Climate Change and Adaptation

The impacts of climate change are already being felt, and will continue to have a disproportionate impact on populations least responsible for contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Increasingly, over the past few years, FIELD has endeavoured to assist small island developing states and least developed countries in making use of provisions under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol that will assist them in adapting to climate change. In addition to this work, FIELD has also provided direct assistance to non-governmental organisations interested in developing a future strategy to address adaptation needs within the climate regime. FIELD has been involved in a wide range of activities on adaptation.

FIELD Related Activities

Second International Work Conference on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: From 22-24 June 2005, FIELD participated in the Second International Work Conference on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, held in the Netherlands at The Hague. The conference was organised by the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre. The event had four objectives: (1) to bring together local community-based initiatives for climate risk reduction / adaptation in developing countries and document lessons learned; (2) to exchange experiences on methods and tools for vulnerability and climate risk reduction assessments and their application at the local level; (3) to discuss experiences using financial mechanisms to help local communities adapt to climate variation and climate change; and (4) to exchange experiences linking local action with national and international policies and knowledge centres and consider recommendations to increase synergy between these levels of operation.

Building Upon Kyoto in Japan: From 20-21 February 2004, Friends of the Earth Japan and Kiko Network hosted an international conference on ‘The Longterm Prospects of International Climate Policy’ in Tokyo, to discuss the post-2012 regime under the UN Convention on Climate Change. FIELD was invited to present on ‘Adaptation and Climate Justice.’ Japanese domestic institutions, research institutions and policymakers attended the two-day conference to hear representatives from research institutions around the globe discuss needs, future frameworks, and the status of domestic policy in key countries. To see FIELD’s presentation, click here.