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Starting from a summary of key developments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) related to adaptation and technologies, the commentary provides an initial review of the available literature relevant to adaptation in the context of technology development and transfer. It summarizes what technologies for adaptation are, how they relate to development, and what their role is in adaptation. It subsequently highlights a number of policy and research issues that could be important to inform future policy. The commentary has two key messages. First, it argues that informed policy decisions on technology development and transfer to enhance adaptation require systematic assessments of the findings in the theoretical and empirical literature. Second, in light of the potential for overlap between processes for adaptation and processes for technologies for adaptation, there is a need for coordination and exchange of information between the work under the Cancún Adaptation Framework and under the Technology Mechanism of the UNFCCC.
Policy relevance The international processes and mechanisms for enhancing adaptation and technologies for adaptation have been scaled up. New opportunities have been established and include National Adaptation Plans, Technology Needs Assessments and the Climate Technology Centre and Network. The increasing policy priority to adaptation and to the role of technology development and transfer in adaptation poses new challenges for policy and decision makers. By providing an overview of key findings in the literature that are of particular relevance for policy and decision making at national and subnational levels, this commentary begins to inform policy makers on central aspects for ensuring the appropriateness and effectiveness of decisions on technology development and transfer in the context of adaptation.
