Notification 2006-017

Dear Madam/Sir, At its seventh meeting in 2004, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity requested the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA), as the next stage of its work on the interlinkages between biodiversity and climate change, to develop advice or guidance for promoting synergy among activities to address climate change at national, regional and international levels, where appropriate, including activities to combat desertification and land degradation, and activities for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Pursuant to the above request, and at its tenth meeting held in February 2005, SBSTTA further recognized the need to assess the integration of biodiversity considerations into adaptation activities as measures to achieve progress in achieving the 2010 biodiversity target. Some of these measures are aimed at maintaining and enhancing the resilience of the components of biodiversity to adapt to climate change, as contained in annex II to decision VII/30 on the Strategic Plan of the Convention. To this end, SBSTTA established an Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) on Biodiversity and Adaptation to Climate Change in order to (i) undertake a supplementary assessment of the integration of biodiversity considerations in the implementation of climate change adaptation activities at the local, subnational, national, subregional, regional, and international levels, drawing on case studies and seeking also to identify and avoid duplication in activities between the Rio conventions; and (ii) to prepare advice or guidance under the thematic areas of the Convention, for use at local, national, regional and international levels, as appropriate, for planning and/or implementing activities to address adaptation to climate change and that link climate change to biodiversity conservation, sustainable use, land degradation and desertification, including relevant tools and technologies, and taking into account the traditional knowledge, innovations, and practices of indigenous and local communities. The AHTEG met in Helsinki from 13 to 16 September 2005 with financial support from the Government of Finland. The full report of the meeting is contained in document UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/10/INF/5. In November 2005, at its eleventh meeting, SBSTTA requested the AHTEG report be further developed, drawing on more case studies relevant to the thematic areas of the Convention and additional information derived from the work of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (SBSTTA recommendation XI/14). The draft report, Further Assessment and Advice on the Integration of Biodiversity Considerations in the Implementation of Adaptation Activities to Climate Change, is open for comments, in the English language only. The purpose of the review is to assess the quality of the information and to obtain comments aimed at improving its relevance and accuracy. The report and the instructions for review are available for your review and comments on the following restricted CBD website: https://www.biodiv.org/doc/restricted/climate To access the website, you will need to enter the username XXXXX and the password XXXXX. The review should be sent by email to: climate@biodiv.org I would appreciate receiving your input at your earliest convenience, but no later than 17 April 2006. Should you have difficulties accessing or downloading from this restricted website, please contact Ms. Jacqueline Grekin at jacqueline.grekin@biodiv.org (please do not send review comments to this address).

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points, UNFCCC National Focal Points and UNCCD National Focal Points