Enabling Botswana to Fulfill its Commitments to UNFCCC

This project will provide technical assistance and support development of in-country capacity to prepare the first national communication to the Conference of the Parties in accordance with Article 12 of UNFCCC and to enhance indigenous capacity to fulfil Botswana's commitments to the Convention on a continuous basis. The UNDP/GEF project will assist Botswana's agencies, institutions, and organizations in carrying out work to meet these obligations and thereby enhance Botswana's capacity to address climate change issues, both adaptively and proactively. The project will provide support to public, parastatal and private institutions that are able to carry out relevant research and monitoring activities and to enable them to identify, develop and obtain technical and financial support for suitable research and observation projects. Capacity building will be accomplished in part through expert seminars and workshops, study tours, expanded access to climate change information and expertise internationally, and through adaptation and application of computer models to support assessment of potential regional climate changes and impacts, and to develop appropriate adaptation strategies. The project will also support professional and policy dialog with other countries, particularly in Africa, also working under UNDP/GEF enabling support in the climate change arena.