Climate Change Adaptation Options for the Congo Basin Countries

During the last decades, the importance and seriousness of climate change and it’s impacts have become more and more understood. The climate is already changing and therefor adaptation to these changes need to be made. Central Africa needs to adapt to climate change just as much as the rest of the world. This report is focused on the COMIFAC countries, or the Congo River Basin countries: Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome & Principe, Gabon, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. Based on the impact analyses of the previous chapter, this chapter discusses the most appropriate adaptation measures for the region. This chapter explains the basic principles of climate change vulnerability and adaptation such as adaptive capacity, forms of adaptation, the adaptation cycle, maladaptation, adaptation deficit and no-, low- and high regret adaptation options. The second part of the report focusses on the different climate change adaptation options for central Africa within four sectors: Agriculture, Forestry, Water and Energy. Even though these four sectors are discussed there is also a strong overlap. In total 52 climate change adaptation measures are listed in the annex and discussed in the report. Most of the adaptation measures fit under a few basic climate change adaptation principles: - Spreading of risk by diversification - Buffer building by reforestation / agroforestry - Preparedness for extreme weather events, droughts and floods. - Food and water security - Sustainable energy supply - Education and awareness raising - Effective management Most of the COMIFAC member countries still have very big development challenges. The general income tends to be low and there are still high poverty rates. These immediate development needs are overall more important than climate change adaptation. However future development also creates opportunities for adaptation. To avoid wrong investments and to reduce future cost of adaptation, climate change adaptation should be integrated in future development plans