Volume 1
Global climate change and sustainable development : third report of Session 2001-02 / International Development Committee.
- Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. International Development Committee
- Date:
- 2002
Licence: Open Government Licence
Credit: Global climate change and sustainable development : third report of Session 2001-02 / International Development Committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![development that enhances adaptive capacity; this might include agricultural research, early warning systems for food security, and technology transfer. Planned adaptation at a national level is easier than at community or individual level, where spontaneous and reactive changes in livelihoods and resource use will occur. The severity of impacts and local circumstances will dictate the adaptive response. For some countries spontaneous adaptation will not be an option. The people of the Maldives and other small island states may have no alternative but to migrate. 45. People already cope with a variety of climatic risks and other threats to sustainable livelihoods. While current variability is not a perfect analogue for future climate change, it is important to identify what can we learn from it about risk management and development needs. Both IPCC Working Group II and Saleemul Huq said that helping to build the capacity of communities to deal with extreme events should strengthen adaptive capacity to deal with future climate change.'*? We believe that concentrating efforts on disasters and extreme events will have a beneficial impact on capacity to deal with long- term climate variability, and greater emphasis needs to be placed on disaster mitigation and preparedness (DMP). We are concerned that too much focus on the short-term responses to extreme events could undermine progress towards longer-term development goals. We believe a longer-term view of relief and DMP must be taken by donors and recipient countries alike. Targeting Assistance 46. New funds for adaptation must supplement current development investment and not divert existing funds.'*® Countries that have been badly hit in the past and those with particularly vulnerable populations stand to gain the most from carefully targeted adaptation measures.'*! Targeted adaptation and focusing work on reducing vulnerability will help to reduce climate risk.'** Given the uncertainties about climate change, the precautionary principle requires a flexible package of measure and inevitably some adaptation strategies may turn out to be redundant. This means there is a risk associated with funding work on adaptation. The scientific uncertainties make it difficult to apply a cost benefit analysis to actions to address climate change; outcomes could turn out to be less serious than currently predicted.'** Yet many ‘no-regrets’ options could still be developed, especially as many of the current systems relating to water, food, urbanisation, energy and transport are far from ideal. With several ‘win-win’ scenarios and ‘no-regrets’ options, we believe there are many cases where funding adaption will not only be a risk worth taking but a requirement of the precautionary principle. Least developed countries, small island states and the most vulnerable should be priorities for adaptation. Solutions could build on existing coping mechanisms where appropriate and should be compatible with national sustainability goals and strategies.'™* Migration 47. Migration is an important traditional coping mechanism and as such isan adaptation 145 . . “qe . . . . 146 . strategy.'”’ Increased climate variability might lead to increased migration, ™ particularly vagRepart of IPCC Working Group II: Summary for Policy Makers, 2001and Ev 71 [para 13] Ev 62 41 Ey 60 “Ey 61 '43einancing Climate Change: Providing Public Goods, preventing public bads, Dr Peter Newell, Institute of Development Studies (IDS). An abridged version of this paper appears in Financing and Providing Global Public Goods: Expectations and Prospects, prepared for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden by IDS. M4ey 71 [para 10] M45ey 61 and Ev 71 [para 14] '465y 70 [para 6] and Ev 71 [para 14]](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b32221356_0001_0037.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
