South-South learning to support use of climate information in the NAP process

On December 5^th, the NAP Global Network, Togo, and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) co-hosted an official COP21 side event. The event highlighted opportunities for south-south learning through the NAP Global Network, focusing in on the example of sharing experiences using climate information to support the NAP process.

Anne Hammill (NAP Global Network Secretariat, IISD) introduced the NAP Global Network and updated on its first year of activities. These early activities, such as the Network’s first Targeted Topics Forum (TTF), highlighted participants’ enthusiasm to engage in sustained peer learning and exchange on the NAP process. The Network’s upcoming activities for 2016 will build on this momentum, and will continue to address how bilateral development assistance can best support the NAP process.

Sama Boundjouw (Togo, NAP Global Network Steering Committee) discussed Togo’s NAP process to date and his country’s participation in the NAP Global Network. For example, Mr. Boundjouw participated in the Network’s first TTF on high-level political support and sectoral integration, and looks forward to continuing learning from his peers through the Network’s upcoming activities. Accompanied by a colleague from Togo’s Ministry of Agriculture, in addition to peer learning the first TTF provided an opportunity for these country colleagues from different ministries to work closely together on issues related to addressing adaptation in the agriculture sector.

Albert Daley (Jamaica, NAP Global Network Steering Committee) explained how Jamaica’s NAP process was an opportunity to identify and address different sectors’ climate information needs. In the agriculture sector, for example, working with meteorological and agricultural extension services and and with support from IRI and USAID, Jamaica developed a tool for modelling drought, precipitation, and pests along with the necessary communications tools to reach the farmers who use the information. There are opportunities and interest in sharing Jamaica’s approach to using climate information across sectors in the NAP process.

As moderator, John Furlow (United States, NAP Global Network Steering Committee) gave participants an opportunity to interact through a game that illustrated the challenges of communicating climate information.

Finally, Lisa Goddard (IRI) shared examples of IRI’s experiences supporting the use of climate information to inform decision-making, including NAPs, and how these tools and lessons might be transferred to other countries/regions. The drought tool developed in Jamaica, for example, is now being shared in the broader Caribbean region, and work is under way to apply it in Uruguay. In West Africa, another example of IRI’s work was supported the development of early warning systems for flooding that improved the immediacy of the response, resulted in fewer victims of flooding, and reduced costs.

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The NAP Global Network is funded by the United States Department of State and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.