Launching of the NAP process in Mauritania
Submitted by esther.lake@undp.org on 02 May 2019
Mauritania has launched its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, followed by a two-day capacity building workshop held by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.
- - The NAP project is supported by UN Environment, with US$2.67 million in funds from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), over three years.
- - Mauritania is experiencing desertification and loss of biodiversity due to climate change – which is predicted to have serious impacts on livelihoods and economic development.
- - Technical support will be provided by UN Environment to advance climate science, ecosystem-based adaptation, environmental economics and integrated adaptation strategies.
24 April 2019, Nouakchott, Mauritania: Climate change adaptation planning in Mauritania has received a boost in the form of a new GCF project to support the advancement of Mauritania’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process.
The objectives of this three-year project are to assist Mauritania in strengthening technical and institutional capacities to manage climate change adaptation planning, improve quality and access to climate change data, support the acquisition of adaptation finance and enhance the monitoring and evaluation of adaptation planning impacts at a national and local level.
Climate change is exacerbating ongoing desertification and loss of biodiversity in Mauritania. These severe challenges are expected to worsen in the future, based on current climate projections.
There is a vital need to formulate and implement effective adaptation plans, based on sound environmental management, which will contribute to sustaining livelihoods and advance Mauritania’s economic development.
Madi Taleb, Secretary General, representing H.E. Amedi Camara, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Mauritania, said, "I am confident that the implementation of this project will assist all the national actors and build their capacity to access and share climate data. This will include collecting and analysing data on risks and vulnerability to inform our priority climate change adaptation measures."
"Our country started very early to strengthen its capacity to manage priority issues related to climate change, particularly to adapt to climate deterioration, with an approach that combines optimisation of funding, preparedness and seeking synergies at the national level."
The launch of the project was followed by a workshop held from 24-25 April 2019, convened with the participation of three Principle Secretaries from the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Economy and Finance, and Ministry of Hydrology and Sanitation.
UN Environment will provide technical support to the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development to advance climate science, ecosystem-based adaptation, environmental economics and strategies for integration of adaptation across sectors. Experiences from previous and ongoing UN Environment climate change adaptation projects supporting the Government of Mauritania will be enhanced and lessons taken forward.
Alex Forbes, Climate Change Adaptation Unit, UN Environment, said, "We all face the need to adapt to climate change. The reality of changing rainfall patterns and extreme weather events such as floods and droughts are leading to loss of lives and will continue to negatively affect the economy.”
The NAP process was established in 2010, under the auspices of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It aims to help countries to reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change by building their adaptive capacity and resilience. It also aims to facilitate the integration of climate change adaptation into relevant new and existing policies, programmes and activities, particularly the development planning processes and strategies.
The NAP contributes to the adaptation component of Mauritania's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UNFCCC, supporting the country’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.
For further information on the Mauritania NAP project, contact Kouadio N’Goran Kouadio.ngoran@un.org