ABSTRACT

Climate change has compounding effects on development, including direct and indirect impacts on food systems and human health. In the Pacific Islands region, the incidence of non-communicable diseases is among the highest in the world. Additionally, in policy documents, climate change features prominently among the issues most responsible for hindering development in the Pacific. Global discussions are now shifting towards a greater understanding and emphasis on the links between climate change, food systems, nutrition, health, and development. While these links are increasingly appreciated in research and practice, there is a need to understand which types of policy frameworks are best suited to address these issues in an integrated manner. This study was conducted by analyzing policy alignment and coherence in national level strategic planning instruments (policies, plans, and strategies) for two countries in the Pacific Islands region: Fiji and Vanuatu. Documents in the policy domains of development, agriculture, nutrition, health, and climate change were assessed to identify evidence of vertical (national to local), horizontal (between sectors), and integration across different thematic policy approaches (e.g. between economic development sustainable development approaches). By deconstructing the aims of different planning approaches and documents, and by mapping the relationships among them, it is possible to identify opportunities and gaps in the policy architecture that could be addressed in future planning cycles. The study identifies that policy alignment and coherence need to be explicitly addressed in the policy and planning design stage and included in monitoring and evaluation frameworks. The study also highlights the lag in the design and implementation of comprehensive food and nutrition security strategies in both countries and these lags can be linked to policy solutions for agriculture, health, and climate change.

Key policy insights

• There is a need to explicitly consider policy alignment in the design stages of the policy cycle and set policy coherence as an explicit outcome to also be included in monitoring and evaluation frameworks.

• A lack of consideration of vertical, horizontal, and approach integration in planning and policy processes can lead to failures in the implementation of climate policy, thus delaying countries’ efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Pacific Island countries have an opportunity to work towards use of policy frameworks that are able to provide comprehensive responses to the compounding effects of climate change on food systems, diets, health, and, more broadly, on development.

摘要

气候变化对发展产生了复合影响，包括对粮食系统和人类健康的直接和间接影响。在太平洋岛屿地区，非传染性疾病的发病率居世界前列。此外，在政策文件中，气候变化是阻碍太平洋地区发展的最重要问题之一。全球讨论正在转向更多地理解和强调气候变化、粮食系统、营养、健康和发展之间的联系。虽然这些联系在研究和实践中越来越受到重视，但有必要了解哪些类型的政策框架最适合以综合方式解决这些问题。这项研究是通过分析太平洋岛屿地区两个国家斐济和瓦努阿图的国家层面战略规划工具（政策、计划和战略）的政策调整和连贯性进行的。评估了发展、农业、营养、健康和气候变化等政策领域的文件，以确定纵向（国家到地方）、横向（部门之间）和跨不同主题政策方法（例如经济发展和可持续发展之间）整合的证据方法）。通过解构不同规划方法和文件的目标，并通过映射它们之间的关系，可以确定政策架构中可以在未来规划周期中解决的机会和差距。该研究确定，政策一致性和连贯性需要在政策和规划设计阶段明确解决，并纳入监测和评估框架。该研究还强调了两国在设计和实施综合粮食和营养安全战略方面的滞后，这些滞后可能与农业、健康和气候变化的政策解决方案有关。

主要政策见解

• 有必要在政策周期的设计阶段明确考虑政策一致性，并将政策一致性作为明确的结果，也将纳入监测和评估框架。

• 在规划和政策过程中缺乏对纵向、横向和方法整合的考虑可能导致气候政策实施失败，从而延迟各国实现可持续发展目标 (SDG) 的努力。

• 太平洋岛国有机会努力利用能够全面应对气候变化对粮食系统、饮食、健康以及更广泛的发展产生的复合影响的政策框架。