Climate Change Expedited Financing for (interim) Measures for Capacity Building in Priority Areas (Phase II)

United Nations Environment Programme PRIVATE  
	Global Environment Facility
	Project Document for additional financing proposal  
Country: 				Mauritania 
Project No:			
Project title:	Expedited financing for (interim) measures for capacity building in priority areas (Phase II)
GEF Focal Area:			Climate Change
Country Eligibility:	[x] Eligible under the Financial mechanism of the UNFCCC
	[x] Eligible under paragraph nine (b) of the Instrument
Date of Ratification:		
GEF Financing (Phase I):		US$ 350,000
GEF Additional financing (Phase II):	US$ 100,000
Total Costs:				US$ 450,000
GEF Implementing Agency:	UNEP
Executing Agency:	Direction de l’environnement et de l’ amenagement rural (DEAR), Ministere du Developpement Rural et de l’Environnement
Collaborating Agency:	Direction des TIC / Secrétariat d’Etat aux Technologies Nouvelles                                     	
Date of Submission of the Initial
National communication:		January 2002 
Estimated start date:		September 2002
Duration:				12 months
Brief description of project:
This project is a follow-up to the Initial National Communication, which has been finalised and submitted to the UNFCCC. Mauritania prepared its initial national communications in parallel to building its national capacity through several training workshops using the technical expertise of ENDA-Tiers Monde in neighboring Senegal. This project is intended to help Mauritania retain its capacity and strengthen enabling activities undertaken during the preparation of the Initial National Communication project. It will only be appropriate that Mauritania now utilises its assessment to identify technological needs in the area of climate change. This project will be coordinated by DEAR that prepared the national communication to the UNFCCC.
A - Overview of the main activities achieved during the preparation of the 
Initial National Communication
Institutional arrangements
Establishment of a National Climate Change Committee composed with the following institutions: Ministry of Rural Development and Environment (DEA, Agrhymet), Ministry of Water and Energy (DE), Ministry of Interior (DATAR), Ministry Equipment and Transport (ASECNA), Ministry of Fishery (DMM), University of Nouakchott, and NGOs. DEAR heads this Committee
An initial workshop was held in 1998 with the help of UNEP and ENDA since it was the first GEF project on climate change. This was a two days workshop attended by 30 participants representing relevant sectors (governmental, non-governmental, academic and private sector). Information related to the science of climate change and the importance of the Initial National Communication was provided to the participants.                                                            
Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory
The Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory was conducted by a group of 10 national experts assisted by University of Nouakchott. Started in September 1998, the GHG first draft was released in September 1999 for external review.
This was followed by the first national GHG inventory workshop, firstly, to obtain feedback from national specialists working in the sectors of energy, transportation, industry, forestry, agriculture and solid waste management and secondly to identify data gaps and uncertainties.
GHG results were then reviewed by Enda Tiers-Monde (a Francophone centre of excellence in the climate change subject) and after revision a final national GHG inventory workshop was held to present the final results. GHG final report was finalized in September 2000.
Greenhouse Gas Abatement Analysis
A Greenhouse Gas analysis of potential options to abate the increase in GHG emissions and enhance the sinks was conducted by a group of 10 national experts.The study started in October 2000 and the first draft national action plan to abate increases in GHG released in March 2000 following by a GHG Abatement analysis workshop. This study considered policy issues and mitigation scenarios (short and long term).
The study was reviewed by a team of two qualified experts from ENDA-Tiers Monde and the study completed in August 2001 following its presentation at the national GHG Mitigation workshop. Several policymakers participated at this workshop providing a forum to exchange views between the researchers and the decision-makers.
Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment 
An assessment of potential impacts of climate change in Mauritania and analysis of potential options to adapt to the impacts of climate change, was conducted by two groups of national experts. Started in July 1999, the first draft was released in November 2000.
A workshop was organized to present the first V & A draft and obtain feedback from specialists working in the sector of water resources, Agriculture, forestry. Climate Change impacts regarding agricultural productivity and water resources management were highly considered among others.
Policy for implementing adaptation measures and responses strategies in the context of agriculture, water resources management, coastal zone management were discussed in a second workshop with several policymakers with a view to integrate climate change impact information into national planning process. V & A final report was released in April 2001.
Initial National Communication
The following activities were conducted before completion of Mauritania’s First National Communication:
Based on GHG Inventory and Abatement study and also the Vulnerability and Adaptation study the draft initial National Communication was prepared and circulated in the country to obtain feedback.
A workshop was organized in July 2001 with several national experts to discuss the draft initial national communications.
Afterwards, the draft initial national communication was finalized and presented at a national conference on 14 September 2001. 
The final document was endorsed by the Government and submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat on 28 December 2001.
Capacity building activities leading to the preparation of the national communication
A national team has been trained to conduct inventory and assessments of options and measures for reducing GHG emissions in the energy and non-energy sectors.
Members of this national team received training in GHG inventory and GHG abatement analysis provided by UNEP, the UNEP/UNDP National Communications Support Programme and by ENDA-Tiers Monde.
Members of V & A national team received also training in Vulnerability and Adaptation study provided also by UNEP and GEF/UNEP/UNDP National Communication Support Programme.
Technical assistance was also provided in Mauritania to Inventory and Abatement GHG team, by a regional expert from ENDA-Tiers Monde.
The UNEP/IVM Handbook on Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation and CC:TRAIN Climate Change material package were also very useful in building capacity for National Climate Change team.