing into the lake; Government African undertake feasibility and implementation of Chad, other Republic, studies on transferring waters from the co-financing Chad, Niger, Oubangui River in the Central African Nigeria, Republic to the lake; and undertake studies Budget: to reduce the water losses provoked by the US$95 million many small dams built on the waterways Proportion of feeding the lake. Judicious, integrated budget for management of the basin’s natural Middle Africa: resources is expected to increase the $11.69 million incomes of the target populations, In Cameroon: More information needed particularly women, by 67% on average, and to improve food security. One of the project’s specific objectives is to improve the adaptive capacity of the lake’s productive systems to climate change.

D. Proposed Adaptation Action Cameroon is not categorized as a least developing country, and as such will not be preparing a National Adaptation Programme of Action for the UNFCCC. Nevertheless, to reduce its climate vulnerabilities, the country did identify a number of planned adaptation strategies in its Initial National Communication (2005):  In mangrove/coastal zones: improved zoning requirements in the coastal zones and resettlement programs; improved, resilient housing; and improved protection through the construction of dikes.

65 AfDB, http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-z1-cz0-002/#

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 In the health sector: in the Waza-Logone area, undertake preventive initiatives (education and communication programs, improved water systems, early warning systems for natural disasters, improved access to health services, improved capacity for health workers, better distribution of medication, improved sanitation information, etc.); improvements to basic sanitation infrastructure; anti-malaria and anti-schistosomiasis campaigns; and increased measures in place to reduce vector-borne diseases.  Proposed administrative and organizational strategies: improved coordination between institutions involved in the management of epidemics and natural disasters; the establishment of the national disaster management program; and the creation of a fund for emergency responses to natural disasters.

Cameroon has also formulated, though not yet implemented, a National Programme for Food Security (Programme National pour la Sécurité Alimentaire) in conjunction with Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The goal of the program is to increase production and productivity of the agricultural sector to ensure national food security, which will address one of the key vulnerabilities identified in the First National Communication (agriculture and food security in the Sudano-Sahelian zone).

One additional project has been proposed to the Special Climate Change Fund on adaptation options for the agricultural sector (see Table 3 below).

Table 3: Proposed Adaptation Projects and Programs in Cameroon Name Objectives Type of project Priority Sector(s) Geographic focus (if any) 1. Microeconomic Costing of Discrete Adaptation Options in To be identified Research Agriculture Regional: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Agriculture Sector: A Sub-National Level Analysis of the Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Welfare Gains of Dynamic Adaptation66 Niger, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia Notes: Proposed to the Special Climate Change Fund

E. Assessment The Government of Cameroon has been quite active in integrating climate change into national environmental strategies (such as the National Plan for Environmental Management), and is in the process of formulating a country-wide approach to adaptation (see Section B). It has also submitted its Initial National Communication to the UNFCCC, which identified three main areas of climate change vulnerability: health, agriculture (specifically in the Sudano-Sahelian zone) and the country’s coastal zone. To respond to needs in these and other areas, Cameroon has been able to attract adaptation funding from a variety of diverse sources, including multilateral (African

66 GEF, http://www.thegef.org/gef/sites/thegef.org/files/publication/adaptation-actions_0.pdf

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Development Bank), bilateral (DFID, JICA), and non-government organizations (IDRC, AfricaAdapt). Current adaptation activities are concentrated on a number of diverse sectors, including policy formation, forests, energy, mangroves, watershed management and climate scenarios. Agriculture, health and (to a somewhat lesser extent) the country’s coastal zone are largely confined to proposed adaptation strategies, rather than implemented activities. This represents an opportunity for future adaptation investment. The gender implications of climate change are not a prominent component of any current adaptation project or proposed strategy; these could be integrated into current and future proposals as appropriate. It is encouraging that the government has included gender-sensitive approaches in its plans to establish a country-wide approach to adaptation (see Section B), making it the only country in the region to include such considerations.

References: AfricaAdapt (2009). AfricaAdapt Knowledge Sharing Innovation Fund. Retrieved from http://www.africa- adapt.net/aa/ProjectOverview.aspx?PID=wOrGUSXnVTs%3d

African Development Bank [AfDB] (2009). Lake Chad Sustainable Development Support Program (PRODEBALT). African Development Bank: Tunis. Retrieved from http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-z1-cz0-002/#

Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit [BMU] (2010). Climate change scenarios for the Congo Basin. Retrieved from http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

Cameroon Ministry of Environment and Forests [CMEF] (2005). First National Communication. Ministry of Environment and Forests of the Republic of Cameroon, Yaoundé

EcoSecurities (2009). Land and Climate Change Finance in Central Africa: Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Activities in Central Africa and Options for Improving Access to Climate Change Finance Supporting the UNCCD. Working Document prepared for the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD and COMIFAC, Rome.

Helio International (2009). Energy Systems: Vulnerability-Adaptation-Resilience: Cameroon. Paris. Retrieved from http://www.helio- international.org/uploads/VARCameroun.En.pdf

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International Development Research Centre [IDRC] (2008). Altering the Climate of Poverty under Climate Change: The forests of Congo Basin. IDRC: Ottawa. Retrieved from http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-127591-201_104835-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html

International Development Research Centre [IDRC] (2007). Advancing capacity to support climate change adaptation: Five pilot projects. IDRC: Ottawa. Retrieved from http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-127591-201_104695-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html

McSweeney, C., M. New and G. Lizcano (2008). UNDP Climate Change Country Profiles: Cameroon. Oxford: United Nations Development Programme and University of Oxford

Organization for Economic Development and Co-operation [OECD] (2009). DAC List of ODA Recipients: Effective for reporting on 2009 and 2010 flows. Retrieved in September 2010 from: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/32/40/43540882.pdf

United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] (2010a). Human Development Report 2010: The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development. United Nations Development Programme: New York.

United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] (2010b). Project: Cameroon: Supporting Integrated and Comprehensive Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation in Africa. United Nations Development Program: New York. Retrieved from http://www.undp-adaptation.org/portfolio/projectR.php?id=110

United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] (2010). State of World Population 2010: From conflict and crisis to renewal: generations of change. New York: United Nations Population Fund.

United States Department of State [USDS] (2010). Background Note: Cameroon. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/26431.htm

World Bank (undated). Climate Change Knowledge Portal. Retrieved from http://sdwebx.worldbank.org/climateportal/

World Wide Fund for Nature [WWF] (undated). Climate change impacts in Cameroon. Retrieved from http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/aboutcc/problems/rising_temperatures/hotspot_map/cameroon.cfm

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3.0 Central African Republic

BMU Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit (Germany) CAR Central African Republic CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research CIFOR Center for International Forestry Research CMEFCPE Central African Republic Ministere des Eaux, Forets, Chasse & Peche et de l’Environnement COMIFAC Central African Forests Commission DFID Department for International Development (UK) DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo GDP Gross Domestic Product GEF Global Environment Facility GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (Germany) IDRC International Development Research Centre LDCF Least Developed Countries Fund NAPA National Adaptation Programme of Action PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFPA United Nations Population Fund

The landlocked country of the Central Africa Republic (CAR) has rich agricultural lands, a favorable climate and significant natural resources. Yet it is currently among the least developed countries in the world,67 with a per capita GDP of US$458 (in 2008; UNDP, 2010c). The majority of CAR’s population of 4.5 million people (est. in 2010)68 earns their livelihood through agriculture (75 per cent of the workforce). Agriculture is also the main economic sector of the country; CAR earns 55 per cent of its annual GDP primarily though the production and sale of timber, cotton and livestock. Other main economic sectors are industry (15 per cent of GDP, primarily from

67 CAR is currently ranked 159 of 169 on the UNDP Human Development Index (UNDP, 2010). 68 The population of CAR is projected to reach 7.6 million in 2050 (UNFPA, 2010).

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diamond mining and sawmills) and services (30 per cent of GDP). CAR is home to a significant part of the Congo Basin rainforest, where little logging and exploitation has taken place to date due to poor infrastructure. The present climate of CAR is tropical, with a humid equatorial climate in the south and a Sahelo-Sudanian climate in the north. The country experiences hot, dry winters and mild to hot, wet summers.

A. Adaptation Needs and Priorities Climate projections suggest that CAR will experience moderate increases in temperature (1 to 2.5oC) by 2050, with no significant change in mean annual rainfall or consecutive dry days. A significant increase in runoff (more than 35 per cent) due to more intense rainfall events could lead to shifts in biodiversity and ecosystems, increase in agricultural land and promote floods (World Bank, n.d.).

The negative impacts of these projected changes in CAR’s climate are expected to be concentrated in its wetter regions, primarily the southern Guinean forest belt and the northern Sahelo-Sudanese zones, rather than the intermediate Sudano-Guinean zone. Adverse impacts could include: increased risk of flooding; damage to dam infrastructure; and lowered agriculture, agroforestry and pastoralism productivity (CMEFCPE, 2008).

Given these projected changes, the following key vulnerabilities were identified in the CAR’s 2008 National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) (CMEFCPE, 2008); adaptation strategies recommended in the NAPA are listed in Section D:  Agriculture and food security: Existing agricultural yields and productivity in CAR remain fragile, and already do not meet the food security needs of the country. Rainfall has a strong impact on soil productivity, the selection of appropriate crops, and pastures; any change in rainfall patterns therefore will impact the productivity of the agricultural and pastoral system. Flooding along the country’s rivers has been identified as the principal threat for both farmland and pastures.  Forestry: Changes in temperature and subsequent shifts in rainfall distribution could have significant impacts on the country’s forest resources, and on the populations that depend on these resources. This threat is most acute in the north of the country, where desertification is already a significant challenge. Although there is significant variability among different forest regions across the country, some of the common threats include: bushfires, drought, violent winds, over-exploitation of forest resources, population growth, and seasonal illness and disease.  Water resources: Water resources in the country’s two principal basins (the Chari and the Obangui) are expected to suffer from declining volume and quality.

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 Health: The country already faces significant health challenges due to poor sanitation, low access to potable water and a high prevalence of HIV infection (15 per cent of the population). Health risks, particularly water-borne risks, increase during the dry season; the northern part of the country, for example, is afflicted by an increased prevalence of meningitis during the dry season. The vulnerability of CAR to climate change is increased by the significant proportion of the population that lacks easy access to health services, and by low public awareness of climate-related health risks and the non-existence of management systems to address (and prevent) these problems. Women, children and the elderly are most vulnerable to climate-related health threats.  Energy: CAR has significant potential for the development of hydroelectricity, but this form of energy production is likely to be impacted by future changes in annual rainfall distribution (spatial and temporal) and volume.

B. National Level Policies and Strategic Documents  Under the UNFCCC, CAR has submitted its First National Communication (2003) and its National Adaptation Programme of Action (CMEFCPE, 2008). Both of these documents were prepared by the Ministry responsible for the environment and are summarized in Table 1 below.  No explicit mention of climate change adaptation has been included in the country’s most recent Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper progress report.  Climate change policies are typically well-aligned with the CAR’s National Action Plan to Fight against Desertification and the National Biodiversity Strategy (GEF, 2010).

Table 1: Key Government Policies and Reports reflecting Adaptation Needs, Priorities and Planned Actions Name of Policy Action Government Division Status Sector(s) of Focus Summary description Responsible 1. First National Communication Ministry of Water, Submitted Agriculture, energy, CAR’s first submission to the UNFCCC presented a summary of the of the Central African Forests, Hunting, June 2003 forests national context, provided an inventory of the country’s greenhouse Republic under the UNFCCC69 Fishing, the gas emissions, and presented national vulnerabilities in the Environment and agriculture, energy and forestry sectors. It then presented a number Tourism of adaptation strategies for addressing these vulnerabilities. 2. National Adaptation Ministry of Water, Submitted Agriculture and food CAR’s NAPA first presents the country’s context (geographic, socio- Programme of Action70 Forests, Hunting, May 2008 security, forests, economic, demographic and political), before listing the expected

69 UNFCCC, http://unfccc.int/essential_background/library/items/3599.php?rec=j&priref=3848#beg 70 UNFCCC, http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/napa/caf01f.pdf

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Name of Policy Action Government Division Status Sector(s) of Focus Summary description Responsible Fishing and the energy, health, impacts of increased greenhouse gas emissions on rainfall and Environment water, natural temperature across the country. It then conducts a sectoral analysis disasters of climate change vulnerabilities, focusing on agriculture, forests, energy, health and water resources. It concludes by identifying priority areas for action and corresponding projects that will help respond to these challenges.

C. Current Adaptation Action CAR is currently benefitting from a moderate number of adaptation projects relative to its regional neighbors, mostly through its involvement in regional programs. These include:  A US$5.56 million project partially funded by the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) on strengthening climate risk management capacity for enhanced food security and rural livelihoods that was approved in January 2011. The project, “Integrated Adaptation Programme to Combat the Effects of Climate Change on Agricultural Production and Food Security in CAR,” includes a mix of capacity building, knowledge sharing and policy formation. It will concentrate on the agricultural sector, which was identified in the 2008 NAPA as an area of key vulnerability. The project will be implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Agriculture. This new project is well aligned with the objectives of the CAR’s first National Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSPI, 2008-2010), which focused on agricultural development and sustainability as a key issue in the strategy of “Rebuild and Diversify the Economy” (GEF, 2010b). This project also supports a US$1.2 million national government program on revitalizing the agricultural sector; it will do so by “promoting sustainable agricultural development through the reinforcement of climate risk management capacity” (GEF, 2010b).  On a regional level, CAR is participating in the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa program, co-financed by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Their project, “Altering the Climate of Poverty under Climate Change: The forests of the Congo Basin,” aims to underscore the importance of the Congo Basin forests in climate change adaptation efforts. This research and policy formation project is also being implemented in neighboring Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and will rely on community participation and perspectives in all three countries to develop appropriate forest management strategies. It is being implemented by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), and is part of their larger global program on enhancing the role of forests in climate change adaptation (IDRC, 2008).

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 As part of the Lake Chad watershed, CAR is also participating in the six-year “Lake Chad Sustainable Development Support Program,” a five-country, US$95 million effort to promote sustainable development in the Lake Chad Basin and reverse the watershed’s decline. One of the project’s specific objectives is to improve the adaptive capacity of the lake’s productive systems to climate change. For CAR, the project will include a significant research component on the feasibility and implementation options for transferring waters from the Oubangui River (in CAR) to the lake (AfDB, 2009).  As a member of the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC), CAR will also benefit from COMIFAC’s current project on climate change scenarios for the Congo Basin. The extent of activities being carried out in CAR under the project is unknown, but it is hoped that these scenarios will enable decision makers in the country and throughout the COMIFAC region to adapt and prepare their natural resource management strategies to meet the regional challenges of climate change (BMU, 2010).

Table 2: Current Adaptation Projects and Programs active in Central African Republic Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of project Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) Sector(s) focus (if any) National Action 1. Integrated Adaptation Strengthening climate risk management LDCF UNDP and Capacity 2011 – 2014 Agriculture National Programme to Combat capacity for enhanced food security and rural Ministry of building; the Effects of Climate livelihoods in CAR. The project is focused on Budget: Agriculture Knowledge Change on Agricultural policy development, management of risk $5,560,000 communication Production and Food associated with climate vulnerability, and ; Policy Security in CAR71 knowledge management. formation and integration Participation in Regional and Global Actions 2. Interdisciplinary and The project will identify the relations between France’s Agence inter Research 2007 – 2011 Ecosystem Regional: Participative Research ecosystem vulnerabilities and human Foreign Affairs établissements conservation Benin, on Interactions between populations in order to scientifically support Ministry de la recherche Burkina Ecosystems, Climate political responses to climate change. pour le Faso, And Societies in West développemen Cameroon, Africa72 t (Inter- Cape Verde, institutional CAR, Chad,

71 GEF, http://www.thegef.org/gef/sites/thegef.org/files/documents/document/12-20-2010%20%20ID4318%20%20Council%20Letter.pdf 72 http://www.aird.fr/ripiecsa/index.htm.

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of project Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) Sector(s) focus (if any) Research Côte Agency for d’Ivoire, Development) Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo In CAR: to be determined. 3. Altering the Climate This project aims to underscore the importance DFID through Center for Research; 2008 – 2011 Forestry Regional: of Poverty under of the Congo Basin forests in climate change IDRC’s CCAA International Community- Cameroon, Climate Change: The adaptation efforts in Cameroon, CAR and the program Forestry based CAR, DRC forests of Congo DRC. Researchers will map adaptation priorities Research adaptation; Basin73 and policies in the countries under study. They (CIFOR) Policy will engage with stakeholders to ensure that formation and local perspectives are brought to bear on forest integration management strategies. In CAR: to be determined. 4. Climate Change The project aims to provide national and BMU GIZ and Research 2009 – 2011 Climate African: Scenarios for the Congo regional decision-makers with climate change COMIFAC information COMIFAC Basin74 scenarios that have been calculated specifically services (Burundi, for the Congo Basin, and which will enable them Cameroon, to adapt natural resource management CAR, Chad, strategies to climate change. Congo, DRC, Equatorial Guinea,

73 IDRC, http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-127593-201_104835-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html. This project is part of the larger CGIAR/CIFOR initiative “Enhancing the Role of Forests in Adaptation to Climate Change”: http://www.cifor.org/forest-research/research-themes/adapting-to-climate-change.html 74 BMU, http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of project Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) Sector(s) focus (if any) Gabon, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe) In CAR: More information required 5. Lake Chad Sustainable To promote sustainable development in the African Lake Chad Field 2009 – 2015 Watershed African: Development Support Lake Chad Basin, this project will do several Development Basin implementatio management Cameroon, Program things: clean out the Vrick canal to augment the Bank, Commission n CAR, Chad (PRODEBALT)75 volume of water flowing into the lake; Government of Niger, undertake feasibility and implementation Chad, other co- Nigeria, studies on transferring waters from the financing Oubangui River in the Central African Republic to the lake and undertake studies to reduce the Budget: US$95 water losses provoked by the many small dams million built on the waterways feeding the lake. Judicious, integrated management of the Proportion of basin’s natural resources is expected to increase budget for the incomes of the target populations, Middle Africa: particularly women, by 67% on average, and to US$11.69 improve food security. One of the project’s million specific objectives is to improve the adaptive In CAR: Undertake feasibility and implementation studies on transferring waters from the capacity of the lake’s productive systems to Oubangui River in the Central African Republic to the lake. climate change.

D. Proposed Adaptation Action The Government of CAR submitted their National Adaptation Programme of Action to the UNFCCC in 2008. In this document, they propose ten adaptation projects and programs designed to address the country’s vulnerabilities to climate change. The proposed projects address all of the key vulnerabilities identified in CAR’s NAPA, namely: agriculture and food security; forestry; water resources, health and energy. Forests receive the most attention, with five of the ten projects containing a forestry component. Forestry projects include: capacity building among communities for forest management; promoting urban and peri-urban forestry; community participation in

75 AfBD, http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-z1-cz0-002/#

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reforestation projects; and promoting the use of wood by-products for carbon production. Agriculture and food security, water, energy and health are all addressed to a lesser degree. Agriculture and food security projects focus on awareness-raising on sustainable natural resource management among pastoral communities, and on research into drought-resistant seed varieties. The proposed water project is infrastructure-based, aiming to provide clean drinking water to the Imohoro community. Energy projects focus on the production of charcoal for domestic use, while the proposed health project is an awareness-raising effort targeting the prevention of water-borne diseases. The NAPA also proposes two projects on disaster risk reduction, one which aims to improve climate monitoring and information generation for the purpose of early disaster warning, and the second which will focus on strengthening community capacities to adapt to the risk of abrupt climate change.

There is a strong mix in the types of projects proposed in the NAPAs: from research and awareness-raising to capacity and infrastructure building. Half of the proposed projects focus on community-based adaptation. The proposals are quite geographically specific, with many expected to be implemented in specific districts or communities.

Table 3: Proposed Adaptation Projects and Programs from the Central African Republic’s National Adaptation Programme of Action Name Objectives Type of project Priority Sector(s) Geographic focus (if any) 1. Building community institutional To strengthen community leadership in natural Community-based Forestry; Ecosystem Bangassou forest capacities for eco-development resource management, and improve the contribution adaptation; conservation of local communities in resource conservation. The Capacity building project will also contain a micro-credit component Notes: geared toward the generation of alternate incomes. 2. Promoting urban and suburban To increase vegetation coverage in the peri-urban Field implementation; Forestry; Peri-urban Bossangoa forests zone of Bossangoa for carbon sequestration, and Knowledge areas through re-forestation produce wood for a number communication of different uses. Notes: 3. Management of the native To reduce the vulnerability of pastoralists to climate Community based Pastoralism; Bossemptele vegetation for the restoration of change, the project will focus on awareness-raising adaptation; Ecosystem degraded pastoral areas and education programs focusing on sustainable Knowledge conservation natural resource management. communication Notes: 4. Implementation of climate change- To contribute to improved food security in the face Research; Agriculture Centre, north and resistant varieties of an increasingly unpredictable dry season through Assessment southeast of the

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Name Objectives Type of project Priority Sector(s) Geographic focus (if any) research on the interaction between climate and country food crops in CAR. The project will also aim to Notes: increase agricultural productivity through the provision of drought-resistant seed varieties. It will also include efforts to strengthen national climate monitoring capacities 5. Improvement of the drinking water To improve the standard of living among the Field implementation Freshwater supply Imohoro system population in Imohoro through the provision of an Notes: Most natural drinking sources have dried up, with conflicting improved, potable water source. claims over those that still exist. 6. Strengthening local To reduce vulnerability to abrupt climate change Knowledge Disaster risk community/authority capacities on through awareness raising programs and campaigns communication management the risks of abrupt climate change Notes: 7. Prevention of water-borne diseases To improve health conditions among communities Knowledge Human health and other seasonal pathologies in vulnerable to the negative health impacts of climate communication; Field rural areas change (i.e. distribution of mosquito nets, early implementation warning systems for climate-related epidemics, Notes: awareness-raising campaigns). 8. Community participation in The project will aim to improve the exploitation and Community based Forestry The southeast of reforestation programs and forest management of the country’s forest resources adaptation Ombella M’Poko management through the establishment of local conservation Notes: structures. It will also focus to a degree on reforestation initiatives. 9. Promoting the use of wood To promote the use of wood byproducts from Field implementation; Energy; Forestry Nola (southwest) byproducts for carbon production forestry companies operating in the southwest in the Capacity building production of charcoal for domestic use. Notes: 10. Implementation of an early warning To strengthen the technical and employee capacities Capacity building; Climate information and prevention system/Mitigation of of the national meteorological service, and to Field implementation services harmful effects of abrupt climate improve national climate monitoring infrastructure. Notes: change in local communities

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E. Assessment The most significant adaptation action in the country is focused on agriculture and food security; given the composition of the country’s economy and the workforce, it is understandable that the government has focused on this sector. National climate change vulnerabilities in the health, energy, water and forestry sectors have not yet been addressed at the national level. This is an opportunity for future investments in adaptation. As well, the gender implications of climate change are not a prominent component of any current adaptation project or proposed strategy; greater attention to this area could be included in future projects as appropriate.

Adaptation activities proposed in the NAPA carry with them a strong preference for community-based adaptation; however, this focus is not reflected in the adaptation projects currently being implemented. In addition, ongoing adaptation projects are being implemented by government, United Nation and external actors, and as such these projects do not point to a strong domestic capacity among CAR’s civil society to implement adaptation projects or programs. The projects currently being implemented in the country reflect a reasonably diverse set of funders for adaptation projects, reflecting CAR’s capacity to secure funding from multilateral, bilateral and NGO sources.

References: African Development Bank [AfDB] (2009). Lake Chad Sustainable Development Support Program (PRODEBALT). African Development Bank: Tunis. Retrieved from http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-z1-cz0-002/#

Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit [BMU] (2010). Climate Change Scenarios for the Congo Basin. Retrieved from http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

Central African Republic Ministere des Eaux, Forets, Chasse & Peche et de l’Environnement [CMEFCPE] (2008). Programme D’action National d’adaptation (PANA) aux Changements Climatiques. Retrieved from http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/napa/caf01f.pdf

Global Environment Facility [GEF] (2010). Project Identification Form: Integrated Adaptation Programme to Combat the Effects of Climate Change on Agricultural Production and Food Security in Central African Republic. GEF: Washington. Retrieved from http://www.thegef.org/gef/sites/thegef.org/files/documents/document/12-20-2010%20%20ID4318%20%20Council%20Letter.pdf

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International Development Research Centre [IDRC] (2008). Altering the Climate of Poverty under Climate Change: The forests of Congo Basin. IDRC: Ottawa. Retrieved from http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-127593-201_104835-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html

United National Development Programme [UNDP] (2010). Human Development Report 2010: The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development. New York: United Nations Development Programme.

United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] (2010). State of World Population 2010: From conflict and crisis to renewal: generations of change, United Nations Population Fund: New York.

World Bank (undated). Climate Change Knowledge Portal. Retrieved from http://sdwebx.worldbank.org/climateportal/

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4.0 Chad

AfDB African Development Bank ARC ARGHYMET Regional Centre BMU Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit (Germany) CAR Central African Republic CMEWF Chad Ministry of the Environment, Water and Fisheries CIDA Canadian International Development Agency CILSS Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel COMIFAC Central African Forests Commission DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo GDP Gross Domestic Product GEF Global Environment Facility GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (Germany) FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FNC First National Communication LDCF Least Developed Countries Fund NAPA National Adaptation Programme of Action PNSA Programme National pour la Sécurité Alimentaire SCCF Special Climate Change Fund UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFPA United Nations Population Fund UNITAR United Nations Institute for Training and Research

The Republic of Chad is dominated by the Saharan desert in its north (covering half of its 1,284,634 km2). The Sahelian ecological zone runs through the center of the country, and is characterized by poor soils and scrubland. In the south, the wetter Sudanian savanna zone is dominated by forest and wooded savannah. The country’s unique position within the Middle Africa region aligns it with both the Congo Basin and the Sahel (as a member of both the Central African Forests Commission [COMIFAC] and the Permanent Interstate

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Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel [CILSS]). Landlocked, the country is home to about 11.5 million people (2010 estimate), only 28 per cent of whom live in urban areas (UNFPA, 2010).76

The main economic sectors in the country are: industry (responsible for 48.8 per cent of GDP, mostly from petroleum products); services (37.6 per cent of GDP); agriculture (13.6 per cent of GDP, principally cotton and livestock). Although agriculture is not the main economic sector of Chad, more than 80 per cent of the country’s workforce is engaged in this sector (USDS, 2010). Chad is among the poorest countries in the world—ranked 163 out of 169 countries on the UNDP Human Development Index (UNDP 2010). GDP per capita in 2008 was US$770 per year (UNDP, 2010), and only 3 per cent of the population has access to electricity. This low level of electrification places huge pressure on forest resources as wood and charcoal remain the principle sources of energy. Exploitation of these resources is contributing to desertification (OneWorld, 2010).

The main non-climate environmental pressures facing Chad include population growth, deforestation, overgrazing, poaching, erosion, waste pollution (litter), soil pollution, brushfires and ground and surface water pollution. Unsustainable levels of water extraction and population pressures have contributed to Lake Chad’s loss of approximately 90 per cent of its surface area in the past 40 years. The second largest lake in Africa, Lake Chad is currently very shallow, thereby very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change (OneWorld, 2010).

A. Adaptation Needs and Priorities The climate of the northern, Saharan desert region of Chad today is very dry throughout the year. Its central plain is hot and dry, with an intense rainy season mid-June to mid-September. In the southern Sudanian savanna lowlands, the climate is warm and more humid, with an intense rainy season from late May to early October. Temperatures in the country range in the winter from 11 to 20oC, and in the summer from 39 to 45oC. Mean annual temperatures in Chad have increased by 0.7oC since 1960 (McSweeney et al., 2008).

Chad is projected to experience a moderate increase in temperature of between 0.6 and 1.3oC (under a medium warming scenario) by 2023 and 1 to 2.5oC of warming expected by 2050. It is expected that the number of “hot” days and nights will increase, while there will be a decrease in the number of “cold” days and nights (McSweeney et al., 2008; World Bank, n.d.).With respect to precipitation changes, model simulations for the Sahel remain widely divergent; some models estimate that mean annual precipitation could decrease by up to 28 per cent, while others suggest that it could increase by up to 29 per cent by the 2090s. A significant increase in extreme rainfall events

76 Estimated population for Chad in 2050 is 27.8 million people (UNFPA, 2010).

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(greater than 50 mm in the maximum five-day precipitation) has also been projected—a change that could increase runoff and flooding conditions (McSweeney et al., 2008; World Bank, n.d.).

Reflecting these projected changes, the following key vulnerabilities were identified in Chad’s National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) released in 2010 (CMEWF, 2010):  Agriculture: with 80 per cent of its workforce dependent on agriculture and husbandry, the country is highly vulnerable to climate shifts. It therefore not a surprise that the potential for climate change to bring about a loss of biomass, disappearance of certain crop species, lower yields and increased food deficits is of concern to Chad. Potential outcomes of climate change include reduced agricultural productivity in the south, failed harvests in the Sahelian belt, livestock deaths due to insufficient water resources and reduced fish populations. The length of the growing period could be reduced by more than 20 per cent by 2050, and a near-elimination of rainfed mixed crop/livestock systems could occur within this same timeframe. Of particular concern is the potential for the area suitable for cotton cultivation to be reduced due to economic and climatic reasons. So too is the possible impact of climate change on livestock and pastoralism; Chad projects that climate change could led to abandonment of traditional pastoral zones, modified migration patterns, livestock deaths, loss of genetic diversity, fodder deficits, pressure on protected areas and lower livestock yields.  Fisheries: concerns include an increase in the number of subsistence fishers who have abandoned agriculture and livestock for fishing, migration towards Lake Chad and lower fish stocks.  Forest resources: climate change could result in lower vegetation cover, degraded soils, deterioration in the ecosystem services provided by the forests, stronger winds and less rainfall.  Freshwater resources: stronger flooding, increased demands on water resources, excessive exploitation, increased evaporation rates and significantly increased extraction (with population growth) are cited as sources of vulnerability.  Population: increased pressures for the best land, internal and external migration, rural exodus, and greater pressure on urban structures and services.  Transport: degraded road networks and increased transportation costs.  Industry: increased difficulty in supplying products and inputs.  Human health and nutrition: Chad currently has weak access to basic health services among most of the population, leading in part to low life expectancy77 and high mortality rates (infant, children, maternal), and low capacity to address the threat of disease

77 Life expectancy at birth in Chad in 2010 was 49.2 years (UNDP, 2010).

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(including respiratory, malaria, diarrhea, cardio-vascular disease, cholera, meningitis, skin and eye diseases). Climate change will place an additional burden on an already vulnerable system.

B. National Level Policies and Strategic Documents Chad has submitted both its First National Communication (in 2001) and, in 2010, its National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA). Both of these documents were prepared by the National High Commission for the Environment. The government has stated that its NAPA is to be implemented in complete coherence with national and sectoral policies on the development of the country. To support integration of climate change adaptation into government policies, the state has also proposed the creation of a new government agency tasked with the integration of the NAPA agenda into the Chad’s human development policies. Summary descriptions of Chad’s National Communication and NAPA can be found in Table 1.

Table 1: Key Government Policies and Reports reflecting Adaptation Needs, Priorities and Planned Actions Name of Policy Action Government Division Status Sector(s) of Focus Summary description Responsible 1. First National Communication Ministry of the August 2001 Energy, industry, Chad’s First National Communication (FNC) outlines its to the UNFCCC78 Environment and transportation, agriculture, national context, and then provides an inventory of Water livestock, forests, land and national greenhouse gas emissions. It then lists existing waste and potential mitigation measures, as well as existing climate change vulnerabilities and adaptation challenges. The FNC provides an inventory of domestic research and observation institutes, and efforts at public awareness-raising. It concludes with a set of proposals for projects designed to address these adaptation and mitigation challenges. 2. National Adaptation Ministry of the Submitted Key sectors identified: The Chad NAPA begins with a description of the Programme of Action79 Environment, Water February 2010 agriculture, livestock, country’s socio-economic and biophysical contexts. It and Freshwater freshwater fisheries, food then lists the observed and projected negative impacts fisheries security, water, settlements, of climate change through summaries of the findings of transportation, industry and policy key documents. It next describes how climate health change will impact national development objectives,

78 UNFCCC, http://unfccc.int/essential_background/library/items/3599.php?rec=j&priref=3198#beg 79 UNFCCC, http://unfccc.int/essential_background/library/items/3599.php?such=j&symbol=TCD/NAPA/1%20E#beg

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Name of Policy Action Government Division Status Sector(s) of Focus Summary description Responsible and lists priority projects designed to minimize these negative impacts.

C. Current Adaptation Action Chad is currently involved in a high number of adaptation projects relative to is Middle African counterparts, the majority of which are multi-country adaptation projects (see Table 2 below). Most of the adaptation activities underway are research-based projects aimed at generating stronger climate information upon which policies and adaptation strategies can be based. There is a strong focus on water and agriculture (food security or pastoralism). Existing projects reflect a number of diverse funding sources, including multilateral (African Development Bank, FAO), bilateral (CIDA, BMU) and non-governmental organizations (AfricaAdapt).

Ongoing adaptation in Chad consists of:  Given its central position in the Lake Chad watershed, the Government of Chad is leading (and partially financing) the six-year “Lake Chad Sustainable Development Support Program,” a five-country, US$95 million effort to promote sustainable development in the Lake Chad Basin and reverse the watershed’s decline. One of the project’s specific objectives is to improve the adaptive capacity of the lake’s productive systems to climate change, though it is unclear what proportion of activities under this project will relate directly to adaptation. The project will also include a significant infrastructure component, focused on cleaning out the Vrick Canal to increase the flow of water into the lake (AfDB, 2009).  Chad was one of eight countries that received funding in the AfricaAdapt Knowledge Sharing Innovation Fund in 2009. With support from the fund, the Association of Pulaar Women of Chad implemented a small project to create a knowledge sharing film on experiences of adapting to climate change in the country (AfricaAdapt, 2009).  As a member of COMIFAC, Chad will also benefit from its current project on climate change scenarios for the Congo Basin. The extent of activities being carried out in Chad under the project is unknown, but it is hoped that these scenarios will enable decision makers in the country and throughout the COMIFAC region to adapt and prepare their natural resource management strategies to meet the regional challenges of climate change (BMU, 2010).  The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has included a commitment to support adaptation in Chad in its Action Pledges to the Nairobi Work Programme. Under this initiative, FAO will undertake a number of research and pilot projects on agriculture-based adaptation strategies. Specific activities to be carried out in Chad are unknown (FAO, 2010a).

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 The Government of Chad, in conjunction with FAO, has produced a National Programme for Food Security (Programme National pour la Sécurité Alimentaire).80 Currently under implementation, the goal of the program is to increase production and productivity of the agricultural sector to ensure national food security (FAO, 2009).  With funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World Conservation Monitoring Centre is implementing a regional project focused on climate proofing protected areas in West Africa. One of five pilot projects implemented as part of this regional initiative will be completed in Chad (UNEP-WCMC, 2009).

Table 2: Current Adaptation Projects and Programs active in Chad Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) National Actions 1. Knowledge Sharing Film The project aims to broadcast information on AfricaAdapt The Association Knowledge 2009 – 2010 Civil society Mbororo on Experiences of climate change within the Mbororo through its of Pulaar communicatio community Adapting to Climate community and to facilitate the sharing of Knowledge Women of n Change in Chad81 existing local knowledge on adaptation. Sharing Chad Innovation Fund82 Participation in Regional and Global Actions 2. Pilot Projects on Uses of Objectives of the project include: FAO FAO Research; 2007 – Agriculture African: Plant Genetic Resources  Monitoring and production of strategic Field 2010? Burkina Faso, for Food and Agriculture plans for plant genetic resources for food implementati Chad, Niger, to put Strategic Plans and agriculture based on poor farmers’ on Sudan into Action to Promote agricultural practices to climate variability. In Chad: More information required Sustainable Use and  Pilot projects on used of plant genetic Management of Land resources for food and agriculture to put for Adaptation to strategic plans into action to promote Climate Variability83 sustainable use and management of land for adaptation to climate variability.

80 FAO, http://www.fao.org/spfs/national-programmes-spfs/participating-countries-npfs/en/ 81 AfricaAdapt, http://www.africa-adapt.net/aa/ProjectOverview.aspx?PID=%2f77R4X4hgww%3d 82 AfricaAdapt, http://www.africa-adapt.net/aa/ProjectOverview.aspx?PID=wOrGUSXnVTs%3d 83 FAO, http://unfccc.int/files/adaptation/sbsta_agenda_item_adaptation/application/pdf/fao_pledge_2.pdf and http://www.fao.org/climatechange/unfccc- process/63662/en/

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any)  Use of tools and plant genetic resources for food and agriculture to secure implementation and management methods to enhance capacities of poor farmers to face climate change. 3. Interdisciplinary and The project will identify the relations between France’s Agence inter Research 2007 – 2011 Ecosystem Regional: Participative Research ecosystem vulnerabilities and human Foreign Affairs établissements conservation Benin, on Interactions between populations in order to scientifically support Ministry de la recherche Burkina Faso, Ecosystems, Climate political responses to climate change. pour le Cameroon, And Societies in West développemen Cape Verde, Africa84 t (Inter- CAR, Chad, institutional Côte d’Ivoire, Research Gambia, Agency for Ghana, Development) Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo In Chad: More information required 4. Climate Change The project aims to provide national and BMU (Federal GIZ and Research 2009 – 2011 Climate African: Scenarios for the Congo regional decision-makers with climate change Ministry for the COMIFAC information COMIFAC Basin85 scenarios that have been calculated Environment, services (Burundi, specifically for the Congo Basin, and which will Nature Cameroon, enable them to adapt natural resource Conservation CAR, Chad, management strategies to climate change. and Nuclear Congo, DRC, Safety, Equatorial

84 http://www.aird.fr/ripiecsa/index.htm. 85 BMU, http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) Germany) Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe) In Chad: More information required 5. Lake Chad Sustainable To promote sustainable development in the AfDB, Lake Chad Field 2009 – 2015 Watershed African: Development Support Lake Chad Basin, this project will do several Government of Basin implementati management Cameroon, Program things: clean out the Vrick canal to augment Chad, other co- Commission on CAR, Chad, (PRODEBALT)86 the volume of water flowing into the lake; financing Niger and undertake feasibility and implementation Nigeria studies on transferring waters from the In Chad: More information needed Oubangui River in the Central African Republic to the lake and undertake studies to reduce the water losses provoked by the many small dams built on the waterways feeding the lake. Judicious, integrated management of the basin’s natural resources is expected to increase the incomes of the target populations, particularly women, by 67% on average, and to improve food security. One of the project’s specific objectives is to improve the adaptive capacity of the lake’s productive systems to climate change. Budget: $95 million 6. Evolution of Protected The project will focus on developing science- GEF; co- UNEP World Capacity 2009 – 2015 Biodiversity; Regional: Area systems with based national- and regional-scale tools to financing Conservation building Ecosystem Core: Chad, regard to climatic, support improved management of protected Monitoring conservation The Gambia, institutional, social, and area systems in response to climate and other Budget: approx. Centre Mali, Sierra

86 AfDB, http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-z1-cz0-002/#

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) economic conditions in change impacts. Opportunities for US$14.0 million Leone, and the West Africa Region87 transboundary collaboration will play a large Togo (also known as Climate part in the project activities, as these might Plus: Burkina Proofing Protected Areas offer some of the most effective solutions. Faso, Côte in West Africa) d’Ivoire and Ghana In Chad: More information required 7. Great Green Wall88 The project will address desertification and LDCF; SCCF; Capacity 2011 – ? Agriculture; African: food security through the creation of a World Bank; building; Ecosystem Benin, biological corridor along participating AfDB Research; restoration Burkina Faso, countries. The goal is to increase investment Policy Chad, in appropriate sustainable land and water Budget: formation and Djibouti, management and technologies. In addition US$3.108 billion integration Eritrea, the project seeks to encourage cooperation Ethiopia, within and among participating countries and Ghana, Mali, for countries to incorporate evidence-based Mauritania, policy development. The program’s goals are Niger, to: “expand investment in sustainable land Nigeria, and water management technologies in order Senegal to help communities adapt production Sudan and systems to climate variability and change; Togo improve land use planning; and improve In Chad: More information required climate and water monitoring network improvements, institutional cooperation within and across countries, and evidence- based policy development.”89

87 http://www.unep-wcmc.org/protected_areas/cppawa.htm 88 GEF, http://www.thegef.org/gef/node/4503 89 IISD, http://climate-l.iisd.org/news/gef-council-approves-programme-that-includes-great-green-wall-initiative/

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D. Proposed Adaptation Action The Government of Chad submitted their NAPA to the UNFCCC in early 2010. It proposes ten adaptation project and programs, with a strong focus on addressing the country’s vulnerability to climate change in the agriculture and food security sector. This focus is appropriate given the country’s reliance on the agriculture sector and the fact that food security, pastoralism and commercial agriculture are identified as Chad’s top vulnerability to climate change. Eight of the ten proposed projects deal with agriculture and livestock directly, with the remaining two projects (an awareness raising campaign on climate change adaptation and a project to improve the country’s climate monitoring capacity) indirectly aligned with the agricultural sector as well. Most of the proposed projects are research- based, and a number contain a significant awareness-raising component. Most of the proposed projects are national in scope.

Table 3: Proposed Adaptation Projects and Programs in the National Adaptation Programme of Action for Chad Name Objectives Type of project Priority Sector(s) Geographic focus (if any) 1. Improved use of surface water for To better use surface water resources to reduce Field implementation Agriculture; Sudanian, Sahelian agriculture and livestock climate vulnerabilities and improve food security Freshwater supply and Saharan zones. among rural populations. This will be done through the development of irrigation infrastructure, reforestation programs, and other means. 2. Diversification and intensification of To reduce the negative effects of climate change Research; Capacity Agriculture Sudanian and crops to adapt to the risks of climate and climate variability on the agricultural sector building Sahelian zones change through the intensification and diversification of crops. 3. Improving and disseminating climate- Contribute to better agricultural decision-making Capacity building; Agriculture Chari Baguirmi, sensitive planting schedules and improved yields through the dissemination of Knowledge Salamat, Guera, climate-sensitized planting calendars and support communication; Field Mayo-Kebbi, for better planning capacity among farmers. implementation Ouaddai 4. Improving information, education and To improve the level of information, education and Knowledge Government National communication on climate change communication relating to climate change communication adaptation adaptation, in the hopes of improving decision- making processes among target audiences 5. Soil rehabilitation for the To improve soil fertility and agricultural yields and Research; Field Agriculture National development of agricultural activities to prevent further soil degradation linked with implementation anthropogenic and climatic factors.

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Name Objectives Type of project Priority Sector(s) Geographic focus (if any) 6. Improving inter-community pasture To improve the availability of pasture and fodder Research; Knowledge Pastoralism National zones for livestock in order to reduce migratory pressures communication among pastoralists, promote new livelihoods and to improve their capacity to adapt to climate change. 7. Improving rainfall forecasting capacity To improve the quality of seasonal rainfall Research; Capacity Climate information National forecasting and models, and to integrate this building; Policy services knowledge into vulnerability reduction strategies. formation and integration 8. National Center for Climate Change To establish a national center for climate change Capacity building; Field Climate information National Observation observation implementation services 9. The Livestock Food Bank To establish and stock eleven national food banks Field implementation; Agriculture National for livestock to ensure animal health and improve Knowledge livestock productivity. communication 10. Reducing climate change To contribute to the national strategy for climate Research; Knowledge Climate information National vulnerability/managing climate change risk management, through climate observation and communication; Policy services risks modeling, analysis, policy integration and formation and awareness-raising. integration

E. Assessment With 80 per cent of the country’s workforce engaged in agriculture, and agriculture identified as a sector with high vulnerability to current and future climate change,90 the Government of Chad has focused on the farming and livestock sectors in its NAPA. That said, agriculture is not a focus of current adaptation activities (with the exception of the FAO project), indicating that there is considerable room for increasing the number such farming and livestock initiatives in the country. Additional areas in which greater adaptation action may be warranted include:  The projected increase in flooding and extreme rainfall events indicates that there is also considerable scope for climate-related disaster risk management activities in Chad. Conflict and instability in the east of Chad also could increase vulnerability to climate change and complicate the delivery of adaptation programming.

90 The vulnerability of Chad to climate variability and change was demonstrated in 2010, when poor rains led UN agencies to estimate that two million people would require food assistance during that year (IRIN, 2010).

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 The health impacts of climate change are identified as a key national vulnerability in the country’s NAPA, but are not addressed by current or proposed adaptation activities; this could be an area for future adaptation investments.  Gender is not a prominent component of any current adaptation project or proposed strategy; it could be given greater attention in future proposals as appropriate.  The uncertainties associated with climate change projections for the Sahel indicate that more research is required to understand current and future climate trends. Support for Chad’s proposed National Center for Climate Change Observation might contribute to addressing this gap.

Existing projects reflect a number of diverse funding sources, including multilateral (African Development Bank), bilateral (CIDA, BMU) and non-governmental (AfricaAdapt) organizations.

More broadly, there is significant scope for expanded national activities on climate change adaptation. With the submission of the Chad’s NAPA in 2010, funding for such work through multilateral channels like the Least Developed Countries Fund should become more accessible. Moreover, current implementing agencies are largely limited to regional and international actors; the capacity of domestic actors to design and implement adaptation projects could be strengthened.

References: Adaptation Learning Mechanism [ALM] (2009). Country Profile: Chad. Retrieved from http://www.adaptationlearning.net/country- profiles/td

AfricaAdapt (2009). AfricaAdapt Knowledge Sharing Innovation Fund. Retrieved from http://www.africa- adapt.net/aa/ProjectOverview.aspx?PID=wOrGUSXnVTs%3d

African Development Bank [AfDB] (2009). Lake Chad Sustainable Development Support Program (PRODEBALT). African Development Bank: Tunis. Retrieved from http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-z1-cz0-002/#

Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit [BMU] (2010). Climate change scenarios for the Congo Basin. Retrieved from http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

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Canadian International Development Agency [CIDA] (2002). Climate Change Adaptation Capacity Support. CIDA: Ottawa. Retrieved from http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/CIDAWEB/cpo.nsf/vWebCSAZEn/7B2BF58864FCD1C785257811003F7C1E

Chad Ministry of the Environment, Water and Fisheries [CMEWF] (2010). National Adaptation Programme of Action. Ministry of the Environment, Water and Fisheries of Chad: N’Djamena.

Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO] (2010). The Nairobi work programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change. FAO: Rome, Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/climatechange/unfccc-process/63662/en/

Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO] (2009). Special Programme for Food Security. FAO: Rome. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/spfs/national-programmes-spfs/participating-countries-npfs/en/

IRIN (2010). West Africa: Call for more aid as 10 million face hunger. IRIN Humanitarian News and Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=89598

McSweeney, C., M. New and G. Lizcano (2008). UNDP Climate Change Country Profiles: Chad. United Nations Development Programme and University of Oxford, Oxford.

OneWorld (2010). Climate Change in Chad: Briefing. Retrieved from http://uk.oneworld.net/guides/chad/climate-change

United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] (2010). Human Development Report 2010: The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development. United Nations Development Programme: New York.

United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] (2010). State of World Population 2010: From conflict and crisis to renewal: generations of change, United Nations Population Fund: New York.

US Department of State [USDS] (2010). Background Note: Chad. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/37992.htm

World Bank (undated). Climate Change Knowledge Portal. Retrieved from http://sdwebx.worldbank.org/climateportal/

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5.0 Republic of the Congo

AAP African Adaptation Programme BMU Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit (Germany) CAR Central African Republic COMIFAC Central African Forests Commission DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo FAO Food and Agriculture Organization GDP Gross Domestic Product GEF Global Environment Facility GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (Germany) PNSA Programme National pour la Sécurité Alimentaire PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper RCMIME Republic of the Congo Ministry of Industry, Mining and the Environment RCMSDFE Republic of the Congo Ministry of Sustainable Development, Forestry and the Environment REDD Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation UNDP United Nations Development Programme

The central African country of the Republic of the Congo is home to approximately 3.8 million people (as of 2010).91 Covering an area of 342,000 km2, the country has coastal plains, fertile valleys, central plateau and forested flood plains (USDS, 2010). The country is relatively well developed in comparison to its neighbors,92 with a GDP per capita (2008) of US$2,966. The major contributors to the Republic of the Congo’s GNP are: the petroleum sector (52 per cent); government and services (28 per cent); agriculture and forestry (8.5 per cent); and utilities and industry (6 per cent) (USDS, 2010). Although 62 per cent of the country lives in urban areas, a similar percentage of the country’s workforce (about 67 per cent in 2006) is engaged in agricultural production (UNFPA, 2010; USDS, 2010).

91 It is estimated that the country will have a population of 6.9 million in 2050 (UNFPA, 2010). 92 Congo is currently characterized as have achieved a medium level of human development on the UNDP Human Development Index, ranked 126 of 169 countries (UNDP, 2010a).

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A. Adaptation Needs and Priorities The Republic of the Congo experienced an increase in its mean annual temperature between 1951 and 1999 of between 0.69o and 0.76oC. Looking forward, the country is projected to continue to experience rising mean average annual temperatures (1 and 2.5oC) by 2050; summer temperature increases could reach 4oC during the dry season by 2100, which could lead to further water scarcity during this season (RCMSDFE, 2009).

Altered precipitation patterns have also been observed and are projected to occur in the future. A general decrease in rainfall was observed between 1950 and 1980, with isohyets moving south-southwest (RCMSDFE, 2009). Although no significant change in mean annual rainfall by 2050 is projected to occur in the Republic of the Congo, rainfall could increase in the country’s northern and central regions by 2100 (RCMSDFE, 2009). No significant change in consecutive dry days or in extreme rainfall events (a measured by the maximum five-day precipitation) is expected. With rising temperatures and rates of precipitation remaining relatively stable, and areas of the country prone to desertification, strict water management and sustainable land use is expected to be important for the Congo (RCMSDFE, 2009; World Bank, n.d.).

Several key vulnerable sectors were identified by the Republic of the Congo in its First National Communication, released in 2001. These vulnerabilities included (RCMIME, 2001):  Freshwater resources, particularly impacts on hydroelectricity generation;  Coastal zone management, particularly saltwater intrusion and flooding caused by sea level rise;  Agriculture, due to increased seasonal variability, although it was also noted that climate change could have positive impacts by allowing the introduction of new cash crops (like oil palm);  Forestry; and  Energy, with increased demand (due to population growth) matched with uncertain generation given rainfall fluctuations.

In its Second National Communication, released in 2009, these sectors continued to be identified by the Congo as being particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change (RCMSDFE, 2009):  Freshwater: The Congo presently has abundant surface water and groundwater resources, both of which are vulnerable to climate change. With respect to the country’s surface water resources, harsher dry season could lead to increased threats to biodiversity, fishing and navigation (and therefore trade activities) on the Congo River. Regarding groundwater resources, Congo’s coastal zone is considered to be the most vulnerable. The vulnerability of groundwater resources is most acute in the country’s coastal

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zone, where resources face over-extraction from a growing population in Pointe-Noire, low recharge rates due to unchanging precipitation, and the risk of saltwater intrusion from rising sea levels.  Forests: The country’s forests have typically expanded and contracted with climatic cycles. Current climate projections would indicate an expansion of forests, particularly in the north of the country. However, any expansion will likely be offset by human activities, such as agricultural expansion, over-exploitation of forest resources, mining, brush fires, and so on.  Agriculture: The observed changes in the Congo’s climate already have affected the country’s main agricultural zone. As temperatures continue to rise, increased rates of evapotranspiration are expected to hurt cultivation of certain crops, including peanut. Other anticipated changes include altered growing and harvesting cycles with changes in the length of the wet and dry seasons. More research is required on the impact of long-term temperature increases on the country’s perennial crops (such as palm oil and various fruits).  Human settlements: Urban growth is accelerating in the Congo (in a disorganized manner), and cities are likely to see an increase in temperatures greater than the rest of the country due to urban heat islands.  Human health: The health risks associated with exposure to climatic extremes, and to changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, are projected to increase in the future. Vector- and water-borne diseases rank first and second (respectively) in national causes of death today, and climate change could increase the risk of both—particularly in the absence of improvements to current levels of malnutrition and sanitation.  Coastal zone management: Sea level rise poses a risk of flood and coastal erosion as well as of saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers.

B. National Level Policies and Strategic Documents Congo produced its First National Communication in 2001 and its Second National Communication in 2009, as described in Table 1. Within the Second National Communication, agriculture is considered a key vulnerable sector, and components of a project currently being implemented by the government with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are listed as part of its adaptation strategy. The goal of this project, the “National Programme for Food Security” (“Programme National pour la Sécurité Alimentaire” – PNSA), is to increase production and productivity of the agricultural sector to ensure national food security. The first phase of the project is from 2008 to 2012. No mention of climate change adaptation is made in the country’s most recent Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper progress report (March 2010).

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Table 1: Key Government Policies and Reports reflecting Adaptation Needs, Priorities and Planned Actions Name of Policy Action Government Division Status Sector(s) of Focus Summary description Responsible 1. First National Ministry of Industry, Submitted Freshwater supply, coastal The Republic of Congo’s First National Communication introduces Communication93 Mining and the September 2001 zone management, the country’s physical, economic and political context, provides an Environment agriculture, forests, energy inventory of domestic greenhouse gas emissions, and describes vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities in five primary sectors: water, coasts, agriculture, forests and energy. The report concludes with a description of the strategies required to address climate change impacts, reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen adaptive capacity. 2. Second National Ministry of Sustainable Submitted Freshwater supply, forests, The country’s Second National Communication updated and Communication94 Development, Forestry September 2009 agriculture, settlements, expanded upon the information contained in the First National and the Environment human health, coastal zone Communication, listing the ways in which domestic greenhouse gas management emissions might be reduced and the strategies that can be used to adapt to and limit the negative impacts of climate change on the country. The Second National Communication also includes chapters on technology transfer priorities, climate research and observation capacities, and awareness raising and training needs.

C. Current Adaptation Action A low level of adaptation programming is being undertaken in the Republic of Congo at present relative to other Middle African countries; the country appears to have no national projects underway, but is part of two regional programs:  Republic of Congo is one of four Middle Africa countries participating in the program “Supporting Integrated and Comprehensive Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation in Africa,” or Africa Adaptation Programme. This multi-national, US$92 million initiative was formally launched in 2008 in 20 African countries by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The Congolese component of the program is worth US$2.975 million, and is by far the most significant adaptation activity underway in the Congo. The Congolese project is focused on the health, economy, agriculture, water and energy sectors, and is designed as a capacity building, knowledge sharing and policy formation and integration project (UNDP, 2010b).

93 UNFCCC, http://unfccc.int/essential_background/library/items/3599.php?rec=j&priref=3199#beg 94 UNFCCC, http://unfccc.int/essential_background/library/items/3599.php?rec=j&priref=7088#beg

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 Second, as a member of the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC), Republic of Congo will also benefit from COMIFAC’s current project on climate change scenarios for the Congo Basin. The extent of activities being carried out in Congo under the project is unknown, but it is hoped that these scenarios will enable decision makers in the country and throughout the COMIFAC region to adapt and prepare their natural resource management strategies to meet the regional challenges of climate change. In addition, as noted previously, number of strategies laid out in the PNSA to ensure domestic food security through increased agricultural production and productivity are described as “adaptation strategies” in the Congo’s Second National Communication.

As a result of the limited number of adaptation projects in the Republic of Congo, funding at the moment is strictly from bilateral sources (Japan and, to a lesser extent, Germany)

Table 2: Current Adaptation Projects and Programs active in Congo Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) Participation in Regional and Global Actions 1. Supporting Integrated and Under this program, UNDP will assist 20 Japan UNDP Capacity 2008 – 2011 Government African: Comprehensive Approaches African countries in implementing International building; 20 African to Climate Change integrated and comprehensive Cooperation Policy countries96 Adaptation in Africa (or adaptation actions and resilience plans. Agency formation and including Africa Adaptation Program – The projects will ensure that national integration; Cameroon, AAP)95 development processes incorporate Budget: US$92 Knowledge Gabon, climate change risks and opportunities million communicatio Republic of to secure development gains under a n Congo, and changing climate. UNDP will help STP countries establish an enabling In Congo: to be determined. environment and develop the capacity  Implementing organization: Ministry of Economy, Planning and Land Management and required to design, finance, implement, Integration and monitor long-term and cost-  Priority sectors: Health, economy, agriculture (food), water, energy effective adaptation policies and plans.  Budget: $2.975million

95 ALM, http://www.adaptationlearning.net/program/africa-adaptation-programme and UNDP-APP, http://www.undp-aap.org/ 96 These countries are Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome et Principe, Senegal, Tanzania and Tunisia.

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) 2. Climate Change Scenarios The project aims to provide national and BMU (Federal GIZ and Research 2009 – 2011 Climate African: for the Congo Basin97 regional decision-makers with climate Ministry for the COMIFAC information COMIFAC change scenarios that have been Environment, services (Burundi, calculated specifically for the Congo Nature Cameroon, Basin, and which will enable them to Conservation and CAR, Chad, adapt natural resource management Nuclear Safety, Congo, DRC, strategies to climate change. Germany) Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, STP) In Congo: More information required

D. Proposed Adaptation Action The Republic of Congo is not categorized as a Least Developed Country, and as such will not be preparing a National Adaptation Programme of Action. Nevertheless, the government has identified in their National Communication a number of potential adaptation strategies that could be undertaken to address the impacts of climate change in the country. The Second National Communication, submitted in 2009, presented the following options (RCMSDFE, 2009):  Agriculture and food security: continued implementation of the PNSA;  Forestry: strategies focus on reforestation, conservation and sustainable management, with reference to the potential for significant REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) benefits;  Human settlements: to address the potential for urban heat islands to increase national demand for energy, the Second National Communication suggests increased coherence to urbanization policies, public transportation development, and improved rainwater harvesting, among other things; and  Human health: primary adaptation strategies identified include information and early warning systems, improved water basin management for potable water, urban planning, and environmental management. Secondary adaptation strategies noted are improved training for health workers, better sanitation planning, expanded public education, and greater disease and epidemic monitoring.

97 BMU, http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

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A set of proposed adaptation projects were also presented in the Congo’s Second National Communication, though without detailed elaboration. The principle projects put forward were: protection of water resources in cities; improved rainwater harvesting in the Batéké plateau for improvements in potable water; and agroforestry programs that include restructuring and developing palm, fruit and olive cultivation. It is also recommended that projects that support decision-making be undertaken, such as: research on seasonal rainfall; epidemiological research on health challenges; and research on improved construction materials (RCMSDFE, 2009).

E. Assessment Water, forests, agriculture, human settlements, human health and coastal zones were identified as areas vulnerable to climate change in the country’s Second National Communication. Existing adaptation activities in the Republic of Congo deal with some of these key vulnerabilities—specifically health, water and agriculture through the AAP program—but adaptation action should be expanded to ensure that all key vulnerabilities are addressed and reduced. This process will require new initiatives on forests, cities and the country’s coastal areas, as well as an expansion of programs dealing with water, agriculture and health (as identified in the country’s Second National Communication). The differential impacts of climate change by gender are also not a prominent component of any current adaptation project or proposed strategy. The limited number of climate change projects and programs in the country indicates that there is considerable scope for an expansion into a number of different areas. This includes undertaking more community-based adaptation projects; initiatives to date have been implemented primarily at the government level. There is also scope for expanded research activities. All the projects underway are being implemented by government ministries and external partners, suggesting that there is a need to improve the capacity of domestic civil society to implement adaptation programs.

References Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit [BMU] (2010). Climate Change Scenarios for the Congo Basin. Retrieved from http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

Republic of the Congo Ministry of Industry, Mining and the Environment [RCMIME] (2001). First National Communication. Brazzaville: Ministry of Industry, Mining and the Environment of the Republic of Congo and the United Nations Development Programme.

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Republic of the Congo Ministry of Sustainable Development, Forestry and the Environment [RCMSDFE] (2009). Second National Communication. Brazzaville: Ministry of Sustainable Development, Forestry and the Environment of the Republic of Congo and the United Nations Development Programme.

United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] (2010a). Human Development Report 2010: The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development. New York: United Nations Development Programme.

United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] (2010b). Project: Republic of the Congo (ROC): Supporting Integrated and Comprehensive Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation. New York. United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved from http://www.undp-adaptation.org/portfolio/projectR.php?id=113

United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] (2010). The State of World Population 2010: From conflict and crisis to renewal: generations of change. United Nations Population Fund: New York.

United States Department of State [USDS] (2010). Background Note: Republic of the Congo. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2825.htm

World Bank (undated). Climate Change Knowledge Portal. Retrieved from http://sdwebx.worldbank.org/climateportal/

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6.0 Democratic Republic of the Congo

ARD Agriculture and Rural Development BMU Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit (Germany) BMZ Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (Germany) CAR Central African Republic CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research CIFOR Center for International Forestry Research COMIFAC Central African Forests Commission DFID Department for International Development (UK) DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo DRM disaster risk management DRR disaster risk reduction GDP Gross Domestic Product GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (Germany) IDRC International Development Research Centre IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature LDCF Least Developed Countries Fund NAPA National Adaptation Programme of Action NGO non-governmental organization PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper REDD Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation SASKI Sustainable Agriculture Systems, Knowledge and Information SIDA Swedish International Development Agency UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFPA United Nations Population Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development

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The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the largest country in Middle Africa by population and land mass—with an estimated population of 67.8 million (in 2010)98 and an area of 2,345,409 km2 (making it the third largest country in Africa and the 12th largest in the world) (UNFPA, 2010; USDS, 2010). The country’s landscape is dominated by the world’s second largest area of tropical rainforest—which stores 8 per cent of global forest carbon—as well as mountainous terraces, plateaus, savannahs, grasslands and mountains. Although incredibly rich in natural resources such as timber, energy, minerals and gemstones, the DRC is presently ranked 168 out of 169 on the UNDP’s Human Development Index (UNDP, 2010). About 70 per cent of the economy is informal, and dominated by rural sectors; industrial development remains embryonic (MENCT, 2009). Per capita GDP in 2008 was US$182 (UNDP, 2010).

There is an enormous legacy of conflict in the country due to the Second Congo War (1998 to 2003). Insecurity persists in the east of the country and continues to cause the loss of human life and limit development efforts. Substantial environmental damage and degradation has been one of many results of the country’s past and present conflicts.

A. Adaptation Needs and Priorities The climate of the DRC is largely equatorial, but varies due to the country’s immense size. It is hot and humid in much of the north and west (in the tropical rainforest in the Congo River basin) and cooler and drier in the southern, central and eastern parts of the country (USDS, 2010). In recent years there has been an observed persistence of excessive heat waves, violent rains, soil degradation, prolongation of the dry season, and an increase in drought and floods (MENCT, 2009). Climate change is projected to result in a moderate increase in mean annual temperatures, with estimates suggesting a rise by 2050 of 1 to 2.5oC (World Bank, n.d.) and 1.72 to 2.08oC (MENCT, 2009). The impact of this process on precipitation is less certain, with estimates suggesting that mean annual rainfall could remain static (World Bank, n.d.) or increase by between 0.3 and 7.5 per cent by 2050 (MENCT, 2009). No significant changes in consecutive dry days or in extreme rainfall events (the maximum 5-day precipitation) are projected (World Bank, n.d.), although it has been suggested that the south of the country will likely experience a shorter rainy season; the season could decrease from 7 to 5 months in the south-eastern province of Katanga (MENCT, 2009).

These changes in climate are expected to augment existing vulnerabilities of the DRC—along with the potential for significant population growth putting greater demand for water and other resources. The DRC has identified several areas of particular concern and strategies by which these vulnerabilities might be addressed. These actions are summaries in Table 1 below.

98 Estimates suggest that the population of the DRC will grow to 147.5 million in 2050 (UNFPA, 2010).

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Table 1: Vulnerabilities and proposed adaptation strategies for the DRC (MENCT, 2009) Sector Vulnerability Proposed Adaptation Strategies Freshwater  Due to the country’s substantial existing water resources, water  Evaluation and monitoring of water resources, particularly those of the Congo Resources scarcity at a national level is not a concern for the DRC at the River system and its Kinshasa-area tributaries, and the quality and quantity of moment. both surface and groundwater  However, water accessibility remains a problem as most of the  Impact of the system on the quantity and quality of groundwater for enhanced population continues to access water from rivers, wells, rain and resource allocation planning troughs. Rarely is this water of good quality and it is usually of  Characterization and development of the watersheds identified in Kinshasa for insufficient quantity. control of the surface run-off  More intense rainfall events are threatening human life, causing  Protection of water resources against pollution erosion, destroying basic infrastructure and destroying  Support of adaptation infrastructure capable of handling the projected settlements. hydrological variations, and improved understanding of the economic, social, and ecological costs of the adopted measures  Establishment of communities on the Kinshasa hill areas and on the Batéké Plateau in order to protect them from the negative effects of increased flooding Agriculture  Increased temperatures could reduce crop yields, as many crops  Improved zoning for land use are already close to the thermal tolerance level.  Reforestation programs in deforested areas  Soil improvement programs  Strengthened pricing systems and distribution chains for agricultural producers  Orientation towards economic activities with reduced impacts on the forests  Community-based management of forest ecosystems  Agricultural extension services  Yield-improvement research  Improving local knowledge for stronger ecosystem conservation  Infrastructure rehabilitation Human health  Likely to be a change in the distribution of human disease with  Health risk management, such as through epidemiological monitoring for early higher temperatures and higher rainfall. detection and early response and improved capacity to respond among  The incidence of malaria is expected to increase. clinicians, researchers and the pharmaceutical industry.  Formulation of a Priority Action Programme  Various possible adaptation measures: - Strengthening of medical personnel’s professional capacities - Identification and destruction of pathogens - Organization of preventive action against vector-borne diseases - Strengthening of decontamination systems - Organization of the education and training systems, and awareness-raising

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programs for the population - Improvement of the food supply system - increased use of anti-mosquito grids - Better use of treated mosquito nets - Eradication of mosquito breeding grounds - Mosquito eradication on a national scale - Strengthening the population’s nutritional capacities - Work to reduce social exclusion and increase community-based programs - Mapping climate risk Coastal zone  Erosion has increased along the DRC’s short Atlantic coastline  Regulation of mangrove development management since 1980.  Coastal area development policy  Saltwater intrusion is affecting water tables.  Delineation of building and residential areas  The region has also experienced a loss of biodiversity in the  Diversification of activities for farmers and fishers mangrove marine park, material and agricultural production losses, greater sedimentation and sand deposits, and unwanted expansion of mangrove forests into inhabited areas. Land and  Changes in the region’s floral composition and shifts in ecosystem biodiversity. degradation  Desertification in parts of the country could become a greater concern should deforestation continue to create new microclimates while temperatures rise.  Threats to soil conservation.  Potential increase in forest and brush fires.

B. National Level Policies and Strategic Documents Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), DRC submitted its First National Communication in 2000 and its Second National Communication in 2009. In between, the country prepared its National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), which was released in 2006. Summaries of all three documents are provided in Table 1 below.

These documents remain the main government policy initiatives on climate change adaptation; consideration of the impacts of climate change has not yet been integrated into other policy initiatives. For example, no explicit mention of climate change adaptation is made in the country’s most recent Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (completed in 2007), although implementation of the UNFCCC is mentioned under the “Environment” pillar. However, the DRC is in the process of formulating—in conjunction with the Food and

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Agriculture Organization (FAO)—a National Programme for Food Security (Programme National pour la Sécurité Alimentaire). The goal of this program is to increase production and productivity of the agricultural sector to ensure national food security, thereby at least partially addressing one key areas of vulnerability, as identified by the country’s Second National Communication.

Table 2: Key Government Policies and Reports reflecting Adaptation Needs, Priorities and Planned Actions Name of Policy Action Government Division Status Sector(s) of Focus Summary description Responsible 1. First National Ministry of Business, Submitted Water, agriculture, The document describes the action taken by the DRC on climate Communication to the Land, Environment November 2000 coastal zones change mitigation and adaptation. It provides an overview of the UNFCCC99 and Tourism country’s context, followed by an inventory of domestic greenhouse gas emissions. The report describes various climate change scenarios expected for the country, along with vulnerabilities in three priority areas: water resources, agriculture and coastal zones. Strategies are then presented that can help to strengthen adaptive capacity and reduce vulnerability. 2. National Adaptation Ministry of the Submitted Multiple The NAPA identifies national climate change impacts and describes Programme of Environment September 2006 corresponding vulnerabilities, most of which are aligned to poverty. It Action100 then lists the adaptation measures required to address these impacts and vulnerabilities. 3. Second National Ministry of Submitted Water, coasts, health, The DRC’s Second National Communication updates the information Communication to the Environment, Nature November 2009 forests, agriculture and strategies contained in its First National Communication. In the UNFCCC101 Conservation and interim period, the context changed considerably to due violent Tourism conflict, which has increased poverty and compromised health systems, among other impacts. The Second National Communication provides updated figures on national greenhouse gas emissions, climate change vulnerability and adaptation requirements, with a sectoral focus on water, coasts, health, forests and agriculture. It concludes by providing technological requirements, climate observation capacities, environmental management capacities and public awareness on climate change.

99 UNFCCC, http://unfccc.int/essential_background/library/items/3599.php?rec=j&priref=3428#beg 100 UNFCCC, http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/napa/cod01.pdf 101 UNFCCC, http://unfccc.int/essential_background/library/items/3599.php?such=j&symbol=%20COD/COM/2%20E#beg

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C. Current Adaptation Action As the largest and most populous country in Middle Africa, it is perhaps not surprising that the DRC has a high number of adaptation projects relative to its regional neighbors. It is currently benefitting from a limited number of national projects and participation in a few regional and global projects and programs. The projects focus primarily (though not exclusively) on agriculture, forestry and energy, and tend towards research and capacity building.

The largest national project is a US$6.05 million, project funded in part by the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and implemented in a partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the national government.102 The project, “Building the Capacity of the Agriculture Sector in DR Congo to Plan for and Respond to the Additional Threats Posed by Climate Change on Food Production and Security,” aims to build the capacity of the agricultural sector, so that those in the sector can better plan and respond to the emerging threats posed by climate change on food production and security. It is one of three LDCF- funded projects currently being implemented in the region. On a national level, DRC has also received US$250,000 in Fast Start Financing through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to increase water storage capacity and thereby help build the resilience of water systems to climate stress.103

On a regional level, DRC is participating in the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa program, co-financed by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Their project, “Altering the Climate of Poverty under Climate Change: The Forests of the Congo Basin,” aims to underscore the importance of the Congo Basin forests in climate change adaptation efforts. This research and policy-formation project is also being implemented in neighboring Cameroon and Central African Republic, and will rely on community participation and perspectives in all three countries to develop appropriate forest management strategies. The project is being implemented by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), and is part of their larger global program on enhancing the role of forests in climate change adaptation (IDRC, 2008).

Between 2007 and 2009, Helio International implemented a research project on climate-proofing energy systems in a number of African countries, including Cameroon and the DRC. The objective of the project was to develop a methodology and indicators for assessing the vulnerability of energy systems to climate change, and to adapt these systems to climate change (Helio International, 2009).

102 UNDP, http://www.undp-adaptation.org/portfolio/projectR.php?id=114 103 USDS, http://www.state.gov/g/oes/rls/rpts/faststart/merge/151251.htm

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As a member of the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC), DRC will also benefit from its current project on climate change scenarios for the Congo Basin. The extent of activities being carried out in DRC under the project is unknown, but it is hoped that these scenarios will enable decision makers in the country and throughout the COMIFAC region to adapt and prepare their natural resource management strategies to meet the regional challenges of climate change (BMU, 2010).

Finally, two projects were undertaken in a number of African countries, including the DRC, with funding from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). The projects aimed to build capacity and share knowledge on disaster risk reduction and risk management, with a partial focus on climate change adaptation. More information is required on the specific activities carried out under each grant in the DRC (GFDRR, 2008a; GFDRR, 2008b).

Table 3: Current Adaptation Projects and Programs active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) National Action 1. Building the Capacity of The project seeks to reduce vulnerability LDCF, co- UNDP; Ministry Capacity 2009 – 2015 Agriculture National the Agriculture Sector in among rural populations in four selected sites financing of building; Field the Democratic Republic by promoting: the renewal of agro-genetic Environment, implementati of the Congo to Plan for material through provision of germplasm Budget: Conservation on and Respond to the more suited for expected climate conditions, US$7.51 of Nature, Additional Threats Posed as well as the creation or strengthening of the million Water and by Climate Change on agricultural chain of support (extension Forests Food Production and services, technological tools, agro- Security104 meteorological information and planning) from local to provincial and national levels. Building on current rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts, including efforts to promote decentralization and to reform the public sector, the project will facilitate the demonstration of adaptation measures relevant to planning at all levels, taking into account regional specificities.

104 UNDP, http://www.undp-adaptation.org/portfolio/projectR.php?id=114 and http://www.uncclearn.org/sites/www.uncclearn.org/files/inventory/GEF61_0.pdf

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) 2. To be determined To increase water storage to reduce variability USAID Field 2010 – ? Freshwater in the water supply in the DRC, helping to implementati supply increase resilience to climate stresses on Budget: on water systems.105 $250,000 Participation in Regional and Global Actions 3. Climate Proofing Energy The objective is to develop a methodology France; GIZ; HELIO Research; 2007 – 2009 Energy African: Systems: Vulnerability- and indicators in order to evaluate the BMZ; International Assessment Benin, Adaptation-Resilience106 vulnerability of energy systems to climate IUCN; and La Burkina Faso, change and to adapt to climate change. Francophonie Cameroon, DRC, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda In DRC: Conducted an assessment of the vulnerability and resilience of energy systems to climate change in the DRC 4. Enhancing the Disaster Preparation of 10 capacity building modules Global Facility Agriculture and Capacity 2008 – 2010 Agriculture; African: Risk Reduction Capacity in on pre- and post-disaster risk management for Disaster Rural building (closed) Disaster risk Burkina Faso, Agriculture and Rural and mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction Reduction Development management Comoros, Development107 in agriculture and rural development, with a and Recovery (ARD) DRC, Eritrea, focus on climate change adaptation. and Ethiopia, Budget: Sustainable Kenya, US$50,000 Agriculture Madagascar, Systems, Niger, Knowledge and Rwanda, Information Senegal, (SASKI) Seychelles In DRC: More information required 5. Altering the Climate This project aims to underscore the DFID and CIFOR Research; 2008 – 2011 Forestry Regional:

105 USDS, http://www.state.gov/g/oes/rls/rpts/faststart/merge/151251.htm 106 Helio, http://www.helio-international.org/projects/VAR09.cfm#reports 107 GFDRR, http://gfdrr.org/gfdrr/ca_projects/detail/1228

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) of Poverty under importance of the Congo basin forests in IDRC through Community- Cameroon, Climate Change: The climate change adaptation efforts in the CCAA based CAR, DRC forests of Congo Cameroon, Central African Republic and the program adaptation; Basin108 Democratic Republic of Congo. Researchers Policy will map adaptation priorities and policies in formation and the countries under study. They will engage integration with stakeholders to ensure that local In DRC: More information required perspectives are brought to bear on forest management strategies. 6. Climate Change Scenarios The project aims to provide national and BMU (Federal GIZ and Research 2009 – 2011 Climate African: for the Congo Basin109 regional decision-makers with climate change Ministry for COMIFAC information COMIFAC scenarios that have been calculated the services (Burundi, specifically for the Congo Basin, and which will Environment, Cameroon, enable them to adapt natural resource Nature CAR, Chad, management strategies to climate change. Conservation Congo, DRC, and Nuclear Equatorial Safety, Guinea, Germany) Gabon, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe) In DRC: More information required 7. Adapting to Climate To build the resilience of ecosystems and SIDA UNEP, Nile Vulnerability 2009 – 2012 Water; Disaster African: Change Induced Water economies that are most vulnerable to climate Basin Initiative assessment; risk reduction; Burundi, DRC, Stress in the Nile River change induced water stress in the Nile Basin Capacity Security Egypt, Basin110 countries through building key adaptive building; Eritrea, capacity and piloting adaptation in "hotspots" Policy Ethiopia, with technical, policy and financial formation and Kenya, interventions. integration Rwanda,

108 IDRC, http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-127592-201_104835-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html. This project is part of the larger CGIAR/CIFOR initiative “Enhancing the Role of Forests in Adaptation to Climate Change”: http://www.cifor.org/forest-research/research-themes/adapting-to-climate-change.html 109 BMU, http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550 110 UNEP, http://www.unep.org/climatechange/adaptation/EcosystemBasedAdaptation/NileRiverBasin/tabid/29584/Default.aspx

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda In DRC: More information required 8. Southern Africa Regional The program aims to synthesize relevant DFID, SIDA OneWorld Policy 2009 – 2014 Government; African: Climate Change climate change science, develop strategic Sustainable formation and Climate 15 Program111 research and strengthen the science-policy- Investments integration; information countries,112 governance-finance dialogue. The program Research services including will aim to build an evidence base for Angola and transboundary responses to climate change, the DRC strengthen the region’s voice in international In DRC: More information required platforms, and enhance its ability to access necessary finance for climate change adaptation.

D. Proposed Adaptation Action In its 2006 NAPA, the DRC listed only one potential adaptation project aimed at addressing the identified national climate vulnerabilities—a project aimed at strengthening the productive capacity of the agricultural sector for three crops (manioc, rice and corn) in the face of climate change (see Table 4). This research project was proposed to be national in scope, but focused exclusively on agriculture and food security. No projects were proposed for other vulnerable sectors in the country.

Table 4: Proposed Adaptation Projects and Programs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Name Objectives Type of project Priority Sector(s) Geographic focus (if any) 1. Strengthening the productive To promote, among targeted communities, the growth and use Research; Field Agriculture National capacity of the agricultural of seeds more resistant to climate change and plight, and which implementation sector: Focus on manioc, rice and generate larger yields given local conditions. This will include Notes: The project will focus be implemented in districts corn the identification of sites for cultivation, cultivation itself,

111 Southern Africa Regional Climate Change Program, http://www.rccp.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68&Itemid=61&lang=en 112 These countries are: Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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Name Objectives Type of project Priority Sector(s) Geographic focus (if any) harvesting, transport and distribution. around the country.

E. Assessment Through the submission of its first and second National Communications and NAPA, the government of DRC has shown continual engagement with the UNFCCC process. However, the country has not progressed with the establishment of dedicated climate change (adaptation) plan, or with the integration of adaptation into various sectoral and national plans. As well, much of the focus for national climate change policies in the DRC is on the domestic potential for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) projects, and the country’s enormous mitigation role as a global carbon sink.

Still, the DRC is also highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, primarily because of the country’s pervasive and chronic poverty, and the reliance of the population on climate-dependent sectors. The legacy of conflict, particularly in the east of the country, continues to influence national climate vulnerability. In response, the government is involved in a limited number of adaptation (national and multi-country) projects. These projects are focused on a number of vulnerable sectors, including forests, agriculture, energy, water and disaster risk management. The health sector, despite being identified as an area vulnerable to climate change, has yet to receive any project funding. Nor is gender a prominent component of any current adaptation project or proposed strategy. These are areas for potential adaptation investment. A variety of types of current projects are also underway: research, policy formation, capacity building, knowledge sharing, and vulnerability assessment. A limited amount of concrete adaptation action, including community-based adaptation, has been undertaken to date. Stakeholder engagement, including the private sector and civil society, could be increased and domestic capacities for implementing adaptation programs must be improved. At present, all projects are being implemented by government ministries, external partners and UN agencies.

Adaptation projects currently underway display a good diversity of funding sources; the country has not relied on one particular donor, but rather receives adaptation funding from a variety of bilateral, multilateral and NGO partners. Although the number of adaptation projects in the DRC is high relative to its neighbors, there are vast differences between their size, population and levels of development. As such, per capita spending on adaptation to climate change is much lower in DRC than in the rest of the region.

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References: Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit [BMU] (2010). Climate Change Scenarios for the Congo Basin. Retrieved from http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery [GFDRR] (2008b). Enhancing the Disaster Risk Reduction Capacity in Agriculture and Rural Development. Retrieved from http://gfdrr.org/gfdrr/ca_projects/detail/1228

Helio International (2009). Energy Systems: Vulnerability-Adaptation-Resilience: Democratic Republic of Congo. Paris. Retrieved from http://www.helio-international.org/VARRDC.En.pdf

International Development Research Centre [IDRC] (2008). Altering the Climate of Poverty under Climate Change: the Forests of Congo Basin. IDRC: Ottawa. Retrieved from http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-127592-201_104835-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html

Ministry of Business, Land, Environment and Tourism (2000). First National Communication for the UNFCCC. Kinshasa: Ministry of Business, Land, Environment and Tourism of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ministry of the Environment (2006). National Adaptation Programme of Action. Kinshasa: Ministry of the Environment of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the United Nations Development Programme.

Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism [MENCT] (2009). Second National Communication for the UNFCCC. Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism of the Democratic Republic of Congo: Kinshasa.

United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] (2010). Human Development Report 2010: The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development. UNDP: New York.

United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] (2010). The State of World Population 2010: From conflict and crisis to renewal: generations of change. New York: United Nations Population Fund.

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United States Department of State [USDS] (2010). Background Note: Democratic Republic of the Congo. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2825.htm

World Bank (undated). Climate Change Knowledge Portal. Retrieved from http://sdwebx.worldbank.org/climateportal/

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7.0 Equatorial Guinea

BMU Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit (Germany) COMIFAC Central African Forests Commission GDP Gross Domestic Product GEF Global Environment Facility GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (Germany) UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFPA United Nations Population Fund USDS United States Department of State

Covering an area of about 28,050 square kilometers (USDS, 2010), the Republic of Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest countries in continental Africa. The country consists of mainland provinces on Africa’s western coast that are bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the east, and five inhabited islands—including the volcanic island of Bioko on which the seat of government is located (USDS, 2010). Consistent with its small size, Equatorial Guinea is one of the least populated countries in Africa, having an estimated population (in 2010) of 0.7 million (UNFPA, 2010).113

The economy of Equatorial Guinea has grown rapidly in recent years, fuelled by the exploitation of large offshore oil deposits.114 The country’s GDP per capita of US$37,900 (2010 est.) ranks 28th in the world (CIA, 2011g). However, the country has a high level of income disparity; much of the country’s population continues to live in poverty.115 As such, the country ranks 117 out of 169 countries on the UNDP Human Development Index (UNDP, 2010).

113 The country’s population is expected to reach 1.4 million in 2050 (UNFPA, 2010). 114 Industry is the source of 92.6 percent of the country’s economic activity, and includes petroleum, natural gas, timber and fishing (USDS, 2010h). 115 BBC News, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1023151.stm; and CIA, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/ek.html

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A. Adaptation Needs and Priorities Reflecting its location just north of the equator, the climate of Equatorial Guinea is tropical with district wet and dry seasons. Temperatures throughout the year range from 23o to 25oC, with the wet season occurring between April to October, depending upon the West African Monsoon. The coastal regions are wetter than the interior (McSweeney et al., 2008). Since 1960, temperatures have been observed to increase by 0.6oC and rainfall to decrease by 3.7mm per month (or 2.1 per cent) per decade.

Climate data for Equatorial Guinea is generally weak, which makes the development of climate projections challenging. Available projections suggest that moderate increase in temperature (1 to 2.5oC) could occur by 2060, increase to 1.3 to 4.1oC by 2090s. Possible changes in mean annual rainfall are less clear, ranging from a decline of 6 per cent to an increase of 20 per cent by 2090. Climate models broadly expect a slight increase (from -1 per cent to +12 per cent) in the proportion of total rainfall that falls in heavy events. Sea level rise estimates range from 0.13 meters to 0.56 meters by 2090, depending on the emissions scenario (McSweeney et al., 2008; World Bank, n.d.).

Equatorial Guinea has not yet completed a National Communication or other assessment of its vulnerability to climate change. In the absence of these efforts, the vulnerability of Equatorial Guinea to climate change, or of appropriate adaptation measures, has not yet been identified by the country.

B. National Level Policies and Strategic Documents Despite being a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and having ratified the Kyoto Protocol (2008), Equatorial Guinea has not yet applied for a grant to finance the preparation of its initial National Communication to the UNFCCC. As well, since the country is not an LDC, it will not be producing a National Adaptation Programme of Action. Climate change also does not appear in the country’s Development Assistance Framework (2007).

C. Current Adaptation Action Overall, very little is underway on climate change adaptation in Equatorial Guinea; the country is currently only involved—to an uncertain degree—in one regional initiative. As a member of the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC), Equatorial Guinea will benefit from their current project on climate change scenarios for the Congo Basin. The extent of activities being carried out in Equatorial Guinea under the project is unknown, but it is hoped that these scenarios will enable decision makers throughout the COMIFAC region to adapt and prepare their natural resource management strategies to meet the regional challenges of climate change

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(BMU, 2010). Notably, Equatorial Guinea is not part of the project “Altering the Climate of Poverty under Climate Change: The forests of Congo Basin”116 despite being one of six Congo Basin countries.

Table 1: Current Adaptation Projects and Programs active in Equatorial Guinea Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) Participation in Regional and Global Actions 1. Climate Change Scenarios The project aims to provide national and BMU (Federal GIZ and Research 2009 – 2011 Climate African: for the Congo Basin117 regional decision-makers with climate Ministry for the COMIFAC information COMIFAC change scenarios that have been Environment, services (Burundi, calculated specifically for the Congo Basin, Nature Cameroon, and which will enable them to adapt Conservation CAR, Chad, natural resource management strategies and Nuclear Congo, DRC, to climate change. Safety, Equatorial Germany) Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe) In Equatorial Guinea: More information required

D. Proposed Adaptation Action Given that Equatorial Guinea has yet been actively engaged on addressing the impacts of climate change, the country has not yet developed any formal, proposed adaptation actions.

E. Assessment Very little work on climate change adaptation is underway in Equatorial Guinea. Most of the government’s energy on climate change is being put towards forestry-based mitigation projects. To make progress on this issue, a first step for the country could be to prepare its First National Communication to the UNFCCC. As part of this exercise, a climate vulnerability assessment must be conducted by the government, and appropriate response strategies are to be identified. Given the regional projections of climate change and trends in

116 IDRC, http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-127592-201_104835-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html 117 BMU, http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

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neighboring countries (Gabon, Cameroon and São Tomé e Principe), it can be expected that Equatorial Guinea will face similar challenges in health, agriculture, coastal zone management, freshwater resources and energy. These challenges need to be identified by the government and integrated into national decision- and policy-making. The absence of national climate information also indicates the need for improved climate data collection and weather monitoring

References: Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit [BMU] (2010). Climate Change Scenarios for the Congo Basin. Retrieved from http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] (2011g). World Factbook: Equatorial Guinea. Last updated 11 February 2011. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ek.html.

McSweeney, C., M. New and G. Lizcano (2008). UNDP Climate Change Country Profiles: Equatorial Guinea. United Nations Development Programme and University of Oxford: Oxford.

United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] (2010). Human Development Report 2010: The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development. UNDP: New York.

United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] (2010). State of World Population 2010: From Conflict and Crisis to Renewal: Generations of Change. UNPF: New York.

United States Department of State [USDS] (2010). Background Note: Equatorial Guinea. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/7221.htm

World Bank (undated). Climate Change Knowledge Portal. Retrieved from http://sdwebx.worldbank.org/climateportal/

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8.0 Gabon

AAP Africa Adaptation Programme BMU Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit (Germany) COMIFAC Central African Forests Commission GDP Gross Domestic Product FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (Germany) UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Straddling the equator, the country of Gabon in west-central Africa has a narrow coastal plain and some savannah ecosystem in its eastern and southern regions. The remainder of the country’s interior, about 85 per cent of its 267,667 km2 area, is covered by tropical rainforests. Home to approximately 1.5 million people118 (86 per cent of whom live in urban areas), Gabon is one of the most developed countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Much of its income is derived from oil revenues, although the country also has a strong tourism industry. Agriculture remains a critical economic sector, engaging 52 per cent of the country’s work force (USDS, 2010). Despite the countries relatively high GDP per capita (US$8,600 in 2010), many people in the country remain poor. Over 90 per cent of Gabon’s income is earned by 20 per cent of its population, while one-third of its citizens live in poverty (USDS, 2010).

A. Adaptation Needs and Priorities Gabon currently enjoys an equatorial climate. The country is hot and humid all year, receiving 1500 mm to 4000 mm of annual precipitation. This rain falls principally in two wet seasons: April to June, and October to December (MFWFEPN, 2004).

Model projections suggest that its climate will become warmer over time; temperatures are projected to increase by between 0.9 and 2.5oC by the 2060s, with warming being faster in the interior. As elsewhere in Middle Africa, this warming will be characterized by an increase in “hot” days and nights and a decrease in “cold” days and nights (McSweeney et al., 2008). Projected changes in precipitation in Gabon vary across climate models, ranging from a projected decrease of 22 per cent to a projected increase of 25 per cent by the

118 By 2050, the population of Gabon is expected reach 2.5 million (UNFPA, 2010).

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2090s. Most models agree that an increasing proportion of the annual total rainfall will fall in heavy events—up to 11 per cent (with increases for all seasons) (McSweeney et al., 2008). Projected sea level rise along Gabon coast could be between 0.13 meters and 0.56 meters, depending on the emissions scenario (McSweeney et al., 2008).

Based on current understanding of the projected changes in its climate, Gabon identified four particularly vulnerable sectors in its First National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): coastal zones, water resources, agriculture and health (MFWFEPN, 2004).

The coastal zone was identified in Gabon’s First National Communication as the region of the country most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The zone is home to 75 per cent of the country’s population, in part because two of its major urban centers are located on the coast. The country’s capital, Libreville, is located on the Gabon River estuary and is an average of 6.5m above sea level. Port Gentil is the center of Gabon’s petroleum production and is an average of 4m above sea level. Additional concerns are the country’s large offshore exclusive economic zone with significant petroleum exploitation and vast fisheries potential. Sea level rise is expected to:  Increase coastal erosion up to three meters per year in Libreville and six meters per year in Cap Lopez (Port Gentil);  Increase the risk of flooding, particularly in estuaries and deltas;  Increase the disbursement of coastal pollution, putting fisheries and mangroves at risk;  Increase the salinity of coastal aquifers;  Increase risk of habitat destruction for coastal communities in Libreville and Port Gentil; and  Resulting challenges for population management.

In response to these concerns, Gabon has proposed several different types of actions:  Active adaptation responses: protection of urban and peri-urban coastal zones, particularly Libreville and Port Gentil (and their surroundings); and the protection of mangroves and sensitive/degraded coastal zones;  Passive adaptation responses: such as the displacement and resettlement of affected populations (particularly for Port Gentil); and environmental awareness-raising and education programs;  Supporting actions: including sustainable management of water, fishery and vegetation resources; protection and concerted development of the coastal zone, including better control of coastal erosion and pollution; strengthened institutional frameworks

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for coastal zone governance; strengthened judicial frameworks and regulations; and improved capacities and national expertise on coastal zone management; and  Putting in place integrated, multidisciplinary research policies for coastal zone management.

The freshwater resource vulnerability of Gabon relates primarily to the impact of increased rainfall in some areas, which could potentially lead to: increased volumes for rivers; increased erosion and loss of soil; impacts on vegetation; proliferation of marsh lands; impacts on fisheries and fish distributions; increase in risk of water-borne diseases; accelerated degradation of roads; and habitat destruction for riverine populations. In light of these concerns, proposed adaptation actions included:  Protection measures: the construction of dikes for protection against flooding and to control water flow; the construction of dams and basins for increased water storage capacity; and the protection of embankments against erosion, particularly around Lambaréné (capital of Moyen-Ogooué district).  Maintenance activities: dredging activities to reduce water flow resistance; enlarging waterways to lower water levels; and reducing the number of waterfalls and rapids to improve navigability;  Early warning system: installation of an early warning system for the Ogooué Basin at Lambaréné to monitor and announce rapid water level rise;  Prevention (for Lambaréné): establishing a risk prevention plan, with a particular focus on areas prone to flooding; and undertaking an associated mapping exercise to identify at-risk areas and construction guidelines; and  Social measures for populations living in at-risk areas: resettlement programs; and a pilot project in new home construction techniques which are less vulnerable to flooding.

The agricultural sector is also of concern to Gabon, given that only 5 per cent of this heavily-forested country is arable and is currently used for plantation and subsistence farming. Changes in temperature and rainfall could influence the physical, chemical and biological composition of the country’s soils, and agriculture production is expected to decrease under a medium warming scenario. Additional concerns for Gabon include the potential for increased erosion due to more rainfall, changes in soil quality, and greater water content in the soil altering the balance of micro-organisms. Key actions to reduce vulnerability within the agriculture sector were identified as being:  Research and define critical climate thresholds for local crops;  Improve technical capacities to support traditional cultivation practices in the face of climate change;  Soil protection and restoration programs to improve fertility for increased productive capacity;

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 Initiate agroforestry projects in an effort to enrich soils; and  Repair and rehabilitate weather stations in the country’s interior.

Human health concerns for Gabon focus primarily on the potential increase in water-borne diseases. Proposed responses include:  Strengthen screening programs for river blindness;  Evaluation of the possibilities for improved delivery of clean drinking water;  Reduce deforestation rates; and  Analysis of the links between population displacement plans and the risk of climate-related disease.

B. National Level Policies and Strategic Documents Under the guidance of the Ministry of Forests, Water, Fisheries, the Environment and the Protection of Nature, Gabon prepared its First National Communication in 2004. Gabon, with the highest level of development among countries in Middle Africa, is not characterized as an LDC, and as such will not be preparing a National Adaptation Programme of Action. Since this time, the Government of Gabon has made climate change is a key component of its “Green Gabon” initiative, along with biodiversity, sustainable development and the fight against pollution.

More recently, in May 2010, the government established a Climate Council to develop national policies relating to climate change, as well as prepare a National Climate Plan. The development of this plan will require the participation of a number of committees representing a variety of stakeholder groups from the government, private sector and civil society (energy, industry, agriculture, forests and fisheries, transport, waste, public awareness, training and research, telecommunications). Once complete, the National Climate Plan will be integrated into the country’s broader development plan. The Climate Council reports directly to the Head of State. The government has also established a National Carbon Agency and a National Observatory to monitor climate risks.

Table 1: Key Government Policies and Reports reflecting Adaptation Needs, Priorities and Planned Actions Name of Policy Action Government Division Responsible Status Sector(s) of Focus Summary description 1. First National Ministry of Forests, Water, Marine Submitted Coastal zones, Gabon’s First National Communication describes the country’s Communication to fisheries, the Environment and the December 2004 water, agriculture, efforts to implement the UNFCCC. The document presents the the UNFCCC119 Protection of Nature human health national context, provides an inventory of national greenhouse

119 UNFCCC, http://unfccc.int/essential_background/library/items/3599.php?such=j&symbol=GAB/COM/1%20B#beg

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Name of Policy Action Government Division Responsible Status Sector(s) of Focus Summary description gas emissions, evaluates national vulnerabilities to climate change, and presents mitigation and adaptation options for addressing these impacts and vulnerabilities.

C. Current Adaptation Action The number of climate change adaptation projects underway in Gabon is very low relative to other Middle African countries. The country has no national projects underway, but is part of the following two regional programs:  Gabon is one of four Middle Africa countries participating in the “Supporting Integrated and Comprehensive Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation in Africa” program, or Africa Adaptation Programme. This multi-national, US$92 million initiative was launched in 20 African countries by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in 2010. The Gabon component of the program is a US$2.465 million project focused on supporting institutional capacity for better adaptation in the country’s coastal zones. Given the significant size of the project, this is the largest adaptation activity underway in the Gabon. It is designed as a capacity building and policy formation project, and by aiming to strengthen coastal zone resilience directly addresses the priority vulnerability assessment of the First National Communication (UNDP, 2010).  As a member of the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC), Gabon will also benefit from its current project on climate change scenarios for the Congo Basin. The extent of activities being carried out in Gabon under the project is unknown, but it is hoped that these scenarios will enable decision makers in the country and throughout the COMIFAC region to adapt and prepare their natural resource management strategies to meet the regional challenges of climate change (BMU, 2010).

Table 2: Current Adaptation Projects and Programs active in Gabon Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) Participation in Regional and Global Actions 1. Supporting Integrated and Under this program, UNDP will assist 20 Japan UNDP Capacity 2008 – 2011 Government African: Comprehensive Approaches African countries in implementing International building; 20 African to Climate Change integrated and comprehensive adaptation Cooperation Policy countries121 Adaptation in Africa (or actions and resilience plans. The projects Agency formation and including Africa Adaptation Program – will ensure that national development integration; Cameroon, AAP)120 processes incorporate climate change risks Budget: Knowledge Gabon,

120 ALM, http://www.adaptationlearning.net/program/africa-adaptation-programme and UNDP-APP, http://www.undp-aap.org/

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) and opportunities to secure development US$92 million communicatio Republic of gains under a changing climate. UNDP will n Congo, and help countries establish an enabling STP environment and develop the capacity In Gabon: “Supporting institutional capacity for better adaptation in coastal zones in required to design, finance, implement, and Gabon”122 monitor long-term and cost-effective  Objective: To put in place a stronger institutional framework for the management of the adaptation policies and plans. country’s coastal zone, home to the majority of the Gabon’s population. The project will include a strengthening of scientific and technical capacities for coastal management, and will demonstrate innovative practices and technologies for the rehabilitation and management of coastal zones.  Implementing agency: Gabon Ministry of Water, Forests, the Environment and Sustainable Development  Budget: $2.465 million 2. Climate Change Scenarios The project aims to provide national and BMU (Federal GIZ and Research; 2009 – 2011 Climate African: for the Congo Basin123 regional decision-makers with climate Ministry for COMIFAC Policy information COMIFAC change scenarios that have been calculated the (integration) services (Burundi, specifically for the Congo Basin, and which Environment, Cameroon, will enable them to adapt natural resource Nature CAR, Chad, management strategies to climate change. Conservation Congo, DRC, and Nuclear Equatorial Safety, Guinea, Germany) Gabon, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe) In Gabon: More information required

121 These countries are: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome et Principe, Senegal, Tanzania and Tunisia. 122 UNDP, http://www.undp-adaptation.org/portfolio/projectR.php?id=116 123 BMU, http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

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D. Proposed Adaptation Action Gabon identified a number of potential adaptation strategies in its First National Communication in its key vulnerable sectors: coastal zone management, freshwater resources, agriculture and human health (MFWFEPN, 2004). The government also identified a number of adaptation projects and programs that could be implemented to help the country deal with climate risks (see Table 3 below).

Action to address some of the priorities identified in the First National Communication has been initiated. The country’s first proposed project, “Scoping Project Examining the Strategic and Operational Requirements of a Coastal Zone Management Plan,” for example, is related to the country’s ongoing AAP project. As well, Gabon’s National Observatory, focused on identifying climate risks, may be linked to the proposed establishment of a national observatory for the country’s coastal zone, a national center for oceanographic facts and information and a national center for climate risk management.

Table 3: Proposed Adaptation Projects and Programs in Gabon Name Objectives Type of project Priority Sector(s) Geographic focus (if any) 1. Scoping project examining the To integrate climate change into coastal zone Policy formation and Coastal zone Coastal zone strategic and operational management plans, and to put into place a coherent and integration management requirements of a coastal zone efficient organizational plan detailing the responsibilities Notes: May be partially addressed through subsequent climate action. management plan of various national institutions, depending on their strengths and competences. 2. Creation of a national To put in place an observation system for the coastal Field implementation Coastal zone Coastal zone observatory for the coastal zone zone, with the goal of creating a more coherent management approach to coastal zone activities, including production Notes: May be partially addressed through subsequent climate action. and protection. 3. Research project on soil To survey current soil conditions in coastal communities, Research Coastal zone Coastal zone conservation in coastal villages identify at-risk regions, and elaborate a response plan. management Notes: 4. Vulnerability assessment for lake, To evaluate vulnerabilities to climate change in lake, river Assessment Freshwater supply Lake, river and lagoon river and lagoon zones and lagoon areas zones Notes: 5. Research project on the dynamics To survey vulnerable ecosystems and identify impacts of Research Ecosystem Vulnerable of vulnerable ecosystems and climate change on socio-economic activities conservation ecosystems impacts on associated socio- Notes: May be partially addressed through subsequent climate action.

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Name Objectives Type of project Priority Sector(s) Geographic focus (if any) economic activities 6. Establishment of a national To collect and manage national oceanographic facts and Research; Knowledge Marine management Coastal zone center for oceanographic facts information communication and information Notes: May be partially addressed through subsequent climate action. 7. Establish a center for climate risk To establish a national center on climate risk Capacity building; Climate information National management management and a network of experts who can help to Field implementation services evaluate climate risks faced by various sectors and Notes: May be partially addressed through subsequent climate action. identify response strategies

E. Assessment Gabon is the most developed country in the region and its vulnerabilities to climate change are relatively low. Nevertheless, the government of Gabon has integrated climate change into national policies more than in any other country in the region. Also, through the structures of the new Climate Council (see Section B), the government has tried to create a participative process for formulating the national climate plan; by involving a wide variety of stakeholders, they are helping to ensure broad engagement and implementation.

Gabon’s coastal zone is home to most of the country’s population, and was identified in its National Communication as being the region most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Coastal zone management has therefore fittingly been the focus of existing and proposed adaptation projects. Nevertheless, the focus on coastal zone management seems to come at the expense of other sectors that should still be considered vulnerable to climate change: water, agriculture (food security) and human health. While not identified as a priority area for adaptation efforts, attention to the differential impacts of climate change on gender also warrants greater attention. Projects and policies relating to these other sectors could be developed and implemented.

Adaptation activities remain very high-level thus far and opportunities for community-based adaptation projects could be explored. The capacity of domestic civil society to implement adaptation programs might be improved given that the current projects are being implemented by government ministries, external partners and United Nations agencies.

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References: Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit [BMU] (2010). Climate Change Scenarios for the Congo Basin. Retrieved from http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

Government of Gabon (2011). Gabon Vert. Retrieved from http://www.gabon-vert.com/les-actions/environnement-0.

McSweeney, C., New. M., and Lizcano, G. (2008). UNDP Climate Change Country Profiles: Gabon. United Nations Development Programme and University of Oxford, Oxford.

Ministry of Forests, Water, Fisheries, the Environment and the Protection of Nature [MFWFEPN] (2004). National Communication on Climate Change. Ministry of Forests, Water, Fisheries, the Environment and the Protection of Nature of Gabon: Libreville.

United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] (2010). Project: Mise en place d’approches intégré et comprehensives à l’adaptation aux changements climatiques en Afrique – Renforcement des capacités institutionelles pour une meilleure adaptation en zone côtière au Gabon. Retrieved from http://www.undp-adaptation.org/portfolio/projectR.php?id=116

United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] (2010). State of World Population 2010: From conflict and crisis to renewal: Generations of change. New York: United Nations Population Fund.

US Department of State [USDS] (2010). Background Note: Gabon. Last updated 7 December 2010. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2826.htm

World Bank (undated). Climate Change Knowledge Portal. Retrieved from http://sdwebx.worldbank.org/climateportal/

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9.0 São Tomé e Principe

AAP Africa Adaptation Programme BMU Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit (Germany) CAR Central African Republic CCAA Climate Change Adaptation in Africa COMIFAC Central African Forests Commission DFID Department for International Development (UK) DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo GDP Gross Domestic Product GEF Global Environment Facility GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (Germany) IDRC International Development Research Centre LDCF Least Developed Countries Fund NAPA National Adaptation Program of Action NGO non-governmental organization SIDS Small Island Developing State STP São Tomé e Principe UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

An archipelago comprised of two main volcanic islands and four islets in the Gulf of Guinea, the Democratic Republic of São Tomé e Principe is the smallest independent country in Africa, with a land area of 1,001 square kilometers. Its estimated population of 166,000 people primarily lives in urban centers (62.2 per cent) (USDS, 2010; UNFPA, 2010). The main economic sectors of the country are the production of agricultural commodities (particularly cocoa, coconuts and copra), fisheries and a small industrial sector (USDS, 2010). The concentrated use of São Tomé e Principe’s limited arable land for export crops has led to a reliance on food imports to meet local consumption needs (USDS, 2010). The country has the potential to significantly expand its tourism industry and is in the process of exploring development of its offshore oil resources in partnership with Nigeria (USDS, 2010). GDP per capita in São Tomé e Principe is

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US$1,174 (2009 figure; USDS, 2010). The country is classified as a least developed country (OECD, 2009) and is characterized as having achieved a medium level of human development (UNDP, 2010a).

A. Adaptation Needs and Priorities São Tomé e Principe enjoys a humid, tropical climate with abundant rains throughout the year, with the exception of the dry season from June to August. Changes in this climate are being observed, with temperatures rising over time and the length of the dry season extending.124 The decrease in rainfall over the years has led to reduced river flow and inadequate water supplies, with impacts on groundwater resources (STPMNRE, 2006).

Projections for the future suggest that the climate of São Tomé e Principe will remain relatively unchanged. Moderate temperature increases of 1 to 2.5oC are projected by 2050, along with no significant change in annual rainfall and no significant change in consecutive dry days or extreme rainfall events. Moderate decrease in runoff could take place, increasing the importance of strict water management and sustainable land uses for São Tomé e Principe (World Bank, n.d). Sea level rise is an additional concern for this island country, particularly as coastal erosion is currently leaving populations unprotected and impacting tourism (STPMNRE, 2006).

The key vulnerable sectors identified in the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) are the coastal zone, fisheries, forests, and human health, primarily due to flooding, coastal floods, storms, landfalls and drought. Adaptation solutions to these climatic vulnerabilities are presented in the country’s NAPA in a number of related sectors:  Agriculture and forests;  Freshwater resources;  Energy;  Infrastructure, public works and tourism;  Public safety and civil protection;  Human health; and  Fisheries.

124 In 2005, for example, São Tomé e Principe’s dry season lasted for six months instead of the typical three months in length (STPMNRE, 2006).

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It should be noted that while the coastal zone is not singled out in the adaptation solutions, their high vulnerability to sea level rise and erosion is acknowledged (particularly under infrastructure).

B. National Level Policies and Strategic Documents São Tomé e Principe submitted its First National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2004 and its National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) in 2006. Both of these documents were prepared and submitted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment. As well, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), São Tomé e Principe also prepared a National Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation in 2004. Summary descriptions of all three documents can be found in Table 1.

Although the country has completed the development of these foundational documents, it has not yet mainstreamed climate change adaptation into specific policies and strategies. For example, there is no explicit mention of climate change adaptation in the country’s most recent Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper progress report, though mention is made of implementation of the UNFCCC more generally.125 However, mainstreaming climate change into major strategies and policies is a key deliverable of the country’s current project financed through the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), “São Tomé e Principe: Adaptation to Climate Change” (see Section C).

Table 1: Key Government Policies and Reports reflecting Adaptation Needs, Priorities and Planned Actions Name of Policy Action Government Division Status Sector(s) of Focus Summary description Responsible 1. First National Ministry of Natural Submitted Forests and soils; coastal zone This initial National Communication of São Tomé e Communication to the Resources and the December 2004 and marine fisheries; Principe’s provides a summary of the country’s context, UNFCCC Environment population, health and presents an inventory of domestic greenhouse gas education; water, energy and emissions, and analyzes national vulnerabilities to climate mines; and agriculture change. It then presents adaptation options that can be implemented to address these vulnerabilities.

125 The World Bank and International Monetary Fund have recommended that São Tomé e Principe present more information in their PRSP on the country’s natural disaster risks and mitigation strategy, to adopt a vulnerability reduction and adaptation plan to climate change, and to ensure that critical infrastructure is resilient to disasters (GFDRR, 2009).

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Name of Policy Action Government Division Status Sector(s) of Focus Summary description Responsible 2. National Strategy for Ministry of Natural Submitted Human health, freshwater This initial national strategy for climate change adaptation Climate Change Resources and the December 2004 supply, agriculture, marine described the steps São Tomé e Principe is taking to Adaptation126 Environment fisheries, coastal zone implement the UNFCCC. It provides a description of the management national context and an inventory of domestic greenhouse gas emissions, and discusses both mitigation and adaptation strategies. Adaptation strategies focus on a number of priority areas: health, poverty, observation data, water, agriculture, marine fisheries and coastal erosion. 3. National Adaptation Ministry of Natural Submitted Infrastructure and public This document identifies national climate change impacts Programme of Action127 Resources and the December 2006 works, agro-livestock and and vulnerabilities, and lists 22 priority actions necessary Environment forestry, health, water and for the country to begin adapting to the impacts of energy, fishing, public safety climate change. These actions focus on infrastructure and and civil protection public works, agro-livestock and forestry, health, water and energy, fishing, public safety and civil protection.

C. Current Adaptation Action São Tomé e Principe is currently benefitting from a moderate number of adaptation projects relative to other Middle African countries—a total of five identified projects—most of which are part of larger African or global climate change adaptation initiatives. Adaptation projects in the country span a number of different sectors, including coastal management, food security and meteorology, and tend to focus on research and capacity building. The country has managed to secure funding from a diverse set of sources, including the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), bilateral assistance (with Germany, Japan, Portugal and United Kingdom) and non- governmental organizations (International Development Research Centre [IDRC]).

The largest initiative being currently implemented is the six-year, US$6.8 million project, “São Tomé e Principe: Adaptation to Climate Change.” This project, funded in part by the LDCF, broadly aims to increase the adaptive capacity of the Santomean population, with a focus on reducing the risk of climate-induced food insecurity in Lobata district, strengthening the resilience of coastal communities to sea level rise and extreme weather events, and mainstreaming climate change into the country’s major strategies and policies (GEF,

126 UNFCCC, http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/natc/stpnc1a1.pdf 127 UNFCCC, http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/napa/stp01.pdf

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2009a). A second national-level project focuses on the generation of meteorological information for the benefit of environmental technicians, fishers, transport workers, policy makers, economic decision makers and the general public, and includes the donation of three new weather stations. The São Tomé e Principe Meteorological Institute is implementing the project in conjunction with Evora University in Portugal.128

São Tomé e Principe is also participating in the program “Supporting Integrated and Comprehensive Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation in Africa,” or Africa Adaptation Programme, a multi-national, US$92 million initiative launched in 20 African countries by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in 2010. The Saotomean component of the program is a US$3.25 million project (with co- financing from the World Bank and UNDP) focused on capacity building and leadership, with a geographic focus on both coastal zones and the northern part of the country (UNDP, 2010b).

As part of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and IDRC’s Climate Change Adaptation in Africa program, a fourth project will help the capital city’s municipal government incorporate climate change adaptation into their long-term planning and decision-making, through the use of participatory scenario development and analysis in São Tomé, the capital (IDRC, 2009). This is also being implemented in Cape Verde, which will allow for a sharing of experiences, approaches and lessons learned between the two small island developing states.

In addition, as a member of the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC), São Tomé e Principe will also benefit from their current project on climate change scenarios for the Congo Basin. The extent of activities being carried out in São Tomé e Principe under the project is unknown, but it is hoped that these scenarios will enable decision makers throughout the COMIFAC region to adapt and prepare their natural resource management strategies to meet the regional challenges of climate change (BMU, 2010).

128 See http://www.siclimad.com/ and GEF (2009).

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Table 2: Current Adaptation Projects and Programs active in São Tomé e Principe Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) National Action 1. SICLIMAD: System for This project is aimed at supporting Portuguese São Tomé e Research; Unclear Climate São Tomé e Climatic and Sea adaptation to climate change by monitoring Institute for Principe Capacity information Principe. Information to Support the the regional climate, climate variability and the Meteorological building services; Similar Sustainable Development of its impacts, and conducting numerical Environment Institute, Evora Marine projects in São Tomé e Principe129 modeling of the weather and sea conditions. , São Tomé e University, fisheries; Cape Verde The project beneficiaries include Principe Audimobil Marine and Guinea environment technicians, fishers, transport Meteorologi management Bissau workers, policy makers, economic decision cal Institute makers and the general public. The project includes the donation of three automatic weather stations. 2. São Tomé e Principe: To increase the adaptive capacity of the São LDCF, other World Bank, Capacity 2009 – 2015 Agriculture; São Tomé e Adaptation to Climate Tomé and Principe population to reduce co-financing Ministry of building; Coastal zone Principe, Change130 their vulnerability to the adverse impacts of Natural Policy management; Lobata climate variability and change. Resources, formation and Disaster risk district, coast Energy and integration management Environment Participation in Regional and Global Projects 3. Climate Change Scenarios The project aims to provide national and BMU GIZ and Research 2009 – 2011 Climate African: for the Congo Basin131 regional decision-makers with climate (Federal COMIFAC information COMIFAC change scenarios that have been calculated Ministry for services (Burundi, specifically for the Congo Basin, and which the Cameroon, will enable them to adapt natural resource Environment CAR, Chad, management strategies to climate change. , Nature Congo, DRC, Conservation Equatorial and Nuclear Guinea,

129 GEF, http://207.190.239.148/uploadedFiles/Focal_Areas/Climate_Change__(PDF_DOC)/LDCF1/Sao_Tome_Principe_07-22- 09_Adaptation_to_CC_PIF.pdf 130 GEF, http://207.190.239.148/uploadedFiles/Focal_Areas/Climate_Change__(PDF_DOC)/LDCF1/Sao_Tome_Principe_07-22- 09_Adaptation_to_CC_PIF.pdf 131 BMU, http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) Safety, Gabon, Germany) Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe) In São Tomé e Principe: More information required 4. CapaSIDS: Capacity Building This project aims to enable municipal DFID and Instituto De Research; 2009 – 2012 Disaster risk African: and Knowledge on governments in SIDS to incorporate climate IDRC Engenharia Capacity management; São Tomé e Sustainable Responses to change adaptation into their long-term through the Mecanica building Urban areas Principe, Climate Change in Small planning and decision-making. Researchers CCAA Cape Verde Island States132 will facilitate participatory scenario program development and analysis in two In São Tomé e Principe: Research is focused on the city of São Tomé municipalities, São Vicente in Cape Verde and São Tomé in São Tomé e Principe. Geographical information system tools will be used to help stakeholders visualize the impacts of their socioeconomic and climate change scenarios, and to appraise a number of adaptation options. 5. Supporting Integrated and Under this program, UNDP will assist 20 Japan UNDP Capacity 2008 – 2011 Government African: Comprehensive Approaches African countries in implementing integrated International building; 20 African to Climate Change and comprehensive adaptation actions and Cooperation Policy countries134 Adaptation in Africa (or resilience plans. The projects will ensure that Agency formation and including Africa Adaptation Program – national development processes incorporate integration; Cameroon, AAP)133 climate change risks and opportunities to Budget: Knowledge Gabon, secure development gains under a changing US$92 communicatio Republic of climate. UNDP will help countries establish million n Congo, and an enabling environment and develop the STP capacity required to design, finance, In São Tomé e Principe: “Supporting Integrated and Comprehensive Approaches to implement, and monitor long-term and cost-

132 IDRC, http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-148720-201_105838-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html 133 ALM, http://www.adaptationlearning.net/program/africa-adaptation-programme and UNDP-APP, http://www.undp-aap.org/ 134 These countries are Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome et Principe, Senegal, Tanzania and Tunisia.

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Name Objectives Funder(s) Implementing Type of Duration Priority Geographic Agency(s) project Sector(s) focus (if any) effective adaptation policies and plans. Climate change Adaptation in Africa: leadership, demonstration and capacity-building in São Tomé e Principe.” The project will help to address climate change risks under the five APP Global Project outputs, focusing on strengthening: (1) adaptive long term planning capacities, including baseline meteorological and population vulnerability measurement (2) institutional and human resource capacities at all levels (3) policies and measures, with a focus on the already degraded area of northern São Tomé for pilot activities in developing community climate change adaptation strategies and improving livelihood resilience in priority sectors. World Bank funded components will focus primarily on coastal areas. The project will strengthen adaptation and lead to improved resilience to climate change at local, district and national levels.  Budget: US$3.25 million with co-financing from World Bank/UNDP  Implementing agencies: Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment and the World Bank.  Priority sectors: Coastal zone management; Climate information services  Geographic focus: Research is focused on Northern São Tomé, coastal zones

D. Proposed Adaptation Action São Tomé e Principe’s NAPA contains proposals for 22 adaptation projects (the relevant projects are listed below). Prioritized projects focus on food security, but the projects in general cover a number of different sectors, including health, water, energy and infrastructure. The majority of the proposed projects deal with capacity building, research, community-based adaptation and infrastructure building. Project proposals range in size (from US$21,250 to 2,915,000 in budget), with most falling within the range of US$300,000 to US$500,000.

In addition, the Directorate of Animal Husbandry has submitted a significant proposal (US$9.76 million) to the LDCF for strengthening the adaptive capacity and resilience of the country’s livestock sector. The proposed project has not yet been approved.

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Table 3: Adaptation Projects and Programs proposed in São Tomé e Principe Name Objectives Type of project Priority Sector(s) Geographic focus (if any) A) Projects not mentioned in STP’s NAPA 1. Strengthening the Adaptive Improve the resilience of the livestock systems in Capacity building Agriculture Capacity of most Vulnerable Sao support of the productivity of stockbreeding. Notes: Project proposal submitted November 2010 to the GEF for funding Tomean’s Livestock-keeping through the LDCF. Currently awaiting CEO approval. 135 Households Proposed budget: US$10,087,275 Proposed Implementing Agency: AfDB Proposed Executing Agency: Directorate of Animal Husbandry B) Projects identified in STP’s NAPA (STPMNRE, 2006) 2. Establishing an early warning To strengthen forecasting capabilities, to Capacity building; Knowledge Climate information Airport system of climate alert maintain/improve weather stations, and to communication; Field services; Disaster risk establish a dissemination network for climate implementation management information (radio, television, newspaper, telephone). 3. Communication action for To change peoples’ behavior with respect to Knowledge communication Human health behavior change climate change-related health impacts, such as vector-borne diseases, water-related diseases, and so on. 4. Construction and installation of a To increase the productivity and safety of local Field implementation Marine fisheries 15 fishing device for fish concentration on fisheries through the installation of devices for fish communities coastal zone concentration (which attract fish populations to areas closer to the coast). 5. Construction of two systems of To increase the population’s access to safe drinking Field implementation Freshwater supply drinking water supply in rural water, to reduce the incidence of water-borne zones diseases, and to contribute to a reduction in the infant mortality rate. 6. Reinforcement and This project will include efforts to increase Community-based adaptation Agriculture diversification of agricultural agricultural production, increase the number of

135 GEF, http://www.gefonline.org/projectDetailsSQL.cfm?projID=4274 and http://www.thegef.org/gef/sites/thegef.org/files/documents/Progress%20Report.rev1_.pdf

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Name Objectives Type of project Priority Sector(s) Geographic focus (if any) production farmers’ associations, increase arable land, increases in the number of beneficiaries benefiting from agricultural support programs, and an increase in small farmers’ incomes. 7. Integrated project of livestock In the face of increasing drought and less livestock Community-based adaptation Agriculture North of S. development fodder, the project will focus on increasing the use Tome island of goats and sheep as livestock (vs. chickens, pigs). Notes: Implemented by the livestock sector, in partnership with agriculture and forestry 8. Sustainable management of To strengthen institutional capacities for forest Capacity building; Research Forestry forest resources management, and establish a good database on national forest resources. 9. Relocation of local community at To strengthen the adaptive capacity of local Community-based adaptation Migration; Disaster Malanza, Sta. risk of floods and landfalls communities and reduce their exposure to flooding risk management Catarina, Sundy, and sea level rise. Praia Melao, Praia Pesqueira, Ribeira Afonso 10. Construction of infrastructure for To protect coastal areas and populations from Field implementation Coastal zone Coastal regions protection of vulnerable coastal erosion, flooding, and sea level rise. management communities 11. Introduction of new technology To reduce the national consumption of firewood Field implementation Energy Focus on rural for firewood use and to make and improve the use of the country’s forests areas charcoal resources. 12. Establishing agricultural tourism To establish agro-tourism complexes in two Capacity building; Tourism; Agriculture Monte Café e regions in an effort to reduce poverty, increase Community-based Porto Real adaptive capacity to deal with drought, and adaptation; Field improve agricultural infrastructure. implementation 13. Develop an epidemic database To develop and launch a database for monitoring Assessment Human health about potential diseases related climate change-related health impacts. to climate change 14. Elaboration of strategic and To develop both strategic and emergency plans for Policy formation and Human health emergency plans emphasizing responding to the health risks associated with implementation

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Name Objectives Type of project Priority Sector(s) Geographic focus (if any) the health sector climate change. 15. Training and study visits (doctors, To train 500 health professionals in interventions Capacity building Human health nurses, volunteers, students, to combat climate change-related health problems, etc.) for emergency needs with an emphasis on disaster-related health crises. 16. Sustainable management of To reduce the amount of waste generated through Research Waste management water and energy the consumption of water and energy resources. 17. Development of a Geographical To develop a national system for the monitoring of Capacity building; Research Human health Information System to monitor climate change-related health risks, with a focus on health and vector-borne diseases malaria. 18. Introduction of renewable To evaluate the country’s potential for renewable Research Energy Rural areas energy energy. without electrification 19. Construction of two hydro To increase electrification in rural areas using clean Field implementation Energy Claudino Faro and power-stations energy for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions Bernardo Faro and reduction in poverty. 20. Evaluation and planning on water To conduct an inventory of the country’s water Research; Capacity building Freshwater supply resources resources, to develop a plan for the use of those resources, and the build capacity for national integrated water resource management. 21. Construction of shelters and Field implementation Marine fisheries mooring stations for fishing boats

E. Assessment The impacts of climate change on coasts, human health, freshwater, energy and forests, though identified as key national vulnerabilities, have not yet been addressed in detail through adaptation activities in São Tomé e Principe. Similarly, it is likely that more will have to be done on strengthening and adapting coastal infrastructure in the face of sea level rise and an increase in extreme weather events over the coming century. These shortcomings have been identified by the country, as is evident from the list of proposed adaptation projects in the NAPA. However, this has not yet translated into activities on the ground.

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Nevertheless, given the country’s small size and population, an encouraging amount of significant work, spanning a number of sectors, is currently underway on climate change adaptation in São Tomé e Principe. Projects are addressing a wide range of issues, including agriculture, coastal zone management, early warning, climate information services, marine management, disaster risk management, urban planning and policy formation; this ensures that one area of focus does not dominate research, efforts and policies at the expense of other equally relevant challenges. A gap appears with respect to effort to specifically understand the gender based implications of climate change, which is not a prominent component of any current adaptation project or proposed strategy.

Diverse funding sources indicate that the country has avoided building up a reliance on one particular funder (or type of funder); multilateral, bilateral and NGO funding has been secured for current initiatives. The capacity of domestic civil society to implement adaptation programs could be improved, as indicated by the fact that most projects are being implemented by government ministries, external partners and United Nations agencies.

References: Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorischerheit [BMU] (2010). Climate Change Scenarios for the Congo Basin. Retrieved from http://www.bmu-klimaschutzinitiative.de/en/projects?p=1&d=550

Global Environment Facility [GEF] (2009). Project Identification Form (PIF): São Tomé e Principe: Adaptation to Climate Change. GEF: Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://207.190.239.148/uploadedFiles/Focal_Areas/Climate_Change__(PDF_DOC)/LDCF1/Sao_Tome_Principe_07-22- 09_Adaptation_to_CC_PIF.pdf

Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery [GFDRR] (2009). Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction in National Development Strategies: Summary of GFDRR Upstream Effort (January-December 2008). GFDRR: Washington. Retrieved from http://gfdrr.org/docs/PRS_CAS_Review_2008.pdf

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International Development Research Centre [IDRC] (2009). CapaSIDS: Capacity building and knowledge on sustainable responses to climate change in small island states. IDRC: Ottawa. Retrieved from http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-148720-201_105838-1- IDRC_ADM_INFO.html

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2009). DAC List of ODA Recipients: Effective for reporting on 2009 and 2010 flows. Retrieved in September 2010 from: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/32/40/43540882.pdf

McSweeney, C., New, M. and Lizcano, G. (2008). UNDP Climate Change Country Profiles: Sao Tome and Principe. United Nations Development Programme and University of Oxford: Oxford.

São Tomé e Principe Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment [STPMNRE] (2004). National Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation. São Tomé: Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of São Tomé e Principe.

São Tomé e Principe Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment [STPMNRE] (2006). National Adaptation Programmes of Action on Climate Change. São Tomé: Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of São Tomé e Principe.

United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] (2010a). Human Development Report 2010: The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development, United Nations Development Programme: New York.

United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] (2010b). Project: Supporting Integrated and Comprehensive Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation in Africa: Leadership, demonstration and capacity building in São Tomé e Principe. Retrieved from http://www.undp-adaptation.org/portfolio/projectR.php?id=135

United Nations Population Fund [UNFP] (2010). State of World Population 2010: From Conflict and Crisis to Renewal: Generations of Change. New York: UNPF.

United States Department of State [USDS] (2010). Background Note: Sao Tome and Principe. Last updated 7 December 2010. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5434.htm

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World Bank (undated). Climate Change Knowledge Portal. Retrieved from http://sdwebx.worldbank.org/climateportal/home.cfm?page=\AnalyseProject\ClimateData

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