#theme:policy

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Multilateral and bilateral intermediaries are a crucial part of the climate finance landscape. In general, intermediaries are working hard to improve their monitoring and evaluation (M&E;) systems, but there is significant room for improvement, particularly to ensure that M&E; is applied across the full lifecycle of projects and programmes. This paper examines the M&E; systems applied by a selection of eight multilateral and bilateral intermediaries, as well as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change reporting framework. The report argues that a key ingredient for a successful M&E; system is simplicity. It is important to balance the need for rigor and comprehensiveness with the recipient country’s capabilities and related transaction and administrative costs and to focus on information that is genuinely required to understand how well money is being spent and the impact it is having on tackling the global challenge of climate change.

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This PhD thesis focuses on certain characteristics of the state and of state formation in Malawi, with particular emphasis on the effects of development aid. It consists of three papers for publication in journals, each focusing on different aspects of the state and state formation, and an introductory discussion. The first paper looks at the institutional set-up of the state. The second paper focuses on bureaucratic practice. The third paper explores some observed and some potential consequences of the poverty line. All papers refer to different academic debates, but they all point to aspects of state formation associated with aid and development. They demonstrate some forms of dissonance: here used as a metaphor for the difference between how social phenomena appear when seen through the logic of the state, and how social life is experienced in actual, local, daily interactions. The conclusion is that aid can increase this dissonance.

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This report analyses the legal framework for local governance in Nepal and how its is practiced in six districts. It focuses specifically on transfer of resources and delivery of services, how various groups participate in local planning, decicion-making and implementation of projects and programmes, and relations between local governance institutions and the central government.

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The paper focuses on the public financing component of climate change actions, but also acknowledges the role played by communities, civil society, the private sector and international support. The objective of the study has been to develop an appropriate methodology and then conduct an exploratory Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (CPEIR), at both the national and local level. This CPEIR reviews the financial management systems as well as the institutional arrangements and policy directives for allocating and spending climate change-related finance. The study entails:An assessment of current policy priorities and strategies as these relate to climate change.A review of the institutional arrangements for promoting the integration of climate change policy priorities into budgeting and expenditure management. A review of the integration of climate change objectives within the budgetary process, including as part of budget planning, implementation& expenditure management

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This policy brief discusses the nature of climate change mitigation and adaptation in the wetland ecosystems of Indonesia. It describes the ecosystem services which accrue from peatland and mangrove forests and outlines the research themes of an international workshop held in Bali during April 2011. The brief makes the following recommendations: 1) the roles of tropical wetlands are currently understated in IPCC Guidelines and the scientific community should aim to overcome knowledge gaps to rectify this issue; 2) carbon-rich tropical wetlands must be understood as high priorities in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies; 3) a multi-disciplinary scientific approach is needed to assist Indonesia in protecting it’s tropical wetlands; 4) a research agenda must be well co-ordinated to ensure that it remains relevant to the policy community; 5) research organizations should co-ordinate and collaborate to minimise overlaps.

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This letter is written by the Executive Chair of Indonesia’s National Council on Climate Change, Rachmat Witoelar; it outlines Indonesia’s Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs). NAMAs are voluntary greenhouse gas reduction activities set out by Non-Annex 1 Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

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The climate screening performed for the UNDAF-El Salvador is reflected through two analysis: the possible risks to achieving the objectives outlined in the UNDAF considering climate change impacts and the assessment of the potential changes or adaptation measures that could be implemented in order to reduce climate change risks.

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The document is a climate assessment conducted for the Intersectoral Program on Food and Nutrition Security (ISAN), and is divided into two parts: (1) analysis of potential risks to achieving the objectives outlined in ISAN, considering climate change impacts, and (2) identification of potential adjustments or adaptation measures that could be implemented to reduce the risks from climate change. The assessment methodology takes into account the reference tool called 'Quality standards for integrating adaptation to climate change with development programming' developed by the UNDP (draft, 2009). The original document is in Spanish.

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The purpose of the indicator system is to assess the vulnerability and risk, using national-level indicators to facilitate access to relevant information to enable them to identify and propose effective measures for risk management, considering macroeconomics, social, institutional and technical aspects. The system includes Desasters Deficit Index, Local Disaster Index, Index of prevalent Vulnerability and Index of Risk Management. In the annexes the natural threats for the country, as well as the progress on the Hyogo Action Framework are presented. The original document is in Spanish.

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This report provides the scientific basis regarding climate change and glaciers in the tropical Andes. It is meant to facilitate a discussion amongst policy makers and local stakeholders, who are in charge of implementing adaptation and mitigation strategies. Such measures, designed to alleviate the magnitude and impacts of climate change, can only be put in place with an accurate and detailed knowledge on how future climate change will affect glaciological and hydrological systems in the Andes. Therefore it is important to first summarize the current state of knowledge regarding climate change, tropical glaciology and potential future impacts on Andean water supply. The document includes glacier observed glacier variations, glacier mass balance, surface energy balance, observed and projected climate change and implications for water resources for tropical glaciers in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

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This report (second part of three) is intended to give a state-of-the-art overview of past and current monitoring and research activities by the Universities of Massachusetts (CSRC), Innsbruck (ITGG) and the IRD in the glaciers of Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. It focuses exclusively on climatologic, glaciologic, and hydrologic monitoring networks which have been installed and maintained by the three groups. It does not, however, include activities by other foreign research groups nor does it discuss the networks maintained and operated by the national meteorological or hydrological services such as SENAMHI, INRENA or INAMHI. The report is meant to give an accurate description of current monitoring efforts, but it does not address the adequacy or shortcomings of these installations and monitoring sites. This issue is discussed separately in the third volume (see Part III: Future recommendations).

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The climate change strategy for the Esmeraldas Canton is a document that seeks to provide technical guidance to facilitate the design and implementation of policies and actions to combat the adverse impacts of climate change. It was developed under a participatory process and is based on local development documents of Esmeraldas Canton (participatory local development plan for the change of Esmeraldas and Agenda 21).

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These guidelines are designed to provide basic and flexible guidance on how to: (i) conduct impact and vulnerability assessments in the agricultural sector; (ii) identify opportunities and entry points for integration of climate change mitigation and adaptation(CCMA) measures; (iii) identify, analyse and integrate options for CCMA into the agricultural policy formulation, financing, implementation and evaluation at national, local and community levels.

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The paper starts by examining the rationale for coordination and mainstreaming of CCA and DRR based on trends in climate variability and extreme events, disasters and their economic implications and overlaps and conceptual similarities. Next, a brief overview of common characteristics of CCA and DRR climate risk management and mainstreaming approaches is provided along with emerging experience from their application in the context of climate change adaptation. This is followed by an analysis of nine climate change adaptation mainstreaming projects in Sub-Saharan Africa focusing on whether collaboration and or coordination is taking place and on identifying opportunities arising at various levels. The final section offers a discussion of potential ways forward for supporting systematic integration of CCA and DRR in the context of development.

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This paper will highlight the potential for Social Protection (SP) policies and programs in Rwanda to increase household and community resilience by lowering vulnerability and increasing the capacity for poor and vulnerable households, by explicitly integrating SP with Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA). SP/DRM/CCA have a lot in common, but they have historically been dealt with by different disciplines and communities of practice, operating in different institutions and using different conceptual and analytical frameworks and terminologies. All three agendas attempt to manage hazards/risks by transforming, strengthening and protecting assets and livelihoods,including efforts to improve institutional capacities, and to decrease vulnerability and build resilience and thereby promote poverty-reducing sustainable growth. However, each has a different focus in terms of timing, purpose and target groups.

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The preparation of the Second National Communication (SNC) is in furtherance to meeting its obligation under the UNFCCC. The SNC is meant to build on, update and report additional information subsequent to the Initial National Communication (INC) and facilitated by the sets of guidelines contained in the annex to decision 17/CP.8. The main objective of the SNC is to present and communicate to the extent possible to the Conference of Parties, how Ghana is implementing the Convention and in particular, highlighting pertinent issues, gaps, problems, constraints and achievement. The information provided in the SNC covers between 2000 and 2006. The SNC is also considered by Ghana as its flagship drive to shaping climate change policy development, planning and facilitating its integration into sustainable development.