The earth’s climate is changing at a rate unprecedented in recent human history and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The impacts and risks associated with this are global, geographically diverse and increasingly being felt across a range of systems and sectors essential for human livelihoods and well-being. The more severe and far-reaching the impacts of climate change are, the greater the loss of species will be, and the greater the deterioration of drylands and the risk of desertification and land degradation around the world will be. These impacts not only threaten global efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and sustainable development, but for many vulnerable communities, especially the least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS), these impacts threaten their very survival.
The Rio Conventions – the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC ) – address the need for adaptation to climate change through their activities. The secretariats of the Rio Conventions seek to enhance coordination and synergy, including on adaptation, through the Joint Liaison Group (JLG).