2008–09 in brief Dust storm rolls over Khartoum, Sudan Photo: Sokoine University of Agriculture
Climate Change Adaptation in Africa program year in review
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n 2008–09 the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) program entered its third year. Launched in 2006 by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), the CCAA program aims to improve the capacity of African countries to adapt to climate change in ways that benefit the most vulnerable. To this end, it supports three mutually reinforcing activity strands: research; communications and networking; and education and training. Africa is among the most natural resource dependent regions in the world and the most exposed to climate variability and change. CCAA supports African researchers whose work helps communities confront uncertainty. Our approach is to help them identify changes, pinpoint their greatest vulnerabilities, and plan adaptation strategies for a range of possible futures. CCAA applies action research to the field of adaptation — in itself a new and challenging endeavour. Participatory action research (PAR) brings representatives of vulnerable groups together with decision-makers and scientists in a shared process
of ‘learning by doing’. It weds scientific and local knowledge to test adaptation strategies that respond to needs identified by local people.
Programming directions for 2008–09 This year, we focused on consolidating our investments in research and capacity building; addressing research and capacity gaps; and engaging more widely with African and international audiences. `` We expanded our portfolio to address more areas of greatest vulnerability in Africa. We launched a call for new research on urban adaptation and approved two new projects that explore the links between water, health, and climate change. CAD 7.4 million (GBP 4.15 million) 1 was invested in research and capacity building with eight new projects funded in total, bringing the CCAA 1 GBP equivalents for monetary figures in this report are calculated using the Bank of Canada nominal currency exchange rate for 24 July 2009: CAD 1.78=GBP 1.00.
Climate Change Adaptation in Africa program 2008–09 year in review
Faces behind the ACCFP: Clark Seipt of START and Madaka Tumbo of IRA, University of Dar es Salaam Photo: START
portfolio to 38 2 projects as of 31 March 2009. Research sites are located in 29 African countries, while four capacity-building projects support networking, knowledge sharing, and training across the continent. `` Our training support continued, with 215 African researchers and other strategic partners acquiring skills and knowledge in PAR, proposal development, climate risk assessment, and social and gender analysis through workshops held in Algeria, Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, and Uganda. `` A new fund administered by by the West African NGO Innovations environnement développement (IED) Afrique will support local adaptation strategies, championed by organizations representing vulnerable groups.
`` Public events raised awareness of Africa’s vulnerability to climate change in Canada, Kenya, Poland, Senegal, and Tanzania. We supported African participation in 16 regional and international conferences on climate change adaptation involving researchers, journalists, and policymakers, and briefed West African and British parliamentarians on the CCAA program. `` To ensure effective monitoring of progress in strengthening adaptation, CCAA provided multiple layers of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) support to research partners. We also facilitated regional efforts to harmonize M&E of adaptive capacity among key African regional organizations and donors.
We launched a new fund - led by a West African NGO - to support local adaptation strategies `` A midterm review affirmed CCAA’s overall aim and attested to the early success of our capacitybuilding efforts, but also suggested strategic refinements to help us meet our stated objectives.
As of 31 March 2009, we support 38 projects with ongoing research in 29 countries
2 Eleven of these projects are grouped under two ‘umbrella’ funding allocations made by the program in 2007–08: Advancing Capacity to Support Climate Change Adaptation, which has five pilot projects; and Water, Health and Climate Change Adaptation in Africa, through which CCAA now supports six projects.
Keziya Magawa tends maize in a Tanzanian field school, part of research efforts led by IRA, University of Dar es Salaam Photo: IDRC / F. Nzema
CCAA and partners were highlighted in some 40 media reports in 2008–09 Research and capacity: What our partners are achieving CCAA research partners contribute towards our four outcome areas: 1. Research institutions are better able to assess climate-related vulnerabilities and to evaluate and develop adaptation options. 2. At-risk groups, policymakers, and researchers share learning and expertise on climate vulnerability and poverty. 3. The poor in rural and urban environments apply their experience of adaptation with the knowledge and technologies generated by research to implement improved and effective adaptation strategies. 4. Policy processes are informed by good quality science-based work on vulnerability and adaptation, and by the experiences of the rural and urban poor. Most CCAA-supported projects are in early to middle stages of progress, with only a few now entering their final year. Yet many show significant signs of progress: `` Partners’ work with communities is helping to pinpoint climate-related risks and vulnerabilities. `` Active exchange and shared learning on adaptation is taking place between researchers, at-risk groups, and policymakers. `` Under the African Climate Change Fellowship Program, 45 Fellows are building a core of expertise in climate change and adaptation. `` A project funded by CCAA is launching AfricaAdapt, a new continent-wide platform to support knowledge exchange on adaptation.
The City of Durban is exploring adaptation options to protect water for vulnerable slum dwellers Photo: Golder Associates
45 African Climate Change Fellows were selected and are building expertise on the continent Four knowledge-sharing officers were hired, trained, and integrated into host organizations in Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and the UK. `` Many project partners made effective use of mass media to raise the profile of their work with policymakers and to increase regional awareness of climate change and adaptation issues. CCAA and partners were highlighted in some 40 media reports in 2008–09. `` Farmers and other at-risk groups are testing a range of adaptation options, and partners are sharing examples of how linking science with traditional knowledge can improve seasonal forecasting. `` Officials at various levels of authority are directly involved in research activities, and a number of partners are contributing to National Adaptation Programmes of Action. Some policymakers are seeking access to research findings, and there are signs that findings are beginning to inform changes in policy and practice.
Reflections on CCAA experience to date Lessons from this year’s experience in supporting research, capacity building, and communications on climate change adaptation in Africa focus on: `` Coping with seasonal uncertainty in the agricultural sector `` Making PAR work for vulnerable communities `` Engaging African media on climate change and adaptation. Most of our earliest supported projects explore adaptation in the agricultural sector. To deal with seasonal uncertainty, they are testing robust strategies — such as crop diversification and soil fertility improvements — that will benefit farmers across a range of conditions. Some teams are exploring ways of improving access to climate information in languages and forms rural communities understand and trust, and complementing forecasts with decision aides updated over the season. A number of partners working with indigenous forecasters are finding that linking scientific and traditional knowledge can widen dissemination of forecasts, increase their use, and build community trust.
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Participatory action research is proving a powerful tool for involving people in shared learning on adaptation CCAA also shares lessons learned from its experience in supporting PAR. Our interactions with partners applying this relatively new approach have shown that it must be integrated into project planning, implementation, and monitoring. We are applying this learning to our new round of projects on urban adaptation. PAR is proving a powerful tool for involving community representatives, officials,
and other stakeholders in shared learning on adaptation. There are early signs that decision-makers find participation in the research process relevant to policy. Journalists can be valuable allies for increasing public understanding of climate change and for reaching the ears of policymakers. This year, CCAA consulted with African regional journalists in East and West Africa. Journalists share our interest in improving the quality and quantity of coverage on climate change and adaptation, but function with broad reporting duties and limited resources. They value the credible information researchers can provide and welcome access to adaptation research sites and events. Researchers need to build trust and share their stories in newsworthy ways by providing local angles on international events and issues.
Looking ahead With the addition of new projects resulting from our 2008 call for proposals on urban vulnerability and the launch of the Support Fund for Local Adaptation Strategies, CCAA’s research portfolio is approaching the thematic and regional diversity we originally envisioned. Research communication will take on increasing importance as projects begin to share results. The recently launched AfricaAdapt network can be expected to play an important role in linking African researchers within and outside of the continent, and in helping users access a growing pool of knowledge on adaptation. The CCAA program will convene learning- and policy-focused events to allow partners working in shared thematic areas to exchange and synthesize their knowledge. And in anticipation of the end of CCAA’s original 5-year mandate, we will continue our explorations of strategies for sustaining African leadership of adaptation research and capacity building.
Adaptation www.idrc.ca/ccaa