Government of Kiribati Climate Change Adaptation Policy

Part 1: Policy context 1

Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) in national development

1.1 In the current statement of National Development Strategies (NDS 2004-7), adopted by the Government of Kiribati (GoK) in November 2003, a key issue in planning for economic growth is stated to be the risk of substantial economic loss occurring from climate-change related events.1 NDS identifies the need for ‘participatory and cost-effective ways of minimising and managing’ this risk, and requires the planning and implementation of measures for adapting to climate change to be undertaken in 2004-7.

1.2 During 2003-5, with assistance of the World Bank and UNDP, GoK has been developing a National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) and a Kiribati Adaptation Programme (KAP) based on a national consultative process. Both these sets of activities aim to secure external funding through the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and other official sources for a comprehensive and pragmatic approach to CCA in Kiribati. This would involve state and non-state agencies, and would engage and be accountable to the community at large through a continuing process of participatory consultations.

1.3 In the course of 2004 it became clear that NAPA and KAP should work closely together in developing the components of a single overall adaptation programme.

Cabinet accordingly directed that their supervisory structure be unified under the Office of Te Beretitenti (OB). Plans were made for a new division of National Strategic Risk Management NSRM) within OB to be responsible for overseeing CCA, along with population policy and disaster management.

1.4 The need was also recognised for a coherent statement of CCA policy and strategy to provide a supportive development policy environment for the planning of specific CCA programmes. This was accordingly developed within the combined NAPA-KAP structure, and was endorsed by Cabinet in June 2005 2

CCA Policy and Strategy statements, June 2005

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2.1 The CCA policy states “Kiribati is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which constitute a major strategic risk to the economy and national well-being. The nature of the risk has to be specified and appropriate responses developed at national and local levels.

Successive governments of Kiribati have been active in global and regional consultations about the climatic changes taking place and how to deal with them.

National expertise has developed and links have been established with the relevant regional and international institutions.

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NDS 2004-7, Key Policy Area 1, Economic Growth, Issue 3 Reproduced in full at Appendix A

As Kiribati cannot escape climate change it must adapt to it. The adaptation process needs to give people the best possible chance of living decent lives during and beyond the period of climate change now foreseen. As the impacts of climate change reach into all aspects of life in Kiribati, broad public consultation and participation in planning and implementation are needed for sustainable responses. Many departments of government are involved, requiring both central policy co-ordination and clear delegation of responsibility for action. And as the precise speed and extent of future climate change is unknowable, adaptive responses themselves need to be risk-minimising, flexible and progressive.”

2.2 The policy statement sets out the overall objectives as follows: (a) Kiribati should be mentally, physically and financially well prepared to deal with whatever climatic trends and events the future may hold; (b) this should be achieved through a co-ordinated, participation-based adaptation programme carried out by official and private agencies; and (c) external financial assistance should be obtained to meet the costs of the national adaptation programme.

2.3 To guide GoK ministries in their operational planning and to assist public understanding and participation, Cabinet at the same time adopted the statement of CCA strategy that appears at Appendix A. This describes the context, issues and manifold linkages of the CCA strategy, and indicates the areas where specific action needs to be planned and undertaken. The wide range of issues involved in CCA and the inter-linked responsibility of Ministries for planning and taking action is described under the following headings • integration of CCA into national planning and institutional capacity • use of external financial and technical assistance • population and resettlement • governance and services • freshwater resources and supply systems • coastal structures, land uses and agricultural practices • marine resources • survivability and self-reliance.

2.4 The CCA strategy provides direction for the development of NAPA and KAP, and makes clear the need for those two programs to be conducted as one. The strategy also provides clear indicators for external aid donors of how Kiribati intends to deal with climate change and the possible roles for donors in financing and otherwise assisting with the process. This KAP II project implementation plan is based on the CCA Strategy, with components that address • further developing public and political understanding of, support for and participation in CCA-related policies and activities • climate-proofing freshwater supplies, coastal zone activities and public assets • piloting schemes of direct financial assistance to household and community CCA investments • building national and local government planning and regulatory capacity • linkages to population policy and other key development strategies

2.5.Three crucially important factors in the sustainability of CCA are: the unification of NAPA and KAP planning and supervision under the NSRM unit in OB; the development of linked CCA-based attitudes and work-processes in the key CCA ministries3; and continued building of public awareness and support for a timely, systematic and co-ordinated approach to CCA. These factors are further examined below in discussions of risks affecting the project and the activity contents of the project’s components.

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The place of CCA in GoK operational planning (see also Appendix E)

3.1 Ministry Operational Plans (MOPs) are at the centre of the GoK planning process introduced under NDS 2004-7. Ministries are organised into divisions, each responsible for one or more work programs for recognised policy areas. MOPs provide detail on each Ministry’s current mission, statutory and policy responsibilities, assets, organisation, establishment and work programs. 4.

3.2 The GoK Annual Estimates approved by Parliament allocate money to Ministries

by Head of the Estimates, and specify within each Head the sub-allocations for the purchase of inputs for each divisional program. MOPs set out in itemised, standardised progress-monitorable form for each program, a description of how the Ministry intends to use the resources allocated in this way to fulfil its statutory and policy responsibilities. A system of half-yearly centralised progress reporting is in place, with more frequent internal reporting at the option of Ministries.

3.3 The MOP-based planning process was first used in 2004. It is still in its infancy, and proficiency in its use varies widely among Ministries. Starting in 2005 key elements of the MOPs have been linked to performance-based employment contracts for heads of ministries, causing increased high-level attention to MOP content and some initial delays in the annual roll-forward of MOPs. 3.4 The MOP rules state that all activities that are funded and which the Ministry intends to undertake during the year should appear in the appropriate work program section of its MOP, but that no activity should appear there for which the Ministry does not have an allocation of funds in the current Estimates, or a written assurance from MFED that such an allocation will be forthcoming within the current year. Other activities still in the planning stages, for which the Ministry hopes funds will be found in due course, may be described in the policy sections of the MOP but should not appear in the current year’s work program.

3.5 These rules mean that limited mention of existing CCA-related activities appears in the work programs presented in the current MOPs of the relevant Ministries 3 4

MPWU, MELAD, MISA, MFMRD, MCTTD and MFED also for non-Ministry agencies such as Audit and Parliament

(MPWU, MELAD, MISA, MFMRD, MCTTD and MFED). These activities represent GoK’s current own-funds engagement in CCA-related operations. The level of CCA awareness in ministries is rising as the CCA strategy, NAPA and KAP receive wider publicity and preparations for implementing KAP II get under way.

3.6 In the 2006 MOPs CCA-related activities will have a much higher profile. In October 2005 the terms in which CCA-related activities will be described in the 2006 MOPs will be agreed with the key ministries, and will be appended to the final version of this PIP.5 The GoK recurrent budget allocations to the programs described in MOPs will constitute the GoK commitment to counterpart funding in the overall financial structure of the project.

5 See Appendix E. The firm prospect of non-GEF (AusAID and NZODA) funds becoming available to KAP II through WB channels early in 2006 means that MOPs can reflect this, and ministries can get started in Q1/2006 on up-front components of the project.