| A service (1-18 December 2009) alerting readers to key policy documents and perspectives, with a special emphasis on agriculture and climate change, brought to you by Mr Sindiso Ngwenya, Secretary General, COMESA and Chairman of FANRPAN Board of Governors |
| Alert: COP15 - 16 December 2009 |
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Managing Africa's water in a changing climate AfricaAdapt November 2009 In this issue, six articles and case studies focus on climate change and water resources, reflecting on experiences and lessons extracted from different regions in Africa. Accounting for results: ensuring transparency and accountability in financing for climate change International Budget Partnership December 2009 While much of the energy so far has been on securing commitments from countries to contribute financial resources to the global effort to combat climate change, it is important how these commitments are managed. To do this effectively, the parties in Copenhagen should consider resources and management simultaneously. The magnitude of the financial flows, the challenge of getting the institutional architecture right, and the pressing need to use these resources efficiently and effectively, raise two significant questions: how will these funds be collected, distributed, and accounted for at the international level?; and what mechanisms are needed to ensure that recipient countries manage these funds in ways that are transparent and responsive to the needs and input of the public? Fair Miles: Recharting the food miles map International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)/Oxfam December 2009 Western consumer concern over climate change can do more harm than good if it cuts demand for food produced in developing nations, warns a new book by Oxfam and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). The authors say locally produced food can actually cause greater emissions of greenhouse gases, and that consumers can harm the livelihoods of poor farmers in developing nations if they stop buying their produce. The book (1.67MB) was launched on 11 December at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen. It has been produced in response to growing calls for consumers to ‘eat local’ to help tackle climate change - calls that the book's authors say do not tell the full story. Climate change and hunger - responding to the challenge World Food Programme December 2009 Climate change is a defining challenge of our times. Its impact and implications will be global, far-reaching and largely irreversible. Climate change is already increasing the risk of exposure to hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity among the poorest and most vulnerable people. Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and intense, land and water are becoming more scarce and difficult to access, and increases in agricultural productivity are becoming more difficult to achieve. (Report 1.44MB) The effects of climate change on US ecosystems United States Departement of Agriculture (USDA) December 2009 The report (6.67MB) provides an accessible summary of findings contained in a US scientific assessment project commissioned by the USGCRP and released in May 2008. New information has been added to provide additional detail on the original findings. Based on a wealth of source and review literature, the report concludes that climate change is already affecting US agriculture, land resources, water resources, and biodiversity, and will continue to do so. The report identifies the effects climate is having and is expected to have on natural resources and ecosystems services in the US over the next several decades. Doing the deal: key elements for a Copenhagen climate agreement The Office of Tony Blair December 2009 Negotiating a new global deal on climate change has proved to be one of the most complex international processes in recent history. There are uncertainties over what countries are willing and able to do, the ability of cost-efficient technologies to deliver the needed emissions cut and the timing and cost of the effort required. And yet the political will to secure a strong agreement in Copenhagen is clearly in place. At the heart of the deal is the question of how collectively we put global greenhouse gas emissions on a path that minimises the risk of dangerous and irreversible climate change. We know the technologies and policies needed to achieve this and we know the reductions that are required by 2020, the first milestone along the way. Delay is not an option, as this would require much sharper cuts in emissions in the future that would be more difficult to achieve, both politically and economically. Climate change and water vulnerability The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) December 2009 The white paper signifies the critical role of global and regional water security towards sustainable development. It highlights the importance of good governance within and across nations for efficient management of water resources. |
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Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN)
Africa-wide Civil Society Climate Change Initiative for Policy Dialogues - ACCID
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ACCID website: www.africaclimatesolution.org |