Italy
Thematic Discussion on small island developing States
Review of the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy focusing on the thematic
cluster of CSD-14
Interactive presentations of Italy to the afternoon panel on 8 May 2006
Mr Chairman,
Today?s panels added to the numbers of others which reiterate the need for local
action.
Such an indisputable need has however to be tackled against both the second
panellist elegant illustration of the conspicuous number of vivid scenarios on the
challenge behind local action toward adapting to climate changes, as well as the
first panellist?s contention that for any adaptive efforts to be effective, it has to be
institutionalised.
In fact, particularly when tackling the issue of the management of the impacts of
climatic changes, there are little chances for local actions to be effective unless
they are coherent with and mainstreamed in broader breath national processes.
In the South Pacific we are, for example, trying to address this concern through the
program: ?Support to the formulation of national sustainable development
strategies in South Pacific?. In the framework of this program, a workshop for the
national focal points has just been held in New York as a kick off event within a
twofold set of pursuits. On the one hand the adoption of national sustainable
development policies emerges as an essential driver to ensure coherence,
consistency and predictability to the assistance provided by the international
community, on the other hand, the special needs and challenges of SIDS, when
dealing with the adaptation to climate change, must be properly reflected in their
development plans, so that development projects can be tailored on their specific
circumstances.
Let me move now to your repeated evoking the need for coherence under the
framework of the Barbados and Mauritius strategies, and underscoring to the
need to check the risk of proliferation of ?initiatives under the label of the name of
the town where a conference has taken place?.
This surely goes for the global level framework, but then the need arises for
national and regional mechanisms and processes to be activated as a bridge
between such global and the local dimension.
Consistently, in 2004 Italy has signed an MOU in support of the Caribbean
Community Climate Change Centre for Environmental Monitoring and
Assessment. The Centre aims to develop activities to tackle the negative impact of
climate change while strengthening the institutional capacities and improving the
regional coordination for risk prevention.
With the goal of linking climate change to risks reduction policies, Italy has also
co-financed the Caribbean Risk Management Initiative aimed at build ing
capacity within the Caribbean region to adequately address the growing occurrence
of natural hazards, through exchanges of best practices and lesson learned in risk
reduction as well as trying to mainstream risk reduction and adaptation to climatic
changes in SIDS development agendas.
Moreover, Italy financed a feasibility study aimed to establish an early warning
emergency project covering the whole area of the Caribbean linking climate
change observation and monitoring to risk prevention. The purpose of this Project
is be to establish a modern hydro-meteorological monitoring system, with real time
transmission of data, capable of giving the necessary information and alerts for a
timely pre-disaster intervention, allowing to greatly reduce damages produced by
the disruptive meteorological occurrences.
Let me conclude, Mr Chairman, by concurring with your underscoring the merit of
integrating generalised national development and conservation processes, and also
working on the institutional acquisition of more specifically oriented energy
strategies and plans.
Review of the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy focusing on the thematic
cluster of CSD-14
Interactive presentations of Italy to the afternoon panel on 8 May 2006
Mr Chairman,
Today?s panels added to the numbers of others which reiterate the need for local
action.
Such an indisputable need has however to be tackled against both the second
panellist elegant illustration of the conspicuous number of vivid scenarios on the
challenge behind local action toward adapting to climate changes, as well as the
first panellist?s contention that for any adaptive efforts to be effective, it has to be
institutionalised.
In fact, particularly when tackling the issue of the management of the impacts of
climatic changes, there are little chances for local actions to be effective unless
they are coherent with and mainstreamed in broader breath national processes.
In the South Pacific we are, for example, trying to address this concern through the
program: ?Support to the formulation of national sustainable development
strategies in South Pacific?. In the framework of this program, a workshop for the
national focal points has just been held in New York as a kick off event within a
twofold set of pursuits. On the one hand the adoption of national sustainable
development policies emerges as an essential driver to ensure coherence,
consistency and predictability to the assistance provided by the international
community, on the other hand, the special needs and challenges of SIDS, when
dealing with the adaptation to climate change, must be properly reflected in their
development plans, so that development projects can be tailored on their specific
circumstances.
Let me move now to your repeated evoking the need for coherence under the
framework of the Barbados and Mauritius strategies, and underscoring to the
need to check the risk of proliferation of ?initiatives under the label of the name of
the town where a conference has taken place?.
This surely goes for the global level framework, but then the need arises for
national and regional mechanisms and processes to be activated as a bridge
between such global and the local dimension.
Consistently, in 2004 Italy has signed an MOU in support of the Caribbean
Community Climate Change Centre for Environmental Monitoring and
Assessment. The Centre aims to develop activities to tackle the negative impact of
climate change while strengthening the institutional capacities and improving the
regional coordination for risk prevention.
With the goal of linking climate change to risks reduction policies, Italy has also
co-financed the Caribbean Risk Management Initiative aimed at build ing
capacity within the Caribbean region to adequately address the growing occurrence
of natural hazards, through exchanges of best practices and lesson learned in risk
reduction as well as trying to mainstream risk reduction and adaptation to climatic
changes in SIDS development agendas.
Moreover, Italy financed a feasibility study aimed to establish an early warning
emergency project covering the whole area of the Caribbean linking climate
change observation and monitoring to risk prevention. The purpose of this Project
is be to establish a modern hydro-meteorological monitoring system, with real time
transmission of data, capable of giving the necessary information and alerts for a
timely pre-disaster intervention, allowing to greatly reduce damages produced by
the disruptive meteorological occurrences.
Let me conclude, Mr Chairman, by concurring with your underscoring the merit of
integrating generalised national development and conservation processes, and also
working on the institutional acquisition of more specifically oriented energy
strategies and plans.
Stakeholders