The Policy Enabling Environment and Climate Change Adaptation in Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development (ISARD): Second Knowledge Sharing Writeshop

13-­15 April 2016
SEARCA, College, Los Baños, Laguna Philippines

Background and Rationale
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 5th Assessment Report (IPCC AR5) asserts that climate change is “unequivocal,  and that human activities, particularly emissions of carbon dioxide, are very likely to be the dominant cause”. Supporting this claim with scientific findings and changes that have been observed in all geographical regions over the last 50 years, the same report warns that impacts of climate change would inevitably threaten global food security and the gains that have been achieved in sustainable development in the face of the world’s growing population.

In order to respond to the adverse impacts of climate change that are already happening and at the same time reduce if not totally avoid its potential damage, governments, communities and organizations around the world have started to develop adaptation plans and policies and integrate climate change adaptation into broader environmental and sustainable development programs and investments. The IPCC defines Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) as “adjustments in ecological, social, or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects or impacts. It refers to changes in processes, practices, and
structures to moderate potential damages or to benefit from opportunities associated with climate change". Adaptation commonly focuses on reducing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, and increasing adaptive capacity and coping range.

Different countries in Southeast Asia are involved in various degrees of mainstreaming or integrating CCA into their national  development plans and strategies which are translated at various hierarchical levels. These are reflected in their National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs), Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCRs) and National Development Plans. The
formulation of these various plans and how effectively it is translated into the national development plans and implemented at various hierarchical levels is of extreme interest in the region in terms of sharing knowledge on what worked and what needs to be improved to increase the effectiveness of the policy enabling environment for CCA. The exchanges of these knowledge and lessons learned is a key factor in the race against time of the need for coping with the onslaught of the impacts of climate change at the local, national, regional and global levels.

At another level, there are lessons learned from the ground or local levels derived from research or self-­propelled needs of CCA by resource users which has effectively influenced policy makers and policy formulation. The process of how these linkages
were developed and how it has become effective basis for policy formulation is just as important as the top level formulation of a policy enabling environment to promote or remove the constraints for CCA. It is also important to understand how the local evidence-­based knowledge supported a top level enabling policy environment that covers a diverse social, ecological and economic conditions at the higher hierarchical levels.

In this context, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is organizing the event titled The Policy Enabling Environment and Climate Change Adaptation in Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development (ISARD): Second Regional Knowledge Sharing Writeshop. It will be an avenue for exchanging ideas and experiences among climate change adaptation practitioners, researchers, experts, policy makers and scientists and other relevant stakeholders focusing on inclusive and sustainable agricultural and rural development (ISARD). The intent is to subsequently share more widely the writeshop outputs to inform development policies, programs and investments, at the same time contributing to further generation of sound scientific knowledge on the policy enabling environment and climate change adaptation in the context of ISARD.

Objectives:

1. Share knowledge and experiences in the process involved in the formulation and implementation of top level policy on CCA by various countries in SEA.
2. Identify opportunities and modalities for fostering collaboration and networking among climate change adaptation practitioners, researchers and scientists and policymakers to consolidate information on the process involved informulating a policy enabling environment for climate change adaptation in ISARD.
3. Identify possible indicators to assess the effectiveness of a policy environment which can promote CCA at various hierarchical levels.
4. Contribute to an enabling policy platform and technical capacity to support the implementation of applicable, effective and successful adaptation measures in the region.

Expected Outcomes

1. Documentation and synthesis of lessons learned regarding the processes involved in formulating an effective enabling policy environment for promoting CCA and its impacts at various hierarchical levels in some countries in SEA;
2. Packaging of a second volume on CCA focusing on the enabling policies and environment in the context of ISARD in some countries of SEA; and
3. Strengthening of networking among CCA policy makers, practitioners, researchers, experts and scientists in the region.

Intended Participants

Selected climate change adaptation decision-­makers, policy advisers, researchers, practitioners, and other relevant stakeholders
as well as those who have been involved in the implementation of pilot adaptation programs.

Selected Countries

Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Timor Leste

Partnership Modalities

SEARCA will host and organize the writeshop. Partners are invited to contribute by way of technical inputs including recommending of presenters and where possible, support for participation costs. They will be recognized for their contribution. Days 1 and 2 may be opened to interested observers and participants who may not include the official participants expected to present
and write their CCA projects/cases. However, SEARCA is not able to support the attendance of these observers and unless supported by their respective organizations, a nominal fee to defray for catering and materials to be shared will be necessary.

A publication project comprising the second volume on Policy in Support of CCA toward ISARD case story book will be proposed for
SEARCA’s next fiscal year starting July 2016. Interested partners are likewise invited to commit in-­kind or cash counterparts to the publication project, or any additional initiatives that may be agreed during the workshop, as co-­owners of the publication to be developed.

For details, please contact:

Dr. Maria Celeste H. Cadiz and
Ms.Rosario B. Bantayan,
Program Head and Program Specialist, respectively of the
Knowledge Management Department
by telephone (049) 536-­2365 to 67 (local 173or 403),
fax (049) 536-­2283, or
e-­mail /