BIOCULTURAL INNOVATIONS FOR ADAPTATION TO

CLIMATE CHANGE: MIJIKENDA COMMUNITY,

KENYA COAST

CGRFA-15 Side Event, Rome, Italy

22nd January 2015

C. Wekesa, Coordinator, SIFOR-Kenya

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

• 5 indigenous coastal

communities in Kwale &

Kilifi counties.

• Giriama, Digo, Rabai,

Duruma & Chonyi (control)

• 31 villages – low lying 12-

319 m.a.s.l.

• Impacts of climate change

heavy - due low altitude.

• Communities - small scale

farmers but climate

change is threat to

sustainable livelihoods.

IS THE CLIMATE CHANGING?

0 20 40 60 80

Rainfall

Temperature (Summer/winter)

Wind strengh

Sun shine

River water flow

Drought

Flood

Insects/Pests

Diseases (Animal & crop)

Extreme whether

Response (%)

Wea

ther

even

ts

% of HHs observing changes

TRENDS IN GROWING OF LANDRACES

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%C

assa

va

Mai

ze

Pea

nu

t

Po

tato

es

Pu

lses

Veg

etab

les

Wh

eat

Cas

sav

a

Mai

ze

Po

tato

es

Pu

lses

Ric

e

Sp

ices

Veg

etab

les

Cas

sav

a

Mai

ze

Po

tato

es

Pu

lses

Ric

e

Veg

etab

les

2003 2008 2012

Res

po

nse

Crop/year

Chonyi Digo Duruma Giriama Rabai

DRIVERS FOR CHANGE IN TRENDS, LANDRACES

Driver for change Frequency Response (%)

Risk reduction 22 7.7

Food security 192 66.9

Ease access 2 0.7

To avoid traditional variety 1 0.3

Diversification 32 11.1

To avoid purchasing food from the market 12 4.2

Culture 5 1.7

Depends on the others 2 0.7

Increase production 15 5.2

Little rainfall 2 0.7

Self-consumption 2 0.7

Total 287 100.0

ROLE OF TRADITIONAL CROP VARIETIES IN

ADAPTATION/RESILIENCESite Crop

Response (%)

Drought and

pests

resistant

Short time to

mature

Tolerates

low rainfall

Higher

production

Seeds easily

stored and

available

Rabai Cassava 25.0 20.0 - 64.8 -

Cowpeas 41.7 20.0 - 97.0 -

Maize 33.3 46.7 - 33.7 -

Sweet potatoes 0.0 0.0 - 2.2 -

Digo Maize 33.3 50.0 50.0 34.3 57.5

Cassava 48.1 50.0 0.0 5.7 12.5

Cowpeas 14.8 0.0 25.0 57.1 25.0

Green grams 0.0 0.0 25.0 0.0 0.0

Pumpkin 3.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.5

Sweet potatoes 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.9 0.0

Chonyi Cassava 51.0 20.0 0.0 100.0 -

Cowpeas 16.3 10.0 100.0 2.7 -

Green grams 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -

Maize 28.6 70.0 0.0 81.1 -

Giriama Cassava 6.7 37.0 0.0 13.3 -

Cowpeas 13.3 37.0 100.0 13.4 -

Maize 80.0 14.8 0.0 53.3 -

Duruma Cassava 0.0 - - 18.2 -

Cowpeas 7.4 - - 0.0 -

Maize 51.9 - - 9.1 -

ROLE OF LIVESTOCK IN ADAPTATION &

RESILIENCE

• Increased reliance on livestock products for food – frequent crop failure.

• Communities keep indigenous/local breeds – tolerant to drought and diseases.

• Cattle most popular, provides multiple products and services.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Chonyi Digo Duruma Giriama Rabai

Sel

f co

nsu

mp

tio

n o

f li

ves

tock

(%

)

Site

2003 2008 2012

0

100

200

300

400

500

Chicken Cow Duck Goat Pig Sheep

Av

era

ge

an

nu

al

inco

me

(US

D)

Livestock

Chonyi Digo Duruma Giriama Rabai

ROLE OF FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES IN

ADAPTATION/RESILIENCE

• Seeds of only10% of the

world’s wild plants/trees are

conserved in seed banks.

• Some of these plants/trees are

used for NTFPs e.g. food and

herbal medicine.

• CC triggers increased

incidences of pests and

diseases for crops, livestock

and humans.

• Communities use combinations

of extracts of various plants to

control/treat these diseases.

• Food from plants/trees have

nutritive value to prevent

diseases/strengthen immunity.

Community

nursery, Rabai

Herbal grove,

Giriama

ROLE OF TK IN ADAPTATION/RESILIENCE

Adaptation strategy

Response (%)

Rabai Digo Chonyi Giriama Duruma

Traditional prayers and sacrifices 88.2 2.9 0.0 8.8 0.0

Treating animals with combination of

herbs and keeping less animals36.7 1.7 43.3 0.8 17.5

Use of traditional bio-pesticides to

control crop pests 23.7 8.8 29.4 4.6 33.5

Domestication of wild food plants 0.7 21.1 2.0 35.4 40.8

Proper timing of rains 4.9 0.0 19.5 0.0 75.6

Planting early maturing and drought

resistant crop varieties 0.0 0.0 92.6 0.0 7.4

Traditional huts thatched with Makuti 0.0 0.0 100.0 0.0 0.0

Cultivating big portions of land to

reduce risk 0.0 0.0 100.0 0.0 0.0

Adoption of tree farming in farms 20.0 0.0 60.0 0.0 20.0

Engaging in business as alternative to

farming (value addition of TK based

products)

55.0 5.0 15.0 15.0 10.0

Water pan excavation 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0

HOW ARE COMMUNITIES CONSERVING

AGROBIODIVERSITY?

Conservation strategy Site

Mean number of

farmers that have

adopted it

Free seed exchanges Digo 17.2

Giriama 3.0

Irrigation of crops Digo 16.0

Giriama 1.0

Protection of crops in seed banks or

preservation areasRabai 1.0

Domestication of wild food plantsDigo 10.0

Use of modified traditional farming toolsRabai 15.3

Digo 4.0

Re-introduction of traditional cropsDigo 15.6

Re-introduction of traditional farming methods Giriama 4.0

Digo 10.2

Improved/more resilient crop varieties Rabai 8.8

Duruma 10.0

RABAI CULTURAL VILLAGE

• Established February 2013 to conserve Rabai culture & Kaya forests.

• Traditional ceremonies.

• Traditional products/artifacts.

• Conservation of Kaya forest (Kaya elders’ regulate resource use through rules and regulations – weekly court to arbitrate environmental conflicts, taboos, beliefs, norms).

• Traditional farming practices (seed bank for local varieties).

• Ecotourism (Dr. Krapf Memorial Museum, fauna & flora)

Sweet

potatoes

Basketry

NETWORKING

• Information sharing.

• Exchange of planting

materials.

• Influence policy

makers (county and

national government

level).

Local

MP

THANK YOU!