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1st TECHNICAL MEETING

Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI) in the Hindu Kush Himalayan subregion

Programmes

SG3

Venue

Virtual

Date & Time

05 July 2023

Contact
Pooja Koirala

Organisers: UNFCC, UNEP, ICIMOD

 

About LAKI

The Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI) – a joint initiative coordinated and convened by the UNFCCC’s Nairobi Work Programme (NWP) and UNEP’s Global Adaptation Network (GAN) – addresses knowledge barriers that impede the implementation and scaling up of adaptation action in subregions. The LAKI Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) cycle I conducted in 2016 identified 16 priority adaptation knowledge gaps for the HKH subregion (see Annex I).

The LAKI co-conveners, NWP and GAN, in collaboration with ICIMOD, are now embarking on LAKI cycle II for the HKH subregion to assess the current status of addressing the identified priority gaps and subsequently how relevant institutions and experts could further advance the progress in bridging and overcoming identified priority knowledge gaps and barriers. Cycle II is primarily about identification, support for implementation, and scaling up of activities to address previously identified priority adaptation knowledge gaps for intended target knowledge users.

 

About the meeting

LAKI cycle II is designed as a three-step process. A technical meeting on 5 July 2023 will establish a common understanding of LAKI. Step 2 is designed as a pre-engagement process where the available relevant information on bridging and overcoming knowledge gaps and barriers is consolidated. Step 3 will bring relevant stakeholders together again to identify and foster collaborative action moving forward.

This first technical meeting, constituting Step 1, is pivotal as it brings together expert organisations and individuals and initiates a dialogue around the status of LAKI cycle I priority adaptation knowledge gaps.

 

Objectives

The objectives of the first technical meeting are to:

  • Provide an overview and establish a common understanding of LAKI’s status in the HKH subregion
  • Conduct initial dialogue to analyse actions currently being undertaken in the HKH subregion

 

Agenda

TECHNICAL MEETING 1

Time Programme
14:00–14:15 Opening remarks by LAKI HKH partners (5 min each)

  • Youssef Nassef, Director, Adaptation Division, UNFCCC
  • Alvin Chandra, Global Coordinator, Adaptation Policy and Partnerships, UNEP
  • Izabella Koziell, Deputy Director General, ICIMOD
14:15–14:45 Introduction to LAKI and initiative partners– UNFCCC (TBC)

Priority knowledge gaps in the HKH region – Anna Kilponen, Regional Liaison Officer, Global Adaptation Network, UNEP

Updates on progress in the HKH region and objectives of the virtual meeting – Deepshikha Sharma, Climate and Environment Expert, ICIMOD
14:45–15:45 Breakout group discussion (participating organisations)
15:45–16:15 Recap, report back, and Q&A – Moderator
16:15–16:25 Overview of the stocktake sheet – Deepshikha Sharma, Climate and Environment Expert, ICIMOD
16:25–16:30 Closing and next steps – Moderator

OFFLINE EXERCISE (BETWEEN TECHNICAL MEETINGS 1 AND 2) AND NEXT STEPS

Stocktake and forward planning

Each organisation is requested to:

  • Identify initiatives your organisation is implementing (and link each initiative to relevant priority knowledge gaps) in the provided stocktake sheet
  • Send the filled-out stocktake sheet to pooja.koirala@icimod.org by 21 July 2023

The 2nd virtual technical meeting is planned for 26 July 2023. Invitations and confirmation to follow in the coming weeks.

 

 Annex I. HKH priority knowledge gaps
No Thematic area Gap description Cluster Knowledge user Actions undertaken to close the priority knowledge gaps
1 Agriculture Limited access to adequate, locally usable knowledge and information on weather and seasonal forecasting to assist farm production operations Lack of access [2] Extension workers, national hydro-met services, agriculture experts
2 Water Weak dissemination of evidence and successful water management practices, adaptation technologies, and water allocation and management during periods of scarcity and abundance Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g. in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] Water resource planners, policymakers, communities project managers Graduate students from Yale University (Yale School of the Environment), in partnership with NWP partners IUCN and The Mountain Institute, explored historical and ancestral practices for water management in Nepal to understand what practices exist, how they differ with seasonal dry and wet climate patterns, and how that knowledge is or can be utilised for policy makers to integrate into national adaptation planning processes.
3 Water Lack of access to awareness-raising products and early warning systems for multiple hazards (drought, landslide, debris flow, flooding, glacier lake outburst flood in the Himalaya and downstream communities) Lack of access [2] Early warning system designers, town and provincial planners/watershed managers, communities Graduate students from Harvard University (John F. Kennedy School of Government) together with NWP partner ICIMOD produced actionable and feasible policy recommendations:

An in-depth policy analysis report that analyses barriers and solutions to early warning systems for multiple hazards in the HKH region.

A policy brief to inform policy makers on the key benefits, mechanics, and implementation considerations for the Community-Based Flood Early Warning System.

ICIMOD has strengthened community-based flood early warning systems across river tributaries in Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan to increase access to awareness-raising knowledge products in vulnerable communities.
4 Agriculture Inadequate information and knowledge on adaptation options and technologies suitable to address context-specific climate extremes, impacts, and risks for agriculture and the net effect of climate change at the local level Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g. in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] Farmers, extension agencies,

district agriculture officers and experts, technology users, policymakers, local non-governmental organisations
5 Health Limited access to weather and seasonal forecasting data for public health preparedness (heat waves, cold waves, thunderstorms, disease epidemics) Lack of access, Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g. in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [Mix] Health professionals and public
6 Agriculture Limited access to traditional knowledge and indigenous knowledge on agricultural adaptation Lack of access [2] Village elders, farming families, researchers, policymakers, agricultural extension workers, civil society organisations
7 Water Poor translations of climate data and models into understandable formats Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g. in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] National–subnational planning departments, project managers, community leaders and members
8 Health Lack of awareness/sensitisation among public and media about climate change health impacts and adaptation/response measures Lack of access [2] Public
9 Agriculture Limited understanding of traditional knowledge and indigenous knowledge on agricultural adaptation Lack of access [2] Climate negotiators, policymakers
10 Water Knowledge on how climate change is impacting water source/usage/availability/quality (including sanitation/water treatment/water inputs for energy/springs and natural wells, groundwater, spring water, and glaciers) Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g. in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] Watershed planners, settlement planners/energy planners, community leaders, civil society project managers ICIMOD has coordinated capacity-building trainings on sprinshed conservation in Nepal and piloted flood-resilient ecological sanitation toilets in India to provide actionable knowledge on water availability and quality – knowledge that practitioners and communities need to manage watersheds effectively in a changing climate.
11 Forestry and biodiversity Knowledge gap on methodologies and tools to quantify the impact of climate change on ecosystem services Lack of tools/methods [4] Researchers, academics
12 Health Lack of understanding/evidence of potential health co-benefits of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in various sectors Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g. in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] Policymakers
13 Forestry and biodiversity Lack of adequate knowledge on the effects of climate change on biodiversity Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g. in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] Researchers, academics, policymakers, community members
14 Forestry and biodiversity Need for repackaging the baseline data on the effects of climate change for forests and biodiversity for different target groups Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g. in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] Researchers, academics, practitioners
15 Forestry and biodiversity Insufficient information on local indigenous knowledge on forest management Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g. in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] Researchers, academics, practitioners, community members
16 Water Insufficient climate change communication on impacts on water systems/availability to determine climate change impacts and inform decision making in designing water resource plans and implementation Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g. in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] Communities, subnational government, non-technical stakeholders
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