Sweden has invested SEK 4 billion in a special climate change scheme, the Climate Change Initiative, which started in 2009 and will continue to 2012. Its principal objective is to support long-term efforts for climate change adaptation in the poorest countries, but the funding will also contribute to the efforts of developing countries to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
The Climate Change Initiative forms part of Sweden’s contribution to “fast-start” climate change finance, a financial pledge which the Heads of State made at the climate change summit COP 15 in Copenhagen in 2009, in support of immediate climate change actions in the developing countries. The total Swedish “fast-start” contribution amounts to SEK 8 billion for 2010-2012.
Just over two-thirds of the Climate Change Initiative is being channelled through multilateral organisations, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These efforts focus not only on climate change adaptation, but also on measures that will lead to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, both from sources and sinks, which can store carbon dioxide.
A little less than one third of the Government’s support, SEK 1.15 billion will be channelled through Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency), to bilateral and regional initiatives, primarily within environmental, water and land use areas. The efforts focus on adaptation measures and concentrate on existing partner countries that are exposed to a high climate risk combined with high vulnerability. Africa is in focus with Mali and Burkina Faso as two of the partner countries, together with Bolivia, Bangladesh and Cambodia. In addition, support is also provided to regional cooperation in Africa and in Asia. (See distribution of the support.)
The International Commission on Climate Change and Development stated in its report in 2009, that the adaptive capacity will be crucial in order to maintain development in a changed climate. It requires immediate and up-scaled adaptation measures as the magnitude of the climate change impacts are more serious than previously thought. Adaptation measures should be focused on managing climate risks, building resilience and improving the ecosystem functions, as well as ensuring integration of adaptation into other development and environmental work.
The Government’s initiative supports a broad range of efforts, most of which are based on a climate change perspective being integrated at sector level in two of the partner countries. The initiatives include awareness-raising and improved capacity for adaptation in Cambodia, investments in sustainable agriculture, forestry and fishing in Mali, a fund for a national ten-year action plan on climate change issues in Bangladesh, and investments in the sustainable management of water catchment areas in order to address water scarcity in Bolivia.
Adaptation to climate change is a complex and long-term effort, involving several sectors and areas of society. Many activities aimed at contributing to overall development objectives are also important from an adaptation perspective, since they reduce the vulnerability of women and men and make them better equipped to cope with changing rain patterns and other effects of climate change. This makes it difficult to assess how the results of individual projects and programmes have contributed to supporting long-term adaptive capacity.
But a series of concrete and immediate achievements can be highlighted already. On the following pages, a selection of examples of the 50 projects and programmes supported by the Swedish Special Climate Change Initiative through Sida are presented; including the purpose of the project/programme and what the support has resulted in, to date:
