Argentina Prepares Updated Study on Climate Change

Buenos Aires, February 1st, 2011 – The Argentine Republic is preparing its Third National Communiqué on Climate Change, a study that will provide updated information regarding its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, allowing it to identify mitigation measures for the country. 

The initiative will benefit from a US$2.4 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and will be carried out with the collaboration of the World Bank as implementation agent.

“Argentina is particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change. Droughts and floods, glacial melting and environmental degradation are just some of the risks identified by the Second Communiqué. The project, which is to be approved today, is going to promote new tools to facilitate informed decision making on environmental issues,” maintained Marcelo Acerbi, project manager for the World Bank.

As part of the obligations assumed within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Argentine government is elaborating, updating, publishing and facilitating national inventories for all GHG emissions to the Conference of the Parties. In this way, the First National Communiqué on this issue was presented in 1997, later revised in 1999. By late 2006, the Second National Communiqué was presented, also with the support of the GEF, and through the World Bank.

The goals of the Third National Communiqué include three components:

• Strengthening the national potential for climate change mitigation: it contemplates updating the national GHG emission inventory for each emitting sector; the elaboration of tools and procedures for improving data collection and management; and the evaluation and elaboration of mitigation measures and policies. It will also support the execution of studies on mitigation potential in those sectors with the greatest carbon footprint.
• Strengthening the National Adaptation Agenda: the objective is to assess the impact of climate change and study the most vulnerable sectors and areas in Argentina. In the Second Communiqué, some of the most vulnerable areas included coastal areas, the Buenos Aires pampas region, water resources in the Littoral – Mesopotamia, Patagonia and southern La Pampa and Buenos Aires. It will also identify priority areas for adaptation and it will elaborate policies and measures that will allow it to attain adaptation in different economic sectors.
• Institutional Strengthening, Capacity Development and Information Management: the focus will be on strengthening institutional capacities at a national, provincial and municipal level; and to publish the results of this project in order to increase public awareness.

Contacts:

• In Washington: Stevan Jackson (202) 458-5054, sjackson@worldbank.org
• In Buenos Aires: Yanina Budkin (54 11) 4316-9724, ybudkin@worldbank.org