Climate Sense

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that need to be taken. MOEJ, together with JMA and the Ministry of

Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, has established

a scientific panel to develop an assessment report for integrating

scientific knowledge of GHG monitoring, climate prediction, and

vulnerability and impact assessment for Japan. The latest scientific

knowledge – including the results of high-resolution climate model

simulation using the Earth Simulator, and detailed impact and

damage estimations – will be assembled in the report. The report is

expected to be published by October 2009 and will be made avail-

able to those considering adaptation strategies and plans both at

national and local levels.

International cooperation to share

adaptation knowledge

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

– in collaboration with key UN and other interna-

tional organizations – has proposed the development

of a Global Climate Change Adaptation Network (the

Network). The Network aims to enhance the adap-

tive capacity of developing countries by mobilizing

knowledge and technologies to help build the climate

resilience of vulnerable human systems, ecosystems

and economies. To initiate the Network development

process, UNEP convened an International Consultation

Meeting on 30-31 October 2008 in Changwon, South

Korea. The outcomes of the meeting were welcomed

by many parties of the UNFCCC on the occasion of

its SBSTA 29, and on other occasions including the

Conference of Parties (COP) 14. To further elaborate

the Network activities in a regional context, the Asia-

Pacific regional consultation meeting was held on 2-3

February 2009 in Tokyo, hosted by MOEJ. The meeting

reaffirmed the urgent necessity of a knowledge network

to help developing countries in addressing the impacts

of climate change. It established an Interim Steering

Committee chaired by Prof. Masataka Watanabe of Keio

University, and identified step-wise actions toward the

establishment of the Asia-Pacific Network including the

development of an implementation plan for the initial

phase (2009-2010) with institutional arrangements,

priority areas and activities, and a detailed timetable.

MOEJ will fully engage in the establishment and imple-

mentation of the Asia-Pacific Network and hopes that

tangible progress will be reported by the time COP15

is convened.

Fourteenth session of the Inter-governmental Meeting of Asia Pacific Network held in March 2009 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Image: APN

GOSAT image

Image: JAXA