"Japan's Action on Adaptation: Building Capacity and Ownership" The Government of Japan

December 16, 2004

"Japan's Action on Adaptation: Building Capacity and Ownership"

The government of Japan

　The Government of Japan, bearing in mind critical importance of sustainable development in developing countries, will continue to provide comprehensive assistance on adaptation measures in these countries to address adverse effects of climate change, by taking advantage of Japan's knowledge and expertise. The actions are summarized as follows:

1. Assistance through the promotion of development projects

（1）	Bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) 　Grant aid and loan aid mainly through the "Kyoto Initiative" 　Japan's ODA in adaptation-related area, including the measures against natural disasters, amounts to approximately USD 1.8 billion in total over the period of FY 1997-2003 the Kyoto Initiative: Japan presented this initiative in 1997 assisting developing countries to combat global warming through; (1) cooperation in capacity development, (2) ODA loans on concessional conditions, and (3) transfer of Japanese technology and know-how.
（2）	Assistance to national land development and environment protection in developing countries -Disaster Reduction and National Land Development: "Initiative for disaster reduction through ODA": 　On the occasion of the UN World Conference on Disaster Reduction to be held in Kobe, Hyogo in January 2005, Japan's basic policies and concrete measures for international cooperation on disaster reduction through ODA are to be announced. -"Initiative on Japan's ODA on Water" 　As a part of Japan's ODA in the field of water, following measures were announced in 2003. a）Providing drinking water and sanitation to poor countries and regions b) Addressing the needs to provide large-scale financing to urban areas c) Assisting capacity building -"Asia Forest Partnership (AFP)" 　This partnership, initiated in 2002, aims at promotion of sustainable forest management in Asia, through cooperation among Asian countries (primarily ASEAN countries), donor countries, international organizations and NGOs in such activities as measures against illegal logging, forest fire prevention, rehabilitation and reforestation of degraded lands, etc. -Global Environmental Issues including Desertification: "EcoISD"(Environmental Conservation Initiative for Sustainable Development)" 　As a part of the four priority areas elements of the Action Plan, announced by the Government of Japan at WSSD in 2002, as Japan's international cooperation on environmental issues mainly through ODA, this initiative includes the assistance in the areas of the management of nature reserves, forest-related issues, prevention of desertification, and natural resources management. -"NERICA (New Rice for Africa) Project" 　NERICA projects are high yielding upland rice varieties, suitable for semi-arid regions, developed by cross-breeding of African rice, which is resistant to diseases, weeds and drought, and Asian rice, which has high yields. Japan has been extending financial assistance to the research on NERICA since 1997, through CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) and UNDP Human Development Fund.
（3）	Contribution to the GEF Trust Fund 　Japan is one of the largest donors to the GEF Trust Fund, which assists, through trusted international organizations such as UNDP, capacity-building projects in adaptation (Japan has extended USD 1.21 billion from the pilot phase to date, GEF-3 3rd installment.

2. Capacity-building for governmental officials of developing countries

（1）	The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) training courses 　JICA provides a variety of training courses relevant to climate change adaptation with a view to assisting capacity-building of developing countries, namely, disaster reduction, water resource management, forest resource management, river management, and land development.
（2）	Training courses on measures against global warming 　Based on the Kyoto Initiative, JICA conducts training courses related to measures against global warming which includes a course entitled "Development of Strategies on Climate Change." More than 174 government officials from developing countries have participated in this course since 1997.

3. Promotion of climate change research and human resources development in modeling activities

（1）	Asia Pacific Seminar on Global Warming 　Japan has been organizing the annual Asia Pacific Seminar on Global Warming since 1991 with the participation of the developing and developed countries in the region, aiming at improving knowledge on global warming, including adaptation, sharing experience and strengthening measures against global warming. Active exchange of views was held in the latest seminar in Sydney in September, organized with the help of the Government of Australia. As a result of this Seminar, AP-NET (Asia Pacific Global Warming Information Network) website was established and has been providing a wide range of information on global warming including adaptation.
（2）	Asia Pacific Climate Change Research Network (APN) 　Asia Pacific Climate Change Research Network (APN) is an inter-governmental network, which aims at promoting research on global environmental changes in the Asia Pacific region. This Network aims at encouraging participation of developing country researchers to enhance cooperation between scientists and policymakers. The Network has been assisting a variety of researches on global environmental changes, including climate change and adaptation.
（3）	Joint Research with South Pacific Countries 　"Climate Variability and Change and Sea-level Rise in the Pacific Islands Region / A resource Book for Policy and Decision Makers, Educators and other Stakeholders" is a report made with the cooperation of the South Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP). The Resource Book was created to provide knowledge on climate change and sea level rise which seriously affects South Pacific nations, to identify the gap between the reality and the local perception, to clarify the needs for counter measures and to present desirable directions for overcoming these effects. The Resource Book provides a wide range of information on relations between climate change and sea level rise, including adaptation measures.