Antara News
Nusa Dua, Bali (ANTARA News) - United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) researchers urged developed nations on Tuesday to immediately
discuss adaptation funds as the key to the solution of problems being
discussed at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC).
Kevin Watkins, the lead author of a report titled "Fighting Climate
Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World", said rich countries had
left poor countries in the lurch, putting the latter in a state of
"sinking or swimming" without any support.
The report on the impact of climate change on global development in
2007/2008 pointed out an imbalanced trend in the funding sector to
adapt to climate change.
The UNDP said the trend may lead to an apartheid-style adaptation
phenomenon as poor countries would be left sinking alone and forced to
rely on their own capacity without significant support from rich
countries.
Speaking at a press conference held on the occasion of the climate
change conference, Kavin said it was high time for developed nations
"to step forward" with regard to adaptation funds.
In its Human Development Report, UNDP predicted adaptation funds needed by 2015 would be US$86 billion per year.
"The figure seems very large but actually it only accounts for 0.2 percent of rich countries` GDP," he said.
Adaptation funds derived from all multilateral funding sources in the
past two years amounted to only US$26 million, or equal to the amount
of funds spent by Britain on a flood-control project for a week, he
said.
Adaptation funds which are intended to address the expected impact of
climate change are one of the most crucial issues being debated at the
Bali conference.
This week`s ministerial meeting of UNFCCC is expected to decide the
mechanism of the adaptation fund, including the institution managing
the fund, financial sources and the way funds are to be distributed.(*)
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