Sept 7 - Nathan Hultman, University of Maryland

Are the Existing Institutions for Adapting to Climate Change Already Too Inflexible? (presentation) (working paper)

Internationally there is growing recognition of the central role of adaptation within climate policy. Most attention focuses on three areas: establishing financial mechanisms within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Kyoto Protocol to fund adaptation; developing appropriate mechanisms to collect these funds; and estimating the expected cost of adaptation. In contrast, relatively little has been said about how the funds should be managed or how to allocate the funds based on sound scientific principles. We argue that the language and institutions associated with the UNFCCC present significant obstacles to the provision of effective adaptation assistance within the currently crystallizing institutional configuration. While these aspects may seem secondary to the urgent question of funding and structuring the financial mechanisms, attention must be given to the questions of who should benefit from the funds, who can benefit from the funds and how can the funds be best used to enable those most in need of assistance adapt to climate change. We recommend a three streamed approach to funding adaptation, with a clear role for the private sector.