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Mainstreaming climate adaptation into development: A policy dilemma

The need for stronger efforts to support adaptation to climate change in developing countries is undisputed. The potential to create synergies by integrating (“mainstreaming”) adaptation into development activities is also widely recognized.

Richard J.T. Klein / Published on 16 December 2010
Citation

Klein, R.J.T. (2010). Mainstreaming climate adaptation into development: A policy dilemma. Klein, R.J.T.(2010). Mainstreaming climate adaptation into development: a policy dilemma. In: A. Ansohn and B. Pleskovic (eds.) Climate Governance and Development: Berlin Workshop Series 2010. World Bank. Pp. 35-52.

Yet, in discussions on the financing of climate adaptation, calls for mainstreaming are viewed with suspicion. Developed countries have committed themselves to providing new and additional finance for adaptation in developing countries, but mainstreaming adaptation into development would make it more difficult to identify whether support for adaptation is indeed new and additional or is, instead, a diversion of existing development finance.

This paper outlines that dilemma and calls on developed countries, in particular, the European Union and its member states, to give priority to restoring mutual trust between developed and developing countries in the climate negotiations.

Read the paper on the World Bank website (entire book downloadable as PDF or text)

SEI author

Richard J.T. Klein
Richard J.T. Klein

SEI Affiliated Researcher

SEI Oxford