National Climate Change Adaptation Policy Framework 2012.

The National Climate Change Adaptation Policy Framework is a national policy with a multi-sectoral approach. The overall purpose of this Policy is to strengthen climate change adaptation and mitigation in order to minimize the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture, water, fisheries and ecosystems, and develop mechanisms for preparedness for and response to climate change.
The protection, sustainability, and enhancing of freshwater quality and availability will be improved to cope with increased demand, climate change, contamination and other factors. A long-­term national water management plan will be developed to incorporate and address climate change concerns, including catchment and watershed protection and saltwater intrusion. The national adaptation strategy for the water sector will be incorporated into the land use planning and management processes. The national water management agencies will be strengthened to ensure the sound management of water resources through integrated water resources management approach, incorporating climate variability; sustainable watershed management; strengthened legal framework and enforcement mechanisms for water resources protection; and a national programme on sustainable consumption and production. The needs for water storage and distribution infrastructure will be assessed to ensure water availability during drought periods. Measures will be taken to increase the resilience of aquifers and rivers to maximize water availability and to reduce degradation of water quality. Initiatives will be promoted to identify and, where necessary, exploit non-traditional water resources such as sea-water through desalination.
Climate smart agriculture will be promoted by developing a national adaptation strategy for the agriculture sector, as part of the national climate change adaptation strategy. Adaptation policies will be integrated into the national policy formulation process to address impacts over the short, medium and long term. The resilience of the agriculture sector will be increased to ensure food security and sustainable food production. Strategies will be implemented to reduce the dependency on food imports, including promoting the use of proper irrigation methods and fertilization techniques; extending the period of vegetable and fruit production; promoting the production of novel and healthy food crops; strengthening of farmer organizations; improving research and farmer training; cultivating crops suitable for import substitution; creating opportunities for employment and crop diversification; reducing carbon footprint; improving storage capacity for agricultural produce to increase resilience in times of disasters; improving processing facilities for improved products which can be stored for off-season consumption; and maintaining a Food Security Fund to sustain the implementation of adaptation measures.
Climate adaptation will be integrated into the fisheries sector. The resilience of the sector will be increased by facilitating the undertaking of ongoing multi-­disciplinary assessment of coastal and marine ecosystems, to ensure that needs of marine life are understood and taken into account for fisheries and coastal zone management. Fisheries governance will be strengthened at national and regional levels to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and to strengthen the coordination with key sectors affecting or affected by fisheries, such as effluent of terrestrial pollutants affecting marine ecosystems, and threat to human health and coastal activities from marine pathogens and toxins. The capacities of artisanal fishermen will be enhanced to fish outside the lagoon, so as to preserve fragile lagoon ecosystems, and to take part in semi-industrial fishing activities. Alternative fishery and resource use activities will be promoted where impacts on ecosystems and natural resources preclude the continuation of traditional activities. Appropriate infrastructure will be developed to establish early warning systems.
Appropriate approaches will be used to ensure adaptation in the tourism sector. Measures will be taken to incorporate tourism development with natural resources management such as Integrated Coastal Zone Management to preserve ecosystem services. The coordination and collaboration between the stakeholders in the tourism sector will be strengthened to develop a strategic plan that incorporates climate change considerations and appropriate measures such as water conservation programmes as well as general safety and sustainability concerns.