Climate Change

MFF and Climate Change Considerations

MFF has adopted climate change as one of the key cross-cutting issue across the 15 programmes of work. Considering the large number of people in coastal areas that could be displaced by climate change, MFF seeks to conduct activities that: mobilizes local communities and governments to undertake joint actions for sustainable coastal management; ensure food security through sound ecosystem management; build knowledge to better understand the links between livelihoods and climate system; and increase adaptive capacity to meet the long-term development needs of coastal communities, while securing their livelihoods against climate change impacts and helping them prepare for potential climate-related disasters. Methods for integrating climate change considerations into all MFF activities have been developed based on existing climate proofing tools. Most governments and institutions are aware of the need to address the impacts of climate change, but it is likely that few will know how to go about the process. Consequently their focus will be primarily on the proposed investments and efforts themselves, rather than on ensuring sustainability through "climate-proofing".

Flood prone former mangrove forest area converted into shrimp farms, North coast of Central Java.

MFF's climate-proofing method is based on two principles:

• Making a set of "tools" available to assist partners in understanding the need for, and the approach to "climate-proofing" partners proposed interventions; and
• Ensuring that the process of "climate-proofing" is integrated into the project design and implementation, rather than being an additional component in the project cycle.
  

Capacity Building
MFF conducts regional training courses on the use of practical climate proofing tools and methods applicable to the field/project level. Incorporating climate change adaptation considerations and enhancing adaptive capacity of coastal communities is crucial to ensure long-term sustainability of projects. The aim is to follow up with National training courses to build in-country capacities in the region to incorporate climate change considerations into project design using the MFF Climate Change Adaptation Guidelines. MFF adds value by linking up with training institutions and universities to help gather coastal and marine conservation policy-makers who are trying to decide how to proceed in addressing adaptation challenges without creating new laws or programmes, and planners and/or project managers who want some practical approaches to act immediately, as well as communications and outreach professional seeking to make the connection between information, needs and action.

Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction into Coastal Zone Management
Integrating DRR into coastal zone management helps build disaster resilient communities. Raising awareness of the importance of DRR should be an integral component of sustainable coastal development. While there are many coastal zone managers in Indian Ocean countries, there is still a limited understanding of the principles of reducing underlying risk factors and limited engagement with national disaster reduction mechanisms and resources. MFF takes a partnerships approach to DRR, seeking to involve individuals, communities and institutions such as UN ISDR, which is the focal point in the UN System to promote links and synergies between, and the coordination of, disaster reduction activitie s in the socio-economic, humanitarian and development fields, as well as to support policy integration.

The MFF climate change considerations work programme will focus on climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation, with a greater emphasis to the latter, to assist MFF countries to build capacity and help develop national strategies.