This presentation by Sabine McCallum, Matthias Jurek, and Ansgar Fellendorf was delivered during the Adaptation at Altitude Regional Meeting: Taking Action Together for Resilient Mountain Communities in the South Caucasus, held on 14th December 2021. Details of the event and its outcomes can be found here:

1. Adaptation at Altitude Programme in
the South Caucasus
Regional consultation meeting
14-12-2021 online
Sabine McCallum, Matthias Jurek, Ansgar Fellendorf
© Sustainable Caucasus
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2. Adaptation At Altitude Programme (A@A) - Regions 2

3. Taking Action in the Mountains shall increase the resilience and adaptive capacity of
mountain communities and ecosystems to climate change by:
– Improving knowledge and fostering exchange on appropriate short- and long-term
solutions for climate change adaptation
– Transferring that knowledge through science–policy platforms to inform decision-making
in national, regional and global policy processes
A@A – Overall Objective 3

4. 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)
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5. • 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 Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Georgia
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Activities in the South Caucasus to date 5
All ©Sustainable Caucasus

6. A@A – Identifying solutions with upscaling potential
Gathering and identifying practical adaptation solutions
in the South Caucasus (SC)
Key dimensions to qualify for a
mountain adaptation solution
in SC
❑ Relevant
❑ Practical and feasible
❑ Direct benefits and co-benefits
❑ Flexible and robust
❑ Replicable and/or scalable
❑ Legitimate and coherent
Solutions gathered
✓ Broad scoping on mountain adaptation
solutions with a total of 39 solutions in
SC, offering various sectors, differing
levels of implementation and a range of
executing entities and donors
✓ Selection of 9 SC solutions to be further
investigated with a view on thematic
balance, coverage and types of funding
➢ Publication of approaches in a booklet
"Mountains ADAPT Solutions from the
South Caucasus" (Mar 2022)
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7. A@A – Reflections on identified solutions
Erosion control. Ehen village @ Sustainable Caucasus
All solutions are context and site specific, but
• they share certain enabling factors for successful implementation, i.e. local community
support, economic and other co-benefits as well as incorporating traditional knowledge and
socio-economic practices
• climate change is most often “only” an additional trigger for adaptation action
• size and coverage of solutions implemented largely depend on availability of and access to
financing mechanisms (with international donors providing largest contributions)
• types of solutions not only refer to specific climate risks but rather to the broader context
(e.g., geopolitical, socio-economic) in which they are embedded
• only few solutions represent direct implementation of national adaptation plans and
strategies
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8. Together with implementing partner Sustainable Caucasus engage with
national and regional networks and stakeholders for science-policy
dialogue towards incorporating mountain-specific adaptation at regional
and national levels
• Foster dialogue and support science-policy interface
• Closely interact with the “Scientific Network for the Caucasus
Mountain Region” (SNC-mt) and contribute to Caucasus Mountain
Forum
• Assist inclusion of mountain-specific adaptation in relevant
policy frameworks, especially in advancing National Adaptation Plans
and Readiness processes
• Connect mountain regions for inter-regional action learning towards
inspiring each other and supporting a better understanding of
challenges and solutions for regional mountain governance
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Activities in the South Caucasus to date (continued) 8

9. International
Mountain Day
11 December
2021
Send out Save-
The-Date letters
to
invitees
January
2022
Meeting of the
Alpine Climate
Board
26 January
2022
Regional
meetings
Q1/ Q2 2022
90min Virtual
Briefing and
interregional
Networking for
workshop
participants
April (tbc) 2022
3rd Caucasus
Mountain Forum
19-21 April
2022
UNFCCC COP27
Interregional
Event
60 min virtual
launch of VM-
GEM and Teaser
interregional
workshop
Q1 2022
Interregional Workshop
“Mountains Connect” in
Vienna, Austria
Back-to-Back with ACB
and Carpathian
Convention WG on CC
Mid- June
2022 (20-22 tbc)
Draft Interregional Exchange Milestones

10. Thank you!
© Orkhan Farmanli/unsplash
sabine.mccallum@un.org
matthias.jurek@un.org
ansgar.fellendorf@un.org www.unep.org