Transcript Strategies for Increasing Human Resilience in Sudan

SBSTA_20: In-session Adaptation Workshop
Session 4. Solutions and opportunities: exchange of
practical experiences
Presentation Title: Strategies for Increasing Human
Resilience in Sudan: Lessons for Climate Change Adaptation
In the Sahelian Africa
By: Nagmeldin Elhassan
on behalf of AF14 project _SUDAN
Overview
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Rationale and Motivations
Sudan AF14 Project:
• Overview
• Project Goal
• Major objectives
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Methodology:
• Research Goal
• Research Approach
• Research Scope
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Bara case study:
• Overview
• What happened?
• Results?
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Conclusions
Rationale and Motivations
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Urgent adaptation needs of most vulnerable groups
 Increase current coping capacity through adaptation
 Existence of local coping strategies and lessons from
other disciplines (e.g., sustainable livelihoods,
disaster mitigation, natural resource management);
potential for integration
 Developing Countries in need of SD-consistent
adaptation strategies
 Many no-regrets options and co-benefits exist
 But, disconnect between community needs and
policy process
Sudan AF14: Overview
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Sudan AF14 project: Strategies for Increasing Human
Resilience in Sudan: Lessons for Climate Change Adaptation in
the Sahelian Africa
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One of the 24 regional studies of AIACC: Global
Assessment of Impacts and Adaptation to Climate Change in
multiple regions and sectors
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AIACC sponsor by GEF, with collateral funding from
USAID,CIDA, US EPA and the WB. And implemented by
UNEP and executed by START and TWAS
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Partners: Higher Council for Environment and Natural
Resources (HCENR) in Sudan and Stockholm
Environment Institute Boston Center (SEI-Boston)
Sudan AF14: Project Goal
To support the process
of climate change
adaptation to effectively
respond to the needs of
vulnerable communities
Villagers from drought-affected area of Northern Sudan (USAID)
by documenting cases of effective communitybased adaptive capacity (AC) building and
sharing lessons on why these cases were
effective and how to support similar activity.
Sudan AF14: Major Objectives
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Strengthen capacity of national actors in Sudan (and
surrounding countries) to respond to climate change
 Provide decision makers with most current
information on SL/NRM strategies that can increase
the AC of vulnerable communities.
 Share lessons for promoting climate change
adaptation with the research, planning, policymaking, communities etc.
 Enhance and expand regional collaboration in the
areas of EM, disaster mitigation and climate change
adaptation
Methodology: Research Goals
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Measure impact of successful SL projects
(change in AC pre- and post-project)
 Identify policies, institutions and processes
that support or inhibit SL activities (enabling
factors at different scales)
 Generate guidance for using the SL
framework as an adaptation assessment tool
 Generate lessons for pro-poor adaptation
policy, planning and implementation
Methodology: Research Approach
 Climate variability and extremes as climate
change proxy
 Sustainable livelihoods framework and
assessment tools
 “Successful” AC-building experiences
 Targeted participation
 Indicators
 Policy Process analysis of micro-macro linkages
Methodology: Research Scope
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3 or 4 case studies of successful SL projects
in drought-prone communities
 2 major elements per case study:
 Project impact assessment (fieldwork): Has the
project succeeded in building community adaptive
capacity? In what ways? To what effect?
 Policy/institutional analysis: What enabling factors
account for project success? What policies,
conditions, etc. (micro, meso, macro-scale) are
behind successful experiences? How can these be
built upon/encouraged?
Bara case study: Overview
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Context: Villages in the drought-prone Bara
Province, Western Sudan
Approach: Community-Based Rangeland
Rehabilitation
Two main development objectives:
– Create locally sustainable NRM system to rehabilitate
overexploited lands.
– Reduce the risk of production failure by increasing the
number of livelihood alternatives… leading to greater
local stability
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Key Actors: Villages within Gireigikh rural council,
pilot project staff, UNDP/GEF
Bara case study: What happened?
A group of villages undertook a package of SL measures.
These included:
 Institution Building
 Training and capacity building
 Rangeland Rehabilitation
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Replanting
Stabilization of sand dunes
Creation of windbreaks
Livestock restocking and management
Community Development
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Water development
Rural energy management
Introduction of revolving credit
Drought contingency planning
Results: Natural Resources (natural capital)
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Rangeland improved in area, and the grazing
allotment system introduced by the project improved
the quality and diversity of rangeland, and hence its
forage production (carrying capacity)
Livestock improved in number and productivity
particularly the sheep which is most adapted to the
type of rangeland in the area
Land use system become more adapted, more land
allocated as grazing allotments at the expense of
marginal land cultivation
Access by marginal groups improved particularly to
grazing allotments
Results: Financial Resources (financial capital)
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Access to credits (revolving funds and local banking
system) improved
 More diversity of income sources (livestock, women
gardens, poultry, small industries etc)
 Access to market very much improved, local market
linked to national and regional markets (favored by
supportive policy)
 Average income improved in level and stability
 More information become available and people
learned how to use information for marketing and
planning purposes
Results: Infrastructure (Physical capital)
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Water infrastructure improved, water harvesting
systems and water pumps more water made
available for household and irrigation purposes
Food storage improved in capacity and quality
(grains stores, grains mills)
Mud building instead of using natural vegetation
Improved stoves introduced and adopted
Women gardens, Grazing allotments, veterinary
pharmacy etc
Results: Human Resources (human and social capitals)
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Number of trained skilled people increased in
areas of planning, NRM, veterinary, human health
service, pumps and mills maintenance etc (high
level of awareness).
 Education, human health and veterinary services
improved
 Food production and quality improved (women
gardens)
 Efficient Local institutions well recognized and able
to mobilize community and to carry on
interventions (natural resources, drought, revolving
funds, coordination and other committees)
 Marginal groups are well represented in
committees and participating in decision making
 Traditional leaders support the committees
Results: Sustainability and Risks concerns
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Number of migrating tribes attracted by the
resources in the project area, they come along with
their animals
lack of clear land use and land tenure policies, lack
of rangeland legislation and lack of proper
coordination between the people and the rangeland
administration .
Committees lack adequate financial and logistical
resources which affect their performance
Need for political recognition and support
Migration of trained people to work in towns and
irrigated schemes
Conclusions
 Adaptations to current climate risks are generally
consistent with adapting to future climate change
 Immediate actions on AC building and enhancement
of current coping capacity are necessary to reduce
vulnerability to current climate-related risks and
climate change.
 Adaptive capacity (AC) can improve where people
have better access to resource, market, technology,
information, social service, high level of awareness,
skills, security , strong institutions and effective
organizations
 National policy processes and SD planning need to
integrate AC building and adaptation strategies at the
community level
Conclusions
 Adaptation concept and practice will evolve overtime
when more information on practical experience
become available (but we need to start learning by
doing now)
 Effective mechanisms for information exchange and
sharing of experiences are highly needed to advance
knowledge and actions on adaptation
 Need to identify and share lessons from successful
community-based AC-building experience – both
autonomous and project-based (AF-14 project goal).
 Need to understanding the processes , priorities and
dynamics of local communities before formulating
practical adaptation strategies
Thank You