The purpose of this workshop is to launch a pilot project in selected countries of Southern and Eastern Africa on the integration of vulnerability and adaptation (V&A) to climate change into sustainable development planning with an emphasis on policy implementation. This integration will focus at the broad policy level as well as in priority areas of sectoral planning such as water and agriculture. The target audience is the non-climate change community of experts who are involved in development planning so as to raise awareness about issues related to development and climate change. Workshop Agenda. The project is being proposed based on country needs to understand and test tools and methods for this purpose as well as to further engage policy makers, analysts and decision makers in both developing counties and donor organizations.

In addition to the participating countries, a number of aid agencies are being invited to participate in the workshop and project in order to strengthen north-south partnerships to reduce vulnerability through improved development planning. The objective is to foster collaboration and partnerships to support and to provide a forum to further the policy processes underway in donor organizations in support of adaptation needs in developing countries.

A series of technical documents are currently being prepared to support the workshop discussion's and the subsequent country level activities. These five short papers will explain general concept situating environment in the context of sustainable development; mainstreaming environment into development, emphasizing the regional policy arena; vulnerability, adaptation and poverty; tools and methodologies for integrating vulnerability to climate change into development planning, and climate predictions in the selected countries.

 Workshop Resource Material:

This first phase of the project is being executed by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA). The contact person at KIPPRA is Dr. Moses Ikiara,Tel. 254-20-2719933/4; Fax. 254-20-2719951; or email: mmikiara@kippra.or.ke, or clive_mutunga@hotmail.com