• The first of a series of four Regional Training Workshops on the Applications of Economic Valuation Methods for Assessing the Costs & Benefits of Climate Change Adaptation from April 14th – 18th, 2014;
• The National Adaptation Plan (NAP)-Global Support Programme (GSP) Africa Regional Training Workshop for Anglophone countries from April 14th -17th and for francophone countries from 21st – 24th April 2014, and;
• The Workshop for a Multi-country Support Programme to Strengthen Climate Information Systems in Africa from April 13th -14th, 2014.

1. Regional Training Workshops on the Applications of Economic Valuation Methods for Assessing the Costs & Benefits of Climate Change

Under the implementation of the Capacity Development Programme on the Economics of Climate Change Adaptation, Water Security and Climate Resilient Development in Africa the regional workshop aims at train participants on how to apply analytical economic techniques to carry out economic assessments at the sector level and to appraise adaptation options. This workshop is part of a series of activities, that have already started with the 1st Regional Training Workshop held in November 2013 and will be continued this year:

• The 1st Regional Training Workshop follows the Training of Trainers held in November 2013 which provided participants with an insight into the economics of adaptation. It will focus on different methods of economic valuation and identifying data requirements for assessing the economic costs and benefits of adaptation. After the first workshop it is anticipated that the participants will collect data through surveys at country level to be fed into the future workshops.
• At the 2nd Regional Training Workshop, participants will be trained on how to apply analytical microeconomic techniques to assess the costs and benefits of adaptation.
• The 3rd and 4th Regional Training Workshops will be held next year and will move into the data analysis for different sectors and projects looking into country-specific development plans, and within the context of ongoing and new initiatives. The results of this analysis will be further presented to policy makers.  

2. Regional Training Workshops for African LDCs on NAPs

This training workshop is a part of a series of activities aimed at supporting LDCs to address the adverse impacts of climate change through medium and longer-term NAP processes. By facilitating a regional exchange and providing technical support in the form of existing guidance and tools, this regional workshop aims to support policy makers and technical officials from the following LDCs from Africa - Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

The participants at this workshop are officials from Ministries of Finance, Planning and Environment.

The Learning Objectives are to:

1. Enhance understanding of the NAP process according to the UNFCCC/LEG technical guidelines for the NAP process;
2. Clarify the potential entry points for the NAP process in countries taking into account political economy;
3. Identify specific technical, institutional and financial needs to support the integration of medium- and long-term climate adaptation needs into existing national and sub-national planning and budgeting processes;
4. Learn from what other countries have done and/or are in the process of doing to advance their country specific NAP process through an exchange of lessons learnt and experiences;
5. Increase awareness of existing guidance and tools and methods that can help LDCs develop national a framework and strategy to advance their respective NAPs process; and,
6. Exchange information on the mechanisms and options for adaptation financing (including external and internal sources) the institutionalization of a NAP process in the context of ongoing planning and budgeting.

Format
An interactive participatory approach will be used for the workshop with the use of facilitators to lead sessions. Practical working group sessions and “clinics” will be used to promote hands-on skills-based training to participants.
Summary Objectives of Daily Sessions for LDC Participants
Day 1 – Objectives

• Enhance understanding on linkages between climate change and development, establishing common understanding of NAP process, UNFCCC/LEG technical guidelines for the NAP process, and encourage participants to think about relevance of NAP in context of national, sub-national, and sectoral planning processes.
• Enhance understanding of Element A of the UNFCCC/LEG technical guidelines for the NAP process as well as learning through sharing/exchanging information on experiences to-date.
• Increase understanding on approaches, methodologies and tools that currently exist to support with their country needs to advance the NAP process.

Day 2 – Objectives

• Enhance understanding of Elements B and C of the UNFCCC/LEG technical guidelines for the NAP process as well as learning through sharing/exchanging information on experiences to date.
• Increase understanding about approaches, methodologies and tools that currently exist to support with their country needs to advance the NAP process.
  Identify key entry points and consider the institutional set-up to begin the NAP process.

Day 3 – Objectives

• Enhance understanding of Element D of the UNFCCC/LEG technical guidelines for the NAP process as well as learning through sharing/exchanging information on experiences to-date
• Increase understanding on approaches, methodologies and tools that currently exist to support with their country needs to advance the NAP process.
• Develop knowledge of status of mainstreaming adaptation into national and sub-national planning process and of existing knowledge in countries.
  Identify the challenges, gaps, support needs from NAP-GSP and suggest ways forward.

Day 4 – Objectives

• Deepen understanding of key tools available to assess and understand vulnerability and adaptation, as well as the economics of climate change to support medium term/long term adaptation planning and financing.
• Interact with NAP-GSP partners and collaborators and discuss potential offers of support for NAPs.

In addition, UNITAR will be conducting video interviews throughout the workshop during coffee-breaks as part of a knowledge product on NAPs, under the ‘Brokering of Knowledge’ component of NAP-GSP.