UN Climate Change News, 29 November 2023 - In a bid to address critical gaps in adaptation planning and implementation, UN Climate Change and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) have joined efforts to close knowledge disparities, at a time when - according to the 2023 UNEP Adaptation Gap Report launched November 2 - adaptation progress appears to be stagnating.
The Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI), a collaboration between UN Climate Change and UNEP, brings together governments, non-governmental organizations and experts to tackle adaptation knowledge gaps.
At the 2023 Asia-Pacific Climate Week, UN Climate Change in partnership with UNEP and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) convened governments, experts and partners to discuss progress, share case studies and highlight concrete actions taken to bridge knowledge gaps in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) and Pacific Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) subregions.
Integrating Traditional Knowledge into Early Warning Systems
In Vanuatu, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) worked with local communities to integrate traditional knowledge into climate information services, developing the Vanuatu Climate Watch App, which combines Indigenous knowledge with meteorological data to enhance the effectiveness of early warning systems.
To address the lack of access to early warning systems in Pacific Island countries, graduate students from the University of Michigan conducted a study addressing adaptation knowledge gaps in Samoa and Vanuatu. Under the UN Climate Change and Universities Partnership Programme, they developed recommendations on the use of climate information services, traditional knowledge integration and capacity building to benefit Pacific islands.
ICIMOD's The Green Resilient Agricultural Productive Ecosystems (GRAPE) project in Nepal focuses on improving climate-resilient agriculture, Indigenous crop management and water resource management. Similarly, the "Skill Up!" project empowers marginalized populations, particularly young people, through capacity building and awareness raising to respond to the fact that there is limited access to traditional knowledge on agricultural adaptation.
In Bangladesh, the Sustainable Forests and Livelihoods (SUFAL) project repackages baseline data on climate change impacts on forests and biodiversity. By involving communities in forest management and conservation, SUFAL has supported research and knowledge-building efforts, thereby contributing to policy development and the restoration of natural resources using traditional knowledge.
"Adaptation is a lifeline; it is what keeps people from losing their livelihoods and losing lives. Therefore, initiatives such as the LAKI in the Pacific SIDS are very relevant in advancing adaptation action by fostering collaboration, including the sharing of knowledge and practices," said Christopher Bartlett, Chief of Climate Diplomacy, Vanuatu.
"Our collaborative efforts with partners have resulted in tangible benefits for the HKH subregion, enabling communities to access and apply traditional knowledge in agriculture, make informed decisions about climate change related, agriculture, forest, water and biodiversity conservation policies, amongst others," said Dr. Pem Kandel, Chief Policy Advisor and Interim Strategic Group Lead, ICIMOD.
Recommendations and Next Steps
The Asia-Pacific Climate Week event laid the groundwork for the future roadmap of the LAKI. Key recommendations include:
- Repositioning adaptation knowledge to address the full spectrum of adaptation and resilience and ensuring that communities and countries are equipped with relevant knowledge and tools.
- Building long-term strategic partnerships with sub-regional partners, academia, local communities, and the public and private sectors.
- Integrating context-specificity in adaptation interventions.
- Ensuring locally led adaptation solutions through knowledge and capacity enhancement.
- Integrating Indigenous knowledge into the design of adaptation solutions.
- Developing partnerships with knowledge brokers, including youth and academia.
- Promoting gender-responsive approaches to address inequality and technology gaps.
Building on the successes and lessons learned in Asia-Pacific, UN Climate Change and UNEP are planning to scale up the LAKI in other subregions to ensure locally led adaptation is prioritized for a sustainable and resilient future.
