Strengthening National Capacities to Increase Finance and Investments into SLM & Climate Change

There are inextricable linkages between climate change and land degradation, drought and desertification – the impacts of which are felt most in developing countries, because of their heavy reliance on land resources for their human, economic, social and sustainable development. All meaningful efforts to address climate change needs to reflect the important role that sustainable land management (SLM) plays in climate change adaptation and mitigation, and vice versa.

The potential opportunities are many - financing mechanisms and instruments emanating from climate change present opportunities and new directions for promoting sustainable land management (SLM) practices for instance, through climate smart conservation agriculture, reforestation, sustainable forest management, improved water management, agroforestry, and improved rangeland management.

Yet to date, a number of countries are lagging behind in accessing or fully utilising such funds and financing mechanisms – to a large degree due to insufficient human and institutional capacity.

It is against this backdrop that the Global Mechanism (GM) together with the Secretariats of the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), are organizing a workshop on “Strengthening National Capacities to Increase Finance and Investments into Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation: Opportunities from Climate Change Financing Mechanisms”.

The workshop will focus on opportunities and new directions presented by climate change financing mechanisms, including the Adaptation Fund, Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) Financing Mechanisms, Green Climate Fund, Climate Investment Funds, and Renewal Energy Funds.

Specifically, the workshop will:

Share and exchange information on existing, new and emerging climate change mechanisms and how these could be used to enhance synergistic implementation of the RIO Conventions;
Increase the capacity of participating countries to identify and mobilize potential financial resources through climate change financing mechanisms;
Present successful tools, instruments, best practices experiences and lessons learned with illustrated examples from countries on how SLM has been integrated into climate change adaptation and mitigation financing;
Develop country specific project profiles/ideas that link SLM and adaptation to climate change for later development and identify opportunities for scaling-up joint efforts and strategic partnerships; and
Build the capacity of a core team of experts in order to strengthen national capacities to elaborate and implement viable programmes linking k land, water and climate change in various sectors.

In addition to the input of the organizers, the meeting will draw on the expertise of Climatekos Ltd, a specialist climate change consultancy. In addition, partners and stakeholders with specialist knowledge and strategic initiatives on climate change financing and SLM such as the African Development Bank, the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), will be invited to contribute. Partnering opportunities in support of the countries will be discussed with these organizations after the workshop.

The workshop aims to attract representatives from the UNCCD, UNFCCC , UNCBD and GEF; the Ministries of Finance, Agriculture, Environment, Tourism, Natural Resources, Energy; civil society organizations working on climate change or SLM issues; and the private sector.