UNITAR Supports a Workshop on Climate Change Adaptation Integration in Development Planning in Morocco

Participants of the workshop 17 - 20 April 2017, Marrakech, Morocco - Morocco knows that climate change will not leave it unscathed. To counter this evolution, the country has adopted a series of green policies and has also launched an extensive process of adaptation planning in all its development policies. In order to do so, it requested the support of NAP-GSP (National Adaptation Plan – Global Support Programme), a programme funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and implemented by GIZ and UNDP in Morocco. In this context, UNITAR supported the organization in Marrakech, from April 17 to 20, of a workshop aimed at developing and strengthening the technical skills of the Climate Change focal points of numerous Moroccan ministries.

How did the workshop take place?

The training took place over 3 days and allowed participants to build their theoretical knowledge on adaptation, but also to share their experiences and to think constructively about the most appropriate institutional framework for implementing an effective national plan of action on adaptation. It tackled several theoretical training modules, provided participants with practical exercises, and gave the floor to testimonials and contributions from participants through lectures and group work.

Thirty-five people attended the workshop from several ministries (State Secretariat for Sustainable Development, Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water, Ministry of Planning, Territory, Planning, Housing and Urban Policy, Ministry of Economy and Finance, etc.) and specialized agencies (High Commissioner for the Plan, Municipal Equipment Fund, National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water, Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute, Forest Research Center, etc.).

Representatives from Beni Mellal-Khénifra and Souss-Massa regions presented the impacts of climate change on the ground and the measures implemented for adaptation.

One day was devoted to the revision of the draft roadmap for the progress of the NAP process in Morocco. This roadmap was initiated in October 2016 during a stocktaking workshop on National Adaptation Planning, which was the starting point for the effective launch of the NAP process. Participants were divided into 5 groups with the task of agreeing on the architecture of the NAP framework document and then of amending the content of the text under review. The main role of UNITAR was to facilitate subgroup discussions, ensure coherence of the agenda and evaluate learning outcomes.

After three very dense and prolific days, participants were able to improve the understanding of the NAP process and identify entry points for adaptation into policy making. A report will compile the suggested revisions of the PNA roadmap and will subsequently be submitted to GIZ and UNDP Morocco.

Do you want to know more about NAP process?

Group work by participants The effects of climate change, such as droughts, floods, sea-level rise and meteorological phenomena, carry various risks and threats to development. Recognizing these realities, the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Cancun in 2010 set up the National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) to facilitate effective adaptation planning and its integration into development processes.

The NAP process is designed to support all developing countries in meeting their medium- and long-term adaptation needs. It aims to reduce vulnerability, build adaptive capacity and integrate adaptation across sectoral planning and overall development. At the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Durban in December 2011, bilateral and multilateral agencies were invited to support the NAP process and set up programmes. Such support may take the form of technical guidelines, workshops, training and regional exchanges, as well as the provision of technical assistance. The Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LDC) has published the NAP Technical Guidelines, which outline the process to lay the foundation for an NAP process to monitor its implementation.

NAP-GSP is implemented by UNDP and UN Environment to assist countries in the process of developing and advancing their national adaptation plans. The program is based on the collaboration of a large number of United Nations specialized agencies, including UNITAR.

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