The Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the GM recently stepped up joint efforts, during a meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark on 18 August 2009, to support UNCCD country Parties in increasing finance for sustainable land management (SLM) through climate change mechanisms.
Attention focused on the implications for the UNCCD of the recent Nairobi Statement on Land and Water Management for Adaptation to Climate Change, in particular Guiding Principle No.5 on “Economics and Financing”, related to the economic and social benefits of adaptation actions and the call for increased investments from innovative mechanisms.
The Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs is taking the lead in promoting the critical importance of land and water linkages in increasing resilience to climate change by initiating a “Dialogue on Land and Water Management for Adaptation to climate change” in collaboration with international and national partners.
The Nairobi Statement is a major preliminary result of this dialogue, which aims to tackle existing problems in land and water management to build resilience to climate change; strengthen institutions for land and water management; improve global climate impact models; and increase financing targeted towards the most vulnerable people. Sea-level rise and climate variability - which threaten to displace millions of people in the developing world, with huge economic and ecological costs - impact primarily through the land and water system.
A side-event will be held at the ninth session of the Conference of Parties (COP 9) in Buenos Aires, to foster a debate on the Nairobi Guiding Principles and the resulting opportunities for the Convention.
The Government of Denmark and the Global Mechanism are currently in negotiations with regard to a significant financial contribution towards the implementation of the GM’s programme of work and budget for 2010-2011, in recognition of the emerging challenges and opportunities, in particular for climate change adaptation in least developed countries affected by desertification and drought.
For more information:
Mr Alejandro Kilpatrick, Coordinator, the Climate Change Finance Programme
Tel. +39 06 5459 2524
a.kilpatrick (at) global-mechanism.org
