This policy brief highlights key findings from the FCFA Zambia pilot case study regarding how current and future climate science can enable development and humanitarian policy, planning and implementation that is climate smart and robust to projected changes in the medium to long term. The findings are based on activities undertaken by the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre between February and October 2014, in close collaboration with the Met Office Hadley Centre and the Zambia Red Cross Society. These activities included a literature review, scientific research, two multi-sector, multi-stakeholder workshops and a high-level meeting with key representatives from government, civil society, the Met Office and the private sector.
Climate change is altering the context in which decisions are made. In order to remain robust and sustainable within the context of a changing climate, policy and planning decisions need to take into account the projected changes in temperature, rainfall and extremes. In order for climate scientists to generate useful future projections, they need to understand what weather and climate information decision-makers need. This policy brief highlights key findings from the FCFA Malawi pilot case study regarding how current and future climate science can enable development and humanitarian policy, planning and implementation that is climate-smart and robust to projected climatic changes in the medium- to long-term.
Current climate variability and extreme events have already lead to major impacts in Rwanda. These include floods and landslides, but also the effects of rainfall variability on agriculture, e.g. soil erosion and droughts. Future climate change has the potential to exacerbate these impacts and to introduce new risks. These impacts have been recognised and are being integrated into national policy. In 2011, Rwanda launched a National Strategy for Climate Change and Low Carbon Development, and the country now has an operational climate and environment fund (FONERWA, named after its French acronym). It is also mainstreaming climate change into national and sector development plans. The focus of early adaptation in these policies has been on addressing current climate variability and the existing adaptation deficit. However, there is an increasing interest in future climate challenges over the medium to long term. This will require improved information and its effective use in decision-making, and this aligns with the objectives of FCFA. Against this background, the FCFA pilot study investigated the current and potential future use of climate information for adaptation in Rwanda.
This policy brief focuses on large hydropower infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa. It investigates the climate change risks and the use of climate services in decision-making and makes recommendations for actions to enhance the resilience of hydropower schemes. It summarises a more comprehensive paper prepared to support the scoping phase of the Future Climate for Africa (FCFA) programme for the hydropower sector.
This report finds that revenue account fund disbursement in Punjab in terms of percentage share of the total for water supply, irrigation, and science, ecology and environment has decreased for the financial year 2012–13 over 2011–12. This finding further strengthens the need for a process that will enable pro-active measures for supporting environmental sustainability considerations within the existing public finance framework. The report articulates "green budgeting" as a process where every year, government agencies (departments, directorates, boards, councils, commissions) through the Annual Budget Circular, by preparing Green Budget Statements, will highlight the quantum of public expenditure earmarked in the state budget for environmental sustainability initiatives as well as reducing expenditure in unsustainable sectors. For implementing such a process in Punjab, the Planning Department and Finance Department will need to play a role in coordinating the process along with nodal support from the Department of Science Technology and Environment.