Proposal to request an Area of Work on "Mountains and Climate Change" in the Nairobi work programme (UNFCCC)

 As you know, mountain ecosystems are particularly affected by the impact of climate change. Some of the most evident indicators of climate change come from mountain areas, such as the extensive retreat of glaciers that has been observed from polar to tropical regions in recent decades, the increasing number of disasters and the expanding desertification processes, just to name a few.

The Nairobi work programme <http://unfccc.int/3633.php> under the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) which is largely established to assist all Parties, in particular developing countries, including the least developed countries and small island developing States to improve their understanding and assessment of impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change, and make informed decisions on practical adaptation actions and measures to respond to climate change on a sound scientific, technical and socio-economic issues, taking into account current and future climate change and variability. The Conference of Parties at its seventeenth session agreed to request the SBSTA to reconsider, at its thirty-eighth session, the work areas of the Nairobi work programme with a view to making recommendations to the Conference of the Parties at its nineteenth session on how to best support the objectives of the Nairobi work programme.

Parties and relevant organizations are requested to submit their views on potential future areas of the work of the Nairobi work programme. In accordance with this request, parties and relevant organizations have now the opportunity to request the Secretariat of the UNFCCC – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – to establish an area of work for mountains within the Nairobi Work Programme of the Convention: ““The SBSTA also recalled Decision 6/CP.17 , whereby the COP invited Parties and relevant organizations to submit to the secretariat, by 17 September 2012, their views on potential future areas of work of the Nairobi work programme”.

If an area of work dealing with the impact of climate change on mountain ecosystems and livelihoods can be established, greater political attention could be drawn on this issue and hopefully also financial resources.

We would therefore encourage your Country to submit a request to the Secretariat at secretariat@unfccc.int - For easy reference, a paragraph is proposed herewith, as a basis that can be modified and adapted according to your requirements:

“As specified in the Decision 6/CP.17 of SBSTA, in which Parties and relevant organizations are invited to submit to the secretariat, by 17 September 2012, their views on potential future areas of work of the Nairobi work programme, on behalf of the Government of (insert here NAME OF YOUR COUNTRY/ORGANIZATION)  it is proposed to establish an area of work on “mountains and climate change” in view of the special attention needed by mountain ecosystems to adapt to the effect of climate change. Mountains provide vital goods and services to more than half of the world’s population but they are fragile ecosystems that require specific protection and management.”

Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. We would highly appreciate if you could notify us when you submit your request to the UNFCCC Secretariat, as this would allow us to monitor progress.