The Five-Year Programme of Work of the SBSTA on Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change under the UNFCCC
As a result of the discussion under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) agenda item ‘Scientific, technical and socio-economic aspects of impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change’, the Conference of the Parties (COP) requested the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) to build up a ‘structured five-year programme of work on the scientific, technical and socio-economic aspects of impacts of, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change (PoW). The PoW should focus on: ‘methodologies, data and modelling’ vulnerability assessments’, adaptation planning, measures and actions’ and ‘integration into sustainable development’.
In December 2005, the COP11 adopted the Five-year programme of work of the SBSTA on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change, by its Decision 2/CP.11.
According to this decision, the PoW should help all Parties in improving their climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation assessments, while making informed decisions on concrete adaptation measures. The PoW should cover two thematic areas: ‘impacts and vulnerability’ and ‘adaptation planning, measures and actions’ and two cross-cutting issues: ‘methodologies, data and modelling’ and ‘integration into sustainable development’. Each area includes several action-oriented sub-themes and further specific activities. The PoW should be implemented through these activities.
At SBSTA 24 (May 2006) the Parties tried to define the initial activities of the PoW to be conducted in its first two years, based on a draft list identified at an informal workshop, held in March 2006.
The draft list includes tables with modalities, deliverables, timing and target audience for nine initial activities on: methods and tools; data and observations, climate modelling and scenarios, climate-related risks and extreme events, socioeconomic information, adaptation planning and practices, research, technologies for adaptation, economic diversification.
After slow and difficult negotiations, the Parties were not able to reach an agreement at SBSTA 24 and decided to accomplish the elaboration of the list at SBSTA 25 (November 2006), starting from the bracketed text included in the annex to the SBSTA 24 Conclusions (FCCCC/SBSTA/2006/L.17).
A crucial fact slowing the process is the commonly acknowledged limited financial resources available for the implementation of the PoW during the first two years from the UNFCCC core budget, and the need for supplementary funds.
Hence, SBSTA 25 should define the final list of initial activities implementing the PoW and elaborate additional activities and modalities. Then, based on the results of the initial activities and on the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report and other new scientific information, SBSTA 28 (June 2008) should consider further activities, timing and modalities. Finally, SBSTA 33 should review and report on the PoW to COP 16 (December 2010).
Details at: http://unfccc.in