Belgian National Adaptation Plan 2017-2020
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Belgian National Adaptation Plan 2017-2020 1 CONTENT 1. Introduction 2. Climate change 3. Impacts and vulnerabilities in Belgium p. 3 p. 10 p. 13 4. Adaptation planning 5. National actions at regional and federal level 6. Monitoring and implementation p. 17 p. 20 p. 33 Annex | p. 35 References | p. 39 Colophon | p. 40 123rf/Paul Aniszewski 1. Introduction 3 Adaptation to climate change “Mitigation limate change is a major global challenge emissions progressively until 20501, consist- aims to avoid the unmanageable C that requires a twofold solution: adapta- ently with the long-term objective to limit and adaptation aims to manage tion and mitigation are two complementary global warming to 2°C in comparison to pre- the unavoidable.” approaches for tackling climate change (see industrial levels. box). (Laukkonen et al., 2009) Mitigation has the potential to reduce climate Many impacts can be avoided, reduced or change impacts. However, even the most strin- delayed by mitigation actions to reduce gent mitigation efforts cannot avoid impacts greenhouse gas emissions. Most early actions caused by current and future climate change, undertaken in the field of climate policy at in- which makes adaptation action essential to re- ternational, European or national level focused duce the damage of these unavoidable impacts. on mitigation. EU leaders have committed to This plan proposes a set of national measures move towards a low-carbon economy and have Aa endorsed targets for reducing greenhouse gas focused on adaptation to climate change. ■ Adaptation versus mitigation a. Mitigation: Human intervention to reduce or help to reduce the sources of greenhouse gases [2]. b. Adaptation: The process of adjustment to current or expected climate change and its effects. In human systems, adaptation seeks to moderate or avoid harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. In some natural systems, human intervention may facilitate adjustment to the expected climate and its 1 For 2050, the EU has endorsed the objective of effects [4]. reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% com- pared to 1990 levels. 4 Legal context International level he United Nations Framework 2001 : the Least Developing Countries work ◗◗ support to developing countries; T Convention on Climate Change programme was set up to help these countries ◗◗ institutions: establishment of an Adaptation (UNFCCC) was adopted at the “Rio Earth to deal with problems associated with adap- Committee to promote the implementa- Summit” in 1992 in order to limit global tation to climate change (inter alia support tion of enhanced action on adaptation in warming and reduce its consequences. for the preparation of National Adaptation a coherent manner under the Convention, Programmes of Action - NAPAs). Besides their commitment to mitigate climate and the creation of regional and national change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, 2006 : the Nairobi work programme on im- centres and networks; the parties to the UNFCCC are also required pacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate ◗◗ principles such as accordance with the to adopt measures to minimise the nega- change was adopted. Its objective is to assist Convention, country-driven approach, tive effects of climate change (adaptation). Parties, to improve their understanding and gender sensitivity, participation and trans- Furthermore, the countries listed in Annex II assessment of impacts, vulnerability and ad- parency, guidance by science & local to the Convention must ‘assist the developing aptation to climate change and to help them knowledge and adaptation mainstreaming; country Parties that are particularly vulnerable make informed decisions on practical adapta- ◗◗ stakeholder engagement. to the adverse effects of climate change in meeting tion actions and measures to respond to cli- costs of adaptation to those adverse effects.’ mate change. 2015 : Article 7§9 of the Paris Agreement provides for Parties to engage, as appropriate, in Many important steps have been taken in the 2010 : the Cancun Adaptation Framework adaptation planning processes and implement development of the adaptation regime under (CAF) is established. Activities under the CAF actions, including the development or the UNFCCC. The key milestones are indi- relate to the following five clusters: enhancement of relevant plans, policies and/ cated below: ◗◗ implementation of adaptation activi- or contributions. ties and information channels, National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and a work pro- gramme to consider approaches to address loss and damage; 5 European level n 2007, the European Commission organ- In April 2013, the European Commission European Regulation 525/2013 (mechanism I ised a wide-ranging consultation through- adopted the EU strategy on adaptation to cli- for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas out the EU through a green paper “Adapting mate change, which sets out a framework and emissions and for reporting other informa- to climate change in Europe – options for EU mechanisms for taking the EU’s preparedness tion relevant to climate change) provides that action”. Following this consultation, in April for current and future climate impacts to a Member States shall report to the Commission 2009 the Commission published the white new level. no later than March 2015 (and every four paper “Adapting to climate change: Towards years thereafter) with information on national The EU strategy focuses on three key objectives: a European framework for action” which “en- adaptation planning and strategies, outlining courages the further development of National ◗◗ promoting action by Member States; implemented or planned actions to facilitate and Regional Adaptation Strategies with a view ◗◗ enhancing ‘climate-proofing’ action at EU adaptation to climate change. to considering mandatory adaptation strategies level; The European Commission will assess progress from 2012”. ◗◗ better informed decision-making. made by Member States in 2017. National level elgium adopted its second National In 2010, Belgium adopted its National ◗◗ improve consistency between existing ad- B Climate Plan (2009-2012) in 2008, con- Adaptation Strategy which describes the main aptation activities in Belgium (evaluation taining a section dedicated to adaptation. climate change impacts, the existing adapta- of the impacts of climate change, vulner- The third objective of the plan is to initiate a tion responses, a roadmap to a future National ability to climate change and adaptation National Strategy for Adaptation. It also states Adaptation Plan (NAP) and several policy measures already implemented); the following: “Belgium will assess the possibility guidelines for the further development of ad- ◗◗ improve communication at national, of developing an adaptation plan on the basis of aptation policy. The Strategy has 3 objectives: European and international levels; the acquired experience”. ◗◗ initiate a process for the preparation of a national action plan. ■ 6 Decision-making in Belgium It is important to stress the specificity by law. They intervene on an equal footing of the Belgian context: competences but in different areas. are either exclusively attributed to the ◗◗ the middle tier comprises the 10 provinc- federal or regional level, or shared be- elgium is a federal State composed of three es. They act within the framework of the tween these two entities. The federal language-based communities (the Flemish B federal, community or regional powers and Community, the French Community and the level is also responsible for competences are subordinate to all higher authorities. German-speaking Community) and three re- that are not expressly attributed to the gions (the Flemish Region in the North, the ◗◗ the lowest tier of the structure comprises regions or the communities. The posi- Brussels-Capital Region in the centre and the the municipalities (589 in all), which are tion taken up by Belgium at European Walloon Region in the South), each with its the level of power closest to the citizen. Like or international level is constructed on the provinces, they are subordinate to the own executive and legislative bodies. the basis of input from all these entities. higher authorities. Depending on the area When we speak about ‘national level Constitutional reforms and the regionali- of power being exercised, they are therefore sation of the State have led to a three-tiered accountable to the Federal Government, policy documents’, we mean those that organisation: the community or the region. They are are adopted and supported together by ◗◗ the upper tier comprises the federal State, financed and controlled primarily by the the various entities responsible. the communities and the regions, all equal regions. Federal Regions Communities Broadly speaking, responsible for:foreign affairs, Responsible for areas related to occupation of a 'terri- Responsible for matters related to 'persons': cul- the army, large energy infrastructures and nucle- tory': economy, employment, agriculture, water poli- ture, education, languages and matters that can be ar energy, economic regulation, the judicial sys- cy, housing, public works, energy, transport (with the 'personalised': health policy (preventive and cura- tem, public finances, social security, State-owned exception of the national railway, SNCB/NMBS), tive medicine) and assistance to individuals (child companies (such as Belgian Railways), substan- environment, town and country planning, rural protection, social assistance, family assistance, re- tial