KEY MESSAGES

Adaptation efforts in developing countries must be accelerated. Adaptation is essential to manage the impacts of climate change that have already been locked into the climate system.

The poorest developing countries will be hit earliest and hardest by climate change, even though they have contributed little to causing the problem. The international community should support them in adapting to climate change. Without such support there are serious risks that development progress will be undermined.

Transfers to developing-country governments and civil society will be necessary to support adaptation. Additional costs to developing countries of adapting to climate change could run into tens of billions of dollars. Donors and multilateral development institutions should mainstream and support adaptation across their assistance to developing countries.

Public-private partnerships for climate-related insurance can help to support adaptation. At the household level, remittances are likely to have an important role in supporting autonomous adaptation.

The international community should also support adaptation through investment in global public goods, including:

• Improved monitoring and prediction of climate change;

• The development and deployment of drought- and flood-resistant crops;

• Methods to combat land degradation;

• Better modelling of impacts.

In addition, efforts should be increased to improve mechanisms for improving risk management and preparedness, disaster response and refugee resettlement.

The scale of the challenge makes it more urgent than ever for developed countries to honour their existing commitments – made in Monterrey 2002, and strengthened at the EU in June 2005 and at the G8 Gleneagles meeting in July 2005 – to double aid flows by 2010. Strong growth and development will enhance countries' ability to adapt.