Title: NAPs for developing countries like Vanuatu
National adaptation plans (NAPs) were defined by the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC as a process to enable Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to plan and implement “medium- and long-term adaptation needs,” building on their experience in addressing short-term “urgent and immediate adaptation needs” through the National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs). Other developing country Parties were also invited to use the modalities for formulating their NAPs.
COP 17 in Durban defined the objectives of the NAP process, to:
- reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, by building adaptive capacity and resilience; and
- facilitate integration of climate change adaptation, in a coherent manner, into relevant new and existing policies, programmes and activities, in particular development planning processes and strategies, within all relevant sectors and at different levels, as appropriate.
The LDC Expert Group prepared Technical Guidelines for the NAP process in 2012, based on the COP’s initial guidelines. The review of the guidelines will now take place later this year at COP 20 in Peru, based on comments submitted in March 2014 by Parties to the Subsidiary Body for Implementation, on their experience with the application of the guidelines.
This paper considers differences and similarities between NAPAs and NAPs; activities that can be funded under the NAP process based on the existing priorities and circumstances of LDCs, including “no-regret” measures and the integration of NAPs into national development plans and strategies; NAP financial and technical support; and NAP monitoring and evaluation.
This paper, "NAPAs and NAPs in Least Developed Countries," co-authored by Thinley Namgyel, Chief of the Climate Change Division in the Bhutan National Environment Commission. It can be downloaded here: http://ldcclimate.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/updated-napas-and-naps1.pdf
This paper is part of the Least Developed Country Paper Series, produced by the ecbi Publications and Policy Analysis Unit for the LDC Group. See: http://ldcclimate.wordpress.com/ldc-paper-series/