Community Based Adaptation in Africa

1/04/ 2010

Sumaya Ahmed Zakieldeen

• Project funded by Canadian SIDA in 8 African countries

• Partiners, iied, ACTs, SECS

Background

Climatic factors

Over the past decades, livelihoods have been affected by:

• frequent drought cycles

• extreme fluctuations in rainfall

• Floods (torrential rains, seasonal streams)

None-climatic Factors

• Poverty

• High illiteracy rate (70%)

• Mismanagement of natural resources (Over cultivation, over-grazing, deforestation etc.)

• Lack of income diversity

• Lack of agricultural inputs (Seeds, machinery, finance etc)

• Certain policies/regulations act as impediment to AC

• Conflict over resources (particularly between farmers and herders)

• Fires

• Others

Mykahaya community

• The village was established in the year 1914,

• Inhibited by 7-8 tribes for very long time(Gawamah, bargou, Falata, Kenana, Shanabla,Berti, and others).

• Native Administration is still governing thecommunity.

• The head of the village is Sheikh

Con.

• approximately 186 families, based on the last census the total number of the citizens is approximately 2118

• only 30% of them had the opportunity to have some education

Con..

• The community practise traditional rain-fedagriculture, they cultivate the following:

• Different varieties of sorghum

• Ground nuts

• Sesame

• Hibiscus sp. (Karkadey)

• Vegetables (Tomatoes, melons, cucumber, okra etc.)

- They keep few animals (mainly goats and donkeys(very important for carrying water).

Village institutions and services

• Sheikh (guarding security, resolution ofconflict through agaweed in the village,connection with the state governmentetc.)

• 2 Hafiers

• 1 primary school is available in the village(for both boys and girls)

• Small market (two days in the weekSaturday and Wednesday)

• Mosque

• Grain-mill

• Health centre

• village cultural club

Power Linkages

State Governor

Motamad

Administrative officer

at State level

Omdah

Sheikh

Stakeholder and Community participation

• Individual Interviews

• Visits and Surveys

• Focus Group discussion

• Participatory Rural Appraisal

• Interaction with local institutions

Individual Interviews

Both men and women were interviewed and consultedregarding the issues of vulnerability and adaptation

Visits and surveys

Participatory Rural Appraisal

• Participatory Rural Appraisal

Combination of methods wereused to enable the villagecommunity to share,enhance and analyse theirknowledge of their life andconditions as well as to planand act.

Con..• The stakeholders were able

to identify climate change vulnerabilities

• They were able together to identify and plan for suitable adaptation options

• Community became the analysers and we became the facilitators

Con..

PRA Analysis of:

• water resources,

• vegetation cover

• and agricultural for the period between 1940 and 2010

Vulnerability

• Sectors that are extremely vulnerable:

• Water sector

• Agriculture

• Energy

Water Sector

Decrease of amount of rainfalland high variability of itsdistribution caused:

• Severe Shortage and lack ofdrinking water particularlyduring dry season

• High cost (time and money)

• Water-born diseases

Con..

Agriculture

• Fluctuation/reduction of production

• Deterioration of rangelands/loss ofanimals

• Lack of food security

• Cut of trees for charcoal production(however for subsistence)

• Migration to nearby towns and toagricultural schemes

• People were forced to adoptunfavourable seasonal activities

Energy

• Vegetation cover deterioratedvery much due to bothclimatic and none-climaticfactors

• Women spend 3-4 hrs daily incollection of firewood fromremote places

• Situation is getting worse andworse worries about nearfuture

Concerns about gender• Both women and children work very

hard and for long hours:

• Collecting water

• Collecting firewood

• Cutting and collecting Naal (aquaticweed)

• They gain very little and miss a lot ofopportunities

Identified Adaptation Options;

Water harvesting for drinking (additional Hafier and rehabilitation of existing ones)

Agriculture

• Water harvesting (terraces)

• Improvement of local indigenous knowledge of early seeding (locally know as Remeel)

• Introduction of drought resistant /early maturing varieties (okra, millet, sorghum etc.)

Con..

• Production of winter crops such as vegetables (Egg plants, water melon, tomatoes, cucumber), at the end of the rainy season in the course of one of Abu -Habel tributaries

Energy

• Introduction of petroleum liquid gas and improved stoves

Income increasing options

• Expansion of Karkady production (cash crop)

• Introduction sheep fattening for women for increasing family income/production of , meat, milk and butter

• Improvement of marketing

• other

Capacity Building

• Certain areas that require specific capacity building were identified

- Water harvesting

- winter cropping

- improved stoves building

- financial training for rotating small grants

- other

- Establishment of a new committee in the community

Consultations with relevant institutions, NGOs and Programmes

• Eco-peace project

• Forest National Cooperation

• Administration of agriculture, naturalresources and animal wealth

• Practical Action/Aydy Al-Nil

• Sudanese Meteorological Society

• Others

Sharing of CBAA findings

• The finding of the CBAA wereshared in many nationalevent and conferences

• Publication of a paper ingatekeeper

• Currently a paper is beingprepared with Dr. NooreldinAhmed on adaptationoptions opportunities andchallenges