Support underway for coastal ecosystems.

Abstract

In his perspective “A global strategy for protecting vulnerable coastal populations” (12 September, p. [1250][1]), E. B. Barbier proposes the establishment of a global emergency task force, combined with international financial support to reduce vulnerability in the long-run, as a means to protect coastal populations from the threats posed by climate change. A disaster task force would be a valuable addition to existing international approaches to climate change adaptation; in fact, the proposed financing of a long-term strategy is already underway. Barbier lists three objectives for a long-term coastal adaptation strategy: managing risks of costal storms, investing in coastal ecosystems and key infrastructure, and enhancing institutional and community response capacities. These activities conform with the strategic objectives of the Global Environment Facility's (GEF) Adaptation Program ([ 1 ][2]), which serves as a financial mechanism to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The estimated need of $575 million to support coastal adaptation in the developing world overlooks existing bilateral financing. It also fails to take into account multilateral assistance that already amounts to $247 million: The GEF's Adaptation Program has allocated $139 million for climate-resilient coastal zone management; the World Bank's Pilot Program for Climate Resilience has approved $73 million; and the Adaptation Fund under the Kyoto Protocol, $35 million. Barbier notes that developing economies would benefit from assistance for institutional capacity-building. There already have been substantial efforts in that direction. Fifty least-developed countries have already completed their National Adaptation Programs of Action ([ 2 ][3]), a list of national priority adaptation needs, as a result of the UNFCCC process and financed by the GEF's Adaptation Program. Country parties to the UNFCCC further agreed that, as a next step, so-called National Adaptation Plans will be developed that will mainstream climate change adaptation into broader development frameworks in developing countries ([ 3 ][4]). 1. [↵][5]Global Environment Facility, GEF Programming Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change for the Least-Developed Countries Fund and the Special Climate Change Fund (Global Environment Facility, Washington, DC, 2014). 2. [↵][6]Global Environment Facility, Progress Report of the Least-Developed Countries Fund and the Special Climate Change Fund (Global Environment Facility, Washington, DC, 2014). 3. [↵][7]United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, The Cancun Agreements: Outcome of the Work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (Decision 1/CP.16, 2010). [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1254629 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #ref-3 [5]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2 in text [7]: #xref-ref-3-1 View reference 3 in text