Transcript Reducing vulnerability at the community level

Reducing Vulnerability at the
Community Level
Adaptation in Eastern and Southern Africa
Jo-Ellen Parry, Program Manager
[email protected]
Community-based Adaptation:
Context and Rationale
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The poor, especially those in developing countries, are
particularly vulnerable to climate change
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Adaptation is largely a local process:
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Influenced by ecological, social and economic factors
Emphasis on building “adaptive capacity” and reducing
vulnerability to climate change:
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Intimate link between adaptation and development
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Differentiated by the rationale and inputs for
interventions rather than the activities implemented
Integrating Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate
Change into Sustainable Development Policy Planning and
Implementation in Eastern and Southern Africa
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Project Management Team
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National implementation organizations in each of Kenya,
Mozambique and Rwanda
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Funders
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Project Duration: 2005 to 2009
Goals, Objectives, Outcomes
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Goal:
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Objective:
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To reduce the vulnerability of communities to the impacts of climate
change, thereby improving their well-being and protecting their
livelihoods
To promote the mainstreaming or integration of vulnerability and
adaptation to climate change into sustainable development plans and
planning processes through demonstration projects in Kenya,
Mozambique and Rwanda
Outcomes:
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Generate capacity to implement adaptation measures in the field
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Increase capacity to generate and use information about climate change
to affect change in relevant development policies
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Increase knowledge of the links between development planning and
climate change
Conceptual Framework
POLICY
DownScaling
UpScaling
FIELD
TESTING
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Selection of policy/policies to
influence
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Needs assessment with policy
makers
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Design of field test that
responses to identified needs
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Implementation of field level
activities
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Collection of lessons learned
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Identification of policy change
recommendations
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Actions in support of policy
change and mainstreaming
Kenya Pilot Project
Responding to Drought in Makueni District
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Challenge: Growing risk of drought in the arid and semiarid areas of Kenya and therefore of food insecurity
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Target Policy: draft national disaster management policy
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Field Level Interventions:
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Downscaling and communicating climate forecasts
Improving agronomic practices
Enhancing water conservation activities
Merry-go-round credit scheme
Outcomes to date:
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Increased agricultural output
Replication in other districts expected
Climate change in National Disaster Management Policy
Downscaling of seasonal climate forecasts now policy in
arid lands
Mozambique Pilot Project
Community-base Fire Management in Sofala Province
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Challenge: Growing risk of wild land fires
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Target Policy: District and provincial level forest and fire management
policies
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Field Level Interventions:
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Introduce community-based preventive measures for wild land fire management
Establish a provincial round table for the coordination of wild land fire
management
Acceptance of community-based fire management strategy by district decision
makers, creating a model for national policies
Outcomes to date:
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Training provided in fire suppression,
prevention, preparedness, fighting and
management
Provincial round table established to
coordinate the collection and sharing of
information
Rwanda Pilot Project
Reducing Vulnerability in the Hydroelectric Sector
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Challenge: Declining water levels in lakes that
support hydropower sector
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Target Policy: National energy policy
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Field Level Interventions:
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soil conservation measures
income diversification
improved water access
sustainable energy access
Outcomes to date:
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Established erosion control structures; tree
nurseries; beekeeping associations; rainwater
catchment tanks; improved cookstoves
Lessons Learned: Mainstreaming
adaptation into Development Policies
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Why?
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Leverage existing activities
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Greater long term impact
Possible Strategies:
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Early and active engagement of decision-makers and key
stakeholders
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Connect to current priorities and concerns
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Provide justification needed for decision-making
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Awareness of windows of opportunities
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Right messages to the right people in an appropriate format at the
appropriate time
Current Observations
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Key findings
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Need for enhanced access to climate data at the local level
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Importance of agriculture improvements for vulnerability
reduction
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Critical role of district governments
Challenges
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Climate change information
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Monitoring and evaluation
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Capacity variances