CGC Activities on Climate Change Issues

Ahsan Uddin Ahmed

Centre for Global Change (CGC)

Centre for Global Change (CGC)

A non-government organization for research, advocacy and learning.

Activities on Climate Change

1. ORCHID Climate Risk Screening – DFID Bangladesh

2. Assessing implications of climate change on development projects – Dutch Portfolio Projects in Bangladesh (DGIS, The Netherlands)

3. Meteorological Trend Analysis

4. Climate Change Modelling

5. Gender Perspectives on Climate Change Vulnerability

6. Climate Change and Food Security

CGC Activities

ORCHID – Climate Risk Screening of DFID Funded Projects

To develop a methodology towards screening development projects in relation to risks associated with climate change.

The Methodology is now being tested by DFID in a number of countries.

Assessing implications of climate change on development projects

A rapid assessment tool has been developed and applied to valuate risks associated with Dutch funded development projects.

CGC Activities

Meteorological Trend Analysis

Trends in relation to observed weather patterns involving meteorological data (BMD data sets) have been analyzed systematically.

First Step: Cleaning of recorded data by applying scientific methods. CLIMDEX model have been used for the study.

A cleaned data set is now available.

Part of a South Asian regional study. An article has been submitted in Journal of Geophysical Sciences.

CGC Activities

Modelling Climate Change

Two Regional Climate Models have been operationalized and validated in relation to observed climatology over Bangladesh.

1. RegCM (ICTP, Italy) V. 3.x

2. PRECIS (UKMO) V. 3

RegCM is almost ready to be applied for the generation of future climate scenarios at a resolution of 30Km X 30 Km.

The results of validation efforts with PRECIS has already been accepted for publication in International Journal of Climatology.

CGC Activities

Gender Perspectives on Climate Change Vulnerability

Just completed a research on women’s contexts of vulnerability in relation to climate change.

Covered all the major hydro-geophysical vulnerability contexts.

Drought Naoga (Manda)

Water logging Noakhali (Sadar)

Salinity

Satkhira

Water loggingKeshabpur/Manirampur

Flood & River erosion

Kurigram/Sirajganj

Cyclone/tidal surge/flood

Cox’sBazar/M’khali

(Also Coastal Island)

Riverine Flood & erosion

Faridpur

Flash flood

Garohills Valley/Shunamganj

(also Minority people: Garo)

Urban Flood

Dhaka Metropol

CGC Activities

Climate Change and Food Security

Studying implications of climate change on food security.

As a part of GECAFS study involving four countries in South Asia.

Publication and dissemination of IEC material

Published a booklet in Bangla for school children. School orientation programme being planned.

A 5 minute multimedia programme has been developed to raise awareness on climate change issues.

CHALLENGES FOR MAINSTREAMING ADAPTATION

Defining and responding to the needs of the vulnerable

Who decides what is needed? Empowering the vulnerable.

LOCAL

MESO

SUB-REGIONAL

NATIONAL

GLOBAL

Scale at which adaptation is needed

Micro-, meso-, sub-regional-, and macro-level adaptation

Challenges for Mainstreaming Adaptation

Community

GO line agencies at local

level

NGOPrivate & informal

sector org.

CBO

LGI

Civil Society

Line AgenciesFacilitating Orgs/Inst.

Policy Makers, Ministry, Planning Agencies

National Actors

Regional and Sub-regional

scale actors

Local Level Stakeholders

Modified from Uddin et al., 2006

Challenges for Mainstreaming Adaptation

CHALLENGES FOR MAINSTREAMING ADAPTATION (contd.)

Whose business is it?

Individuals? Households? Communities? WMAs? LGAs? BWDB? WARPO? MOWR?

Responding to the needs for capacity building

From awareness raising (KAB) to continued education.

Capacity building of whom?

Facilitating Planned Adaptation

Vertical integration & horizontal conflict resolution.

Community

GO line agencies at local

level

NGOPrivate & informal

sector org.

CBO

LGI

Civil Society

Challenges for Mainstreaming Adaptation

CHALLENGES FOR MAINSTREAMING ADAPTATION (contd.)

Policy harmonization and adjustment

Hierarchy, policy barriers

Other Institutional issues

Inter-agency collaboration, coordination & integration

Safeguarding development schemes in water resources sector

Towards a climate resilient development

Challenges for Mainstreaming Adaptation