Transcript Project Background - LDC Group at UN climate change negotiations

Background to the Climate
Adaptation for Rural livelihoods and
Agriculture (CARLA) Project
Background information
• Malawi, like many Southern African countries, is
experiencing increasing climate change and variability,
which results into poor crop yields and/or even total
crop failure due to drought and floods.
• Being an agro-based economy with more than 80% of
the population relying on rain-fed agriculture for their
livelihood and survival, the level of vulnerability has
been increasing with the increasing extremes of
drought, flooding and erratic rainfall patterns.
• There is therefore need for intervention programmes
to help the communities cope and adapt to the
impacts of climate change.
• Malawi Government will be implementing the Climate
Adaptation for Rural Livelihoods and Agriculture
(CARLA) project which responds to this need.
Climate change and climate change
adaptation
• Climate change is the change in the average statistical
properties of the climate system when considered over
long periods of time (at least 30 years) attributed
directly or indirectly to human activity; that alters the
composition of the global atmosphere, which affects
the feedback mechanisms in the climate system
thereby increasing uncertainties for societies that
depend on the climate system for survival.
• Climate change adaptation refers to all activities that
people, individually or in groups such as households,
communities, and any other organized structure carry
out to become suited over generations to survive in a
situation of climate change impacts.
Selected Key National Initiatives on
Climate Change Adaptation
• Malawi ratified the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1994 to show commitment
in joining the global community to address climate change
challenges.
• Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment Studies (V& A)
were conducted between 1997 and 2002.
• Malawi’s Initial National Communication was completed in
December 2003, which gave an analysis on how far Malawi
implemented the convention including adaptation. In 2011,
the Second National communication was completed, and it
provides an analysis of how far the country has
implemented the obligations under the UNFCCC
• In 2006, the National Adaptation Programmes of Action
(NAPA) was published as a planning tool for addressing
urgent and immediate adaptation needs at national level.
Selected Key National Initiatives on
climate change Adaptation continued
• In 2009, climate change was elevated into top nine
government priorities, and an addendum to the MGDS
on CC was developed
• The Green Belt Initiative - Government has embarked
on this Initiative to utilize water from lakes and
perennial rivers to enhance the country’s production of
a variety of crops, livestock and fisheries
• In April 2012, Malawi Government established the
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to
enhance coordination of CC
• Malawi Government is implementing a number of,
including development of a Policy on Climate Change,
National Climate Change Investment Plan and
Sustainable land management
Priority areas of the NAPA
• Through wide stakeholder consultation, the
NAPA identified five core adaptation concepts
in order of priority as follows;
1. Improving community resilience to climate
change through the development of sustainable
rural livelihoods;
2. Restoring forests in the Upper, Middle and Lower
Shire Valley catchments to reduce siltation and
the associated water flow problems;
3. Improving agricultural production under erratic
rains and changing climatic conditions;
Priority areas of the NAPA continued
4. Improving Malawi’s preparedness to cope
with droughts and floods; and
5. Improving climate monitoring to enhance
Malawi’s early warning capability and decision
making for sustainable utilization of Lake Malawi
and lakeshore areas resources
CARLA and its linkage to NAPA and
SCPMP
• The CARLA project is addressing NAPA priorities 1
and 3
• It is the first targeted project to implement the
NAPA, which identified six districts of Karonga,
Salima, Dedza, Zomba, Chikhwawa and Nsanje as
the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate
change
• The CARLA also builds on initiatives which have
been undertaken by SCPMP in the selected
impact areas, on increasing adaptive capacities to
the impacts of climate change
Project preparation process
• After the NAPA was launched in 2008, Malawi
government through Environmental Affairs
Department prepared a Project Identification
Form to the Global Environment Facility.
• After it had passed criteria, Consultants
(MARBEK from Canada and Bunda College)
were hired to develop a full CARLA project in
2010.
• A vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment
was conducted including a baseline survey.
Project preparation process continued
• Over 600 questionnaires were administered in
9 districts including 7 focus group discussions
and consultations with key informants
• Baseline results were analyzed, and validation
workshops were conducted in the 6 NAPA
districts.
• Based on the results and district validation
exercises, the TAs were identified
Project Preparation process continued
• Within the selected communities, candidate
communities were identified by district
technical personnel using an agreed criteria
(next slide)
• CARLA and district teams reviewed, visited,
and
consulted
with
the candidate
communities
• Based on these inputs the consulting team
selected recommended communities, which
were confirmed by ADCs and District Councils
Selection criteria of Candidate
community
• NB: The elements of the selection criteria are not in order of
priority:
• The communities nominated should be vulnerable communities
exposed to climate risks, particularly flooding and drought, and
should have:
a. The capacity to implement project activities
b. The interest and willingness to participate in the project
c. Strong local leadership /local champions (social capital)
d. The potential for information sharing and transfer of approach and
technologies to adjacent communities
e. Practicality of location, ease of accessibility
f. An environment representative of the district
g. Other projects present with which to develop synergies (not
essential, but an advantage)
h. SCPMP activities nearby (not essential, but an advantage).
Project preparation
• Based on district validation exercises and
confirmation of results and communities, a full
project design document was prepared and
submitted to the Global Environment Facility for
Consideration.
• National consultations and workshops were also
conducted which fed into the Project Document
• GEF approved the project in October 2010
• In June 2011, the AfDB approved the CARLA
project for Malawi.
Inception of the CARLA
• The CARLA became officially effective on 12
April 2012.
• It was launched on 16th May 2012, and it runs
up to June 2015
Thank you