WORKSHOP ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND ADAPTATION IN THE MAGHREB (CCAM)

Theme 1: Understanding ecosystem thresholds in climate change in the MaghrebClimate change models projections indicate significant global bio-physical and ecological changes. This theme addresses questions such as: What are the barriers and limitations that face today climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies?  What are the bio-physical and ecological thresholds beyond which it is not feasible for societies and communities to apply climate change adaptation strategies? What might adaptation means in a system nearing a threshold? Is it possible to adapt if the climate change impact is irreversible? Which habitat ranges, ecosystem functions, and threats of extinction for particular species, have been identified to constitute the thresholds?

Theme 2: Adaptation Catalyst Metrics; indicators for measuring the effectiveness of adaptationThe purpose of this theme is to explore useful metrics needed for estimation the short- term and long-term impacts of climate change on various sectors, both in monetary and non-monetary terms. Such metrics will support the decision–makers mission to evaluate climate change adaptation strategies at both regional and national levels. These metrics allow the decision makers to rank potential adaptation strategies and policy options, using the criteria of maximizing benefits and minimizing risk under climate change scenarios. Furthermore, the effectiveness of these metrics enables stakeholders and policy makers to identify levels of risk and vulnerability of their systems. They will also be able to identify the need for substantial changes in management practices and planned actions to mitigate and adaptation against climate change. The need for substantial need for change level should be based on quantified triggers of specific levels of thresholds reached beyond which the substantial changes are necessary.
The workshop is expected to offer better understanding of the distinction between anthropic and climate change origins. The workshop will also extend the discussion about the human influence accelerating changes in natural phenomena. We have to consider the irreversible processes linked to climate change.

The key four questions of this theme are:

•  What most appropriate methodological approaches and issues related to climate change adaptations in the Maghreb?    
•  What are the Indicators to measure effectiveness of adaptation that are specific to the agriculture sector?
• What are indicators to measure effectiveness of adaptation Indicators that are specific to water resource, water scarcity, and water allocation?
•  What are the policy implications of climate change adaptation matrices?

We have to understand if it is possible to distinguish between anthropic and climate change origins, and to what extent the human influence accelerated natural phenomena. We have to consider the irreversible processes linked to climate change.

The theme will have four topics focusing on :

1. methodological issues,
2. indicators in the agriculture sector,
3. indicators in the water sector, and
4. policy implications of adaptation metrics.

Theme 3: What are the institutional changes required to address climate change?Institutional change poses profound challenge to contemporary forms of governance. At some level, this challenge has been recognized in the effort to create indicators of sustainable development, quantitative measures that enable decision makers to factor in elements of climate change adaptation strategies into decisions that might otherwise have relied solely on economic criteria. But the challenge to governance addressing climate change issues requires efforts that go beyond creating new indicators. New governance processes are required that can facilitate the inclusion of new information, new values, and new measures into decision making related to climate change adaptation. This, in return, requires new institutional settings and, prior to that, adaptability of current institutions. New arrangements must be made to rebalance the relationship between formal and informal institutions for successful climate change adaptation to succeed. Consequently, channels for communication between citizens and experts, acknowledging that citizens hold valuable knowledge, are corner stones to creating sustainable changes at the communities and society levels. This commutation channels cover all spectrums from the village, city, state, and region to the intentional domains.

Key questions to be addressed during the theme will include:

•   What are the barriers to adaptation within various governance structures?
•   In what ways does the uncertainty about climate change act as a limitation for government institutions to response to climate change?
•   What sort of information are needed at each level of governance city, region, and country to response effectively to climate change and design and implement successful strategies?
•  What is role of research and development R&D and technology development comes to play to ease climate change impacts?
•  Can the government structure be an obstacle against design, planning, and implementation of successful climate change mitigation and or adaptation strategies? How to identify and overcome such contradiction if present.

Theme 4: Free thematic areas

In addition, the CCAM 2008 Workshop will focus on any other thematic areas related to climate change particularly in the Maghreb.