Adaptation Decision-Making, Public Participation, and Fairness

This session has addressed four important questions underlying the public participation and promoting fairness. They include: How adaptation decisions are made? Are the typical processes by which adaptation is governed fair? Is participation and representation of vulnerable groups sufficient? Are rights to adaptation being respected and access to justice provided to all social groups?
The presentation by Frank Griffin from Papua New Guinea highlighted various processes that underlined in adaptation decision making at the national level. The issue of public participation was addressed through two-tier consultation process wherein technical consultations were conducted at the national level and these findings were taken to the local level consultations to contextualize and identify specific adaptation practices. The technical consultation also helped in ironing out the terminology that is being used by various stakeholders that led to proper communication among various stakeholders. In addition, the process has employed a robust process of climate change vulnerability assessment that has underlined the adaptation practices identified.
The presentation by Ms Muanpong Juntopas of SEI talked about the case study of Tachin river basin and highlighted the issue of multiplicity of plans, programs, institutions. The case study showed that the evidence based decision making is crucial for successful decision making. Community based processes have helped in solving the issues such as poor vertical integration, integration across boundaries, sectors and basins.
Dr Gurmit Singh of Centre for Environment, Malaysia noted that the adaptation decision making process in Malaysia is centralized and top down driven. He identified the issues posed by the federal structure, lack of public consultation, and transparency. He stressed that the adaptation is a rights issue.
Dr Atiq Rahman’s intervention concentrated on the fairness issue. He argued that the fairness issue is very much limited to the international negotiations and it has been neglected at the national level. He opined that good governance is pre-requisite for promoting fairness. However, he informed that the climate change has given new opportunity to discuss these issues and give greater emphasis in the decision making. He advised that promoting local knowledge in a community based adaptation framework and integrating/contextualizing the discussion into food security, energy security, water security, health security and education securities that communities care more.
Dr Marcus Moench of ISET, Nepal stressed greater access to resources is critical entry point for enabling greater participation in decision making since those with resources often happen to be the ones who makes decisions. He suggested that decentralization; access to information, shared learning and strengthening local governance will help promoting access to resources.