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CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES CALL FOR SPECIAL CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION FUND
BY Indi Mclymont_ JOURNALIST_ [031207PANOS]

NUSA DUA, BALI, 3 DECEMBER 2007 (PANOS) - GRENADA CALLED FOR THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF A SPECIAL CONVENTION ADAPTATION FUND FOR DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK
CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE ON MONDAY.


Speaking on behalf OF THE CARIBBEAN AND OTHER SMALL ISLANDS DEVELOPING
STATES (SIDS), Dr Spencer Thomas, Economic and Policy Advisor in
Grenada’s Ministry of Finance said, “the Alliance of Small Islands
States (AOSIS) proposes the establishment of a Convention Adaptation Fund
linked to greenhouse gas emissions, consistent with the polluter pays
principle to generate funding to address developing country adaptation
needs. Dr. Thomas was also speaking as the delegate representing the
AOSIS.


“The proposed Convention Adaptation Fund would complement the Kyoto
Protocol’s Adaptation Fund and not replace this fund,” he said, while
adding that the AOSIS was hopeful that during this meeting, parties would
be able to finalize arrangements to operationalize the Adaptation fund.


According to Dr. Thomas, the particular vulnerabilities of the small
island states made adaptation to climate change a major issue for them.


“Given our vulnerability to climate change, adaptation is a major issue
for us,” he said while explaining that SIDS were more prone to natural
disasters, exposure to storm surge and sea-level rise, heavy dependence on
fragile environmental goods and services, economic openness and limited
human and financial resources.


Against that background he argued that small island developing states
would need new, additional and predictable sources of funding to help the
countries cope with climate change.


“The lack of adequate financing has been one of the major failings of
the Convention so far,” he said. “New sources of funding are clearly
needed in addition to existing funding under the convention.


The Kyoto Protocol’s Adaptation Fund is designed finance concrete
adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries that are a part
of the treaty and are also particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects
of climate change. The Fund should become operational in 2008 dependent on
whether arrangements on its management and funding can be agreed on at
Bali.


For Caribbean countries like Jamaica, funding for adaptation is critical.


‘Locally we would want the implementation of the adaptation fund as
this mechanism would allow vulnerable countries like Jamaica priority
access,” said Clifford Mahlung, a member of Jamaica’s four member
government team currently at the two week conference.


“We would look at using those funds to address for example the airport
road situation as there is extreme vulnerability to sea level rise in that
case. There are also some vulnerable areas in Negril where we could work
on beach nourishment,” he said.


Over 10,000 people are attending the thirteenth session of the Conference
of the Parties of the UNFCCC. The meeting is expected to chart a roadmap
for the replacement of the Kyoto Protocol (a 1997 agreement to cut carbon
emissions that fuel global warming), the first phase of which will expire
in 2012. (END/031207PANOS)

Claudette A. Bailey-Nolan
Information Support Officer
Panos Caribbean
[LINK: mailto:cbailey@panoscaribbean.org]
(876)920-0070 - 1
(876)455-4990
The greatest glory of living lies, not in never falling, but in rising
every time you fall.
Nelson Mandela