Kenya, Ghana, Mozambique, Niger: Adaptation Learning Programme for Africa – KEN905/KEN910
Context
Africa is considered to be extremely vulnerable to climate change both because of its high exposure to climate stresses, and as a result of low adaptive capacity. Climate variability and change represent a further risk for populations already affected by the burden of poverty, environmental degradation, inequitable land rights, heavy reliance on the natural resource base for livelihoods, and the HIV&AIDS epidemic. Community level research conducted by CARE in Africa indicates that climate change is already having significant impacts on food and income security, and that these impacts are particularly serious for women and other marginalized groups. The selected sites in the four ALP countries (Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, and Niger) are highly vulnerable to climate change due to a combination of high exposure to climate hazards including increasing prevalence of natural disasters (such as floods and storms in coastal Mozambique and severe droughts in Niger), heavy reliance on agriculture and/or pastoralism, high levels of poverty and low adaptive capacity. Applying the same approach to CBA in a diversity of contexts is expected to generate learning and models that can be scaled up and replicated across Africa and globally.
With the adoption of the Bali Action Plan at the 13th Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the UNFCCC, adaptation has been recognized as a fundamental building block of the global response to climate change. However, concrete action on adaptation has been slow to mobilize. Community-based adaptation (CBA) is increasingly recognized as part of an efficient, sustainable and effective response to climate change, however there are limited tools and methodologies to move CBA forward. There is widespread agreement on the need to protect the livelihoods of the most vulnerable, but little knowledge of how best to do this. Poverty and marginalization are key determinants of vulnerability to climate change, however the voices of the poor and marginalized are rarely heard in decision-making on adaptation.
The ALP’s primary focus is on monitoring and generating lessons for CBA practice and policy in Africa, with a particular emphasis on understanding and addressing the differential vulnerability of poor rural women. The ALP works on household-level as well as in cooperation with local, national and international civil society and governmental organisations in order to develop and disseminate viable models of CBA that allow poor people, especially women, to effectively respond to the consequences of climate variability and change.
Overall objective
To increase the capacity of vulnerable households in Sub-Saharan Africa to adapt to climate variability and change.
Specific objective
To incorporate Community-Based Adaptation (CBA) approaches for vulnerable communities into development policies and programmes in Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and Niger, with plans in place to replicate across Africa.
Expected Results
ER1: Innovative approaches to community-based adaptation (CBA) developed and implemented by communities and local partners.
ER2: Communities and local civil society organizations supported to voice their concerns on climate change and to influence future allocations of resources for adaptation.
ER3: Models for CBA evaluated, refined and used to make recommendations for improvements in policies and practice of government and other development organizations.
ER4: CBA approaches promoted to influence the policies and plans of government, regional and international organisations.
ER5: CBA promoted to governments and NGOs in the countries and across Africa to encourage widespread adoption.
Beneficiaries
The primary target group consists of individuals in the communities where the programme will be working directly to improve the resilience of vulnerable households to climate change. ALP is expected to work in a minimum of 40 communities in 4 countries. This represents a target group of approximately 59,000 individuals. The inclusion of disadvantaged people of the primary target group into the project activities will be guaranteed through its local-level, innovative, participatory approach.
Other target groups consist of people who could benefit from the increased capacity of civil society organizations and local government institutions in the four countries to better respond to the needs of communities with regards to community based adaptation as well as from improved policy development and implementation at the national, regional and international level through targeted policy and advocacy work and sharing of lessons learned by the programme.
Location
Garu Tempane, East Mamprusi (Ghana), Angoche Moma (Mozambique), Azagor, Bader Goula, Soly Tagriss, Roumbou (Niger), Garissa (Kenya)
Duration
1.12.2010-30.11.2013 (ALP I)
01.07.2014-30.06.2017 (ALP II)
Donors
