This presentation was given on 30-03-2022 at the East Africa Mountains Regional Dialogue Event in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, by Essey Daniel, Sabine McCallum, and Ansgar Fellendorf.

1. Climate change and Mountains in East Africa
The Adaptation at Altitude programme
30-03-2022
East Africa Mountains Regional Dialogue Event
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Essey Daniel, Sabine McCallum, Ansgar Fellendorf
© Sergey Pesterev/ unsplash

2. • East Africa`s mountain ecosystems and
communities witnessing already
• Higher temperatures
• Drought
• Changing rainfall
• Extreme weather events
• Erosion
• Fire risk
• Human-wildlife conflict
• WMO (2021) estimates that all remaining
glaciers disappear by mid-century
• Climate change exacerbating other
development challenges in the region
2
Climate change in East African mountains and UNEP activities 2

3. UNEP´s work on tackling climate crisis focusses on
• Strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity, working with range of partners
• Supporting National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and adaptation policy processes
• Fostering science-policy platforms and regional as well as global exchange
• Selected past activities
- Mountain Outlook Series -Mt EbA project
3
Climate change in East African mountains and UNEP activities 3
Mt EbA project
©Egan/UNDP

4. Objective
4
Adaptation at Altitude programme (A@A | 2019-23)
Funded by
Increase the resilience and adaptive
capacity of mountain communities and
ecosystems to climate change by:
– Gathering information and knowledge on
effective climate change adaptation
approaches and solutions
– Facilitating evidence-based decision making
for strengthening mountain adaptation in
national, regional and global policy
processes
Project partners
Regional partners
4

5. Adaptation At Altitude Programme (A@A) - Regions 5

6. A@A | Components
We aim at improved availability and use
of mountain observation data and
information services
We facilitate science-policy dialogues
in four mountain regions and inter-
regional collaboration and sharing of
experience
We support a community of practice on
CCA in mountains and build a global
database of adaptation solutions for
mountain regions
We foster global advocacy for inclusion
of mountain adaptation in relevant
policy processes (UNFCCC, Sendai
Framework for DRR, CBD, SDGs)
6

7. • Analysis of institutional frameworks/structures for addressing climate change adaptation and
screening of policy landscapes regarding integration of mountain adaptation
• Identifying and collecting promising mountain adaptation solutions from across EAC partner
states
• Draft “Mountains ADAPT: Solutions from East Africa” Booklet (Launch April 2022)
• Engage with regional partners on drafting possible road map towards regional dialogue for
sustainable mountain development
• Launch Event at UNFCCC Africa Climate Week 2021
• Foster interregional exchange between mountain regions, especially the Andes, Alps, Carpathians,
South Caucasus, East Africa, and Hindu Kush Himalayas for mutual action learning, inspiration and
cooperation
• UNFCCC COP events
• International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development
7
Activities in EAC partner states to date 7
Forthcoming UNEP publication on mountain adaptation solutions (Launch April 2022)

8. • Publish and disseminate Mountains ADAPT solutions booklet
• Facilitate policy dialogue and cooperation for mountain adaptation
among mountain and climate change stakeholders of EAC partner
states
• Exchange on adaptation approaches/solutions, best
practices and potentials for upscaling
• Foster policy integration of sustainable mountain
development
• Interregional action learning and exchange with other mountain
regions
• “Mountains Connect” workshop (invitation only) in Vienna, Austria
on 20-22 June 2022
• Connect mountain regions and relevant actors
• Support in-depth understanding of regional mountain
governance (e.g., institutional set up, financing, community
involvement, integration in wider initiatives/processes)
• Share and exchange challenges / opportunities / successes
and shortcomings -> Inspire each other!
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A@A | Way Forward 8
© Dimitry Anikin/unsplash
© David Clode/unsplash

9. 9
Mountains CONNECT: Interregional exchange 9
Opportunities of regional as well as interregional exchange on mountain
governance
• Strengthening capacities through identifying common priority actions and harmonizing them
with ongoing regional and national efforts on climate change adaptation
• Facilitating mutual support in meeting national commitments stemming from international
agreements under climate related policy frameworks through information exchange and
collaboration
• Exchanging information and experience on mechanisms for policy integration
• Identifying areas for transnational climate action that complement national and sub-national
approaches taking into due account the interlinkages between climate, environmental, nature
conservation and socio-economic opportunities and constraints

10. 10
Mountains CONNECT: Governance aspects 10
Building a knowledge hub on mountain governance aspects
(Virtual Mountain Governance Multiverse – VM-GEM)
• Highlighting topics and experiences with mountain range governance and climate change
adaptation in mountains along seven areas:
• Territoriality / Institutional formality / Sectoral integration / Vertical coordination / Civil
society participation /Science-policy interface / Funding arrangements
• Producing short videos on each of those areas with faces and voices of mountain range
governance experts using a portable and engaging format
• Virtual Launch mid-May 2022 (date tbc)

11. Thank you!
Mountain landscape in Uganda © unsplash
essey.daniel@un.org
ansgar.fellendorf@un.org
sabine.mccallum@un.org www.unep.org
Adaptationataltitude @at_altitude
adaptation-at-altitude

12. Mountains CONNECT: Short video on policy integration 12
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