Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Programme of Action for the Palestinian Authority

This Palestinian Adaptation Programme of Action (PAPA) is nationwide sectoral document aiming to identify the most effective means by which the Palestinian Authority can enhance the capacity to cope with current and future climate hazards by (i) summarizing the findings of the Vulnerability Assessment and Future Climate Risks Assessment in the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for the occupied Palestinian territory; (ii) setting out the consultation process by which the Palestinian Adaptation Strategy and Programme of Action were developed; (iii) identifying key adaptation needs for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt); (iv) identifying priority adaptation measures for the oPt; and (v) providing recommendations for the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation in the oPt. The Program follows the recommendations of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
To achieve the overall goal, the PAPA proposes proactive actions to reduce the severity of climate change impacts. Building on the vulnerability assessment of the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, these adaptation measures cover options for the Palestinian water sector and agricultural land use. Priority is given to ‘no regrets’ (low cost) and ‘low regrets’ (medium cost) measures which combine high adaptive capacity and high technical feasibility. There are also high cost adaptation measures identified with high adaptive capacity and technical feasibility, but these would need a large amount of funds. Furthermore, each proposed adaptation measure is classified by (i) category, in technical (T), managerial (M), or infrastructural (I); (ii) scale, if implemented a regional/local rural level (R), national sector level (N) or in urban areas (U); (iii) adaptive capacity, indicated as low (L), moderate (M) or high (H); (iv) technical feasibility, scored low (L), moderate (M) or high (H); and (v) economic cost, divided in low (L), moderate (M) or high (H).
To help eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, the interventions will focus on (i) increasing farming conditions; (ii) reduction of water stress for a greater development of agriculture; and (iii) selecting crops and ruminants tolerant to high temperatures and drought.
In order to make agriculture and forestry more productive and sustainable, proposed measures are (i) switching to drought-resistant crops and ruminants, also introducing drought-resilient varieties of indigenous crops; (ii) increasing water use efficiency setting clear water use priorities; (iii) increased irrigation of main crops, focusing on highest value crops; (iv) invest in efficient irrigation equipment (e.g. trickle irrigation); (v) improving field drainage and soil absorption capacity; (vi) use of treated wastewater for agriculture prohibiting the use of untreated wastewater; (vii) desalination of brackish water and development of new wells; (viii) change in cropping and grazing patterns for productivity gains; and (ix) increasing afforestation with native species to improve water retention and quality.
Rural poverty will be faced through a livelihood diversification to increase incomes and improve access and movement in rural areas, together with an improvement of agriculture production, since farming is the main source of livelihoods of rural communities.
To increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, this PAPA envisages (i) a contingency plan development; (ii) an enhanced flood plain management; (iii) an increased local-level rainfall interception (e.g. green lands and afforestation); (iv) an increased drainage and storm runoff capacity; (v) an increased adaptation to risk of floods, risk of drought and water scarcity, irrigation requirements, and risks to public health from reduced drinking water quality; (vi) the integration of climate risks in water quality planning; and (vii) land use changes to improve water balance (e.g. reforestation).
As for the Governance, the adoption of this Palestinian Adaptation Programme of Action by the Palestinian Authority requires a monitoring and evaluation plan for implementing the relevant elements. The adaptation actions provided for in this document – the adaptation measures together with the mainstream of climate change adaptation in national institutions – are complementary and should be pursued simultaneously. Monitoring is required to oversee these twin adaptation tracks, and provide routine information on the progress of their various components according to targets agreed by stakeholders. In the end, an evaluation process serves to determine the effectiveness, efficiency, and fairness of climate change adaptation activities.