Enhancing Research and Policy Linkages to Advance National Adaptation Planning in Guinea

Introduction

The project aims to help Guinea increase its capacity to adapt to climate change impacts by strengthening linkages between research-policy, mainstreaming climate change adaptation into sectoral and local planning and budgeting and advancing national funding mechanisms and private sector engagement. The project addresses the main barriers that were identified during an earlier stocktaking exercise. The barriers identified include the lack of links between research and policymaking, weak measurement, evaluation and funding mechanisms, and insufficient private sector engagement in the adaptation efforts. 

Project details

The main objective of the projectEnhancing research and policy linkages to advance National Adaptation Planning in Guineais to increase Guinea’s adaptive capacity to cope with climate change impacts. The project is expected to establish research to support informed decision-making and capture opportunities that arise both from public funding and the private sector. 

Guinea is experiencing negative socio-economic impacts of climate change due to its exposure to sea level rise, droughts, and flooding. The Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submitted in 2015 outlines climate change adaptation priorities, such as the preservation and restoration of water resources, protection of ecosystems particularly in coastal zones, and ensuring food security of rural communities.

Based on stakeholder consultations and stocktaking conducted in 2016 and 2018, the main barriers to climate change adaptation mainstreaming and financing were identified as (1) the absence of links connecting research to policy to inform decision-making processes; (2) weaknesses in and/or fragmentation of existing coordination, monitoring & evaluation (M&E), and funding mechanisms; (3) the absence of adaptation in the Planning-Programming-Budgeting-Monitoring and Evaluation (PPBSE) procedures; and (4) lack of private sector involvement in the adaptation landscape.

The project aims to remove these barriers by achieving the following objectives under the three main outcomes:


1. Research-policy linkages and knowledgebase are strengthened to inform adaptation planning and decision-making:

  • Establish research-policy linkages to support the NAP (National Adaptation Plan) formulation and implementation;
  • Develop a climate risks and vulnerability evidence base that informs the identification and prioritization of adaptation options in the sectors of agriculture, livestock, and forestry

 

2. Climate change adaptation mainstreaming is facilitated by reinforcing coordination and M&E mechanisms:

  • Operationalize a sustained and suitable coordination mechanism to support mid and long-term adaptation;
  • Enhance adaptation mainstreaming into sectoral and local planning and budgeting;
  • Establish adaptation M&E mechanisms in adherence with the existing national M&E system.

 

3. A national funding mechanism and private sector engagement are expanded to support adaptation financing:

  • Support the Environmental Safeguard Fund (FSE) mechanism to raise awareness on funding sources and expand mandate for the financing of adaptation actions; 
  • Enhance the mining sector’s engagement on adaptation and climate financing.

 

Furthermore, a follow-up project will be proposed to fill gaps identified through this phase and develop Guinea’s NAP document. The results of the current project will inform the proposal, consolidating existing climate risks and vulnerability assessments and prioritization of adaptation options in the priority sectors of agriculture, livestock, forestry, coastal and water resources. The planned second phase will further consider promoting sustainable cities, clean cities, and blue economy for which the national strategy is currently being developed.

In addition to the main project implementing partner, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests, and other project partners including the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), National Directorate of the Environment (DNE)/current National Directorate of Pollution, Nuisance and Climate Change (DNPNCC), sectoral Strategy and Development Offices (BSD), the various research institutes, the Center for Observation, Monitoring and Environmental Information (COSIE), the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the Fund for the Environment and Natural Capital (FECN), the Bauxite Environment Network (REB), Guinea-Ecology, civil society organizations and municipalities.

Project updates 

To date, the Research-Policy Working Group (RPWG) mandate, structure and composition have been elaborated, as well as the Environment and Climate Change Research Plan (PRECC) and the Climate Change Adaptation Policy Indicators Metadata. The project further prepared the report on the collection of data from public services and technical and financial partners for the updating of climate models and projections based on the RCP in Guinea, the analysis of climate projections for Guinea using the RCP reference scenarios and the validation of the projection models, as well as the data collection report on the establishment of a coordination and capacity building system. 

 

Level of intervention: 
Implementing agencies and partnering organizations: 
Guinea Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests (MEEF)
Project status: 
Under Implementation
Location: 
Urban
Funding source: 
Financing amount: 
US$ 1,629,717

Key results and outputs

Outcome 1: Research-policy linkages and knowledge base are strengthened to inform adaptation planning and decision-making.

Outcome 2: Climate change adaptation mainstreaming is facilitated by reinforcing coordination and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

Outcome 3: A national funding mechanism and private sector engagement are expanded to increase climate change adaptation financing.