71 / 96
71
The following paragraphs identify Andean countries’
formal and informal institutions that are relevant for
climate change adaptation. The formal institutions
are explicitly integrated in relevant policy processes
through the national instrument for climate change
adaptation. The informal institutions are those
participating in the process but without holding
a formal policy responsibility. Moreover, involved
institutions are characterized as either public,
international or civil society organizations.
Bolivia
Law 300 and the Patriotic Agenda constitute the
framework for adaptation measures in Bolivia. The
Plurinational Mother Earth Authority (APMT) and
the Ministry of Environment and Water are the
authorities responsible for climate change adaptation.
However, actions to address climate change are
of a multisectoral scale and implemented by the
respective sectoral institutions. As of today, there is
no national strategy or policy on climate change or
climate change adaptation. Civil society participation
in elaborating climate change adaptation policy
approaches appears to have declined in recent years.
In 2009, the Platform for Social Organizations for
Climate Change was formally created, to include
an alliance of 180 social movements, national and
international NGOs and other civic organizations.
The objective of this Platform was to represent the
needs of the groups most vulnerable to climate
change. However, this Platform shows no evidence of
recent activity.
Institutional and stakeholder analysis
Colombia
Colombia has an intersectoral policy approach
to climate change adaptation involving a variety
of institutions. The responsibility rests on the
competent respective sector agencies and the
regional and local authorities rather than on the
National Development Plan (NDP), which lays out
SISCLIMA, the instrument for coordinating public
offices for adaptation action. One implication of this
decentralized approach is that SISCLIMA funds and
proposes programmes on agriculture adaptation,
whereas the competent ministry (in this case the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
– MADR) is responsible for its implementation.
Nonetheless, SISCLIMA involves not only public
bodies but also civil society institutions such as
universities, indigenous communities’ representative
institutions, research centres, as well as companies.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) considers SISCLIMA a
strong policy framework for climate resilience
actions, with its ambitious design and wide
institutional network and linkages. It is equipped
with a coordination mechanism and each involved
office and unit has a specific role. For instance,
the Intersectoral Commission on Climate Change
(COMICC) manages SISCLIMA. It is also in charge
of proposing strategic action to the Financial
Committee. COMICC is assisted on sectoral
issues by consultative boards, two of which are
permanent: scientific- technical and technical-
political. The Financial Committee funds the other
committees’ activities, using advice received from
the COMICC. Other committees, such as sectoral,
territorial, international affairs, information and
climate change cross-cutting research, also have
working groups for designing cooperation, research
and evidence collection.
Colombia’s Climate Change Regional Nodes (NRCC)
support the design of territorial plans, which
envisage the participation of relevant stakeholders
(Departamento Nacional de Planeamiento, 2010).
The greatest challenge facing the successful
implementation of Colombia’s adaptation policy
is the lack of capacity to control and monitor the
effectiveness of measures carried out to address
climate change. In addition, having several
institutions responsible for sectoral actions does not
guarantee that capacities are at the same level.
Ecuador
Ecuador has also adopted an intersectoral approach
to climate change adaptation. This approach allows
for the participation of different public, private and
civil society actors through coordination networks
established between the responsible ministries and
autonomous decentralized governments (GADs).
These GADs are multi-level: region, province,
canton and parochial. The CICC is responsible for
intersectoral coordination. Moreover, this network
includes ministries and GADs for the design and
implementation of policies.