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The Communication Initiative
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Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change in Africa (CBAA)

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The African Centre for Technology Studies, in partnership with colleagues in Eastern and Southern Africa, Europe, and South Asia are undertaking an action research project, testing tools for community adaptation, knowledge generation, and capacity building related to community-based adaptation to climate change. The three-year project is being implemented with vulnerable communities in Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Communication Strategies

The general objective of the project is to help communities adapt to climate change and share lessons from project activities with stakeholders at all levels in order to elicit their support for climate change adaptation. The project will also test the efficacy of the Local Options for Communities to Adapt and Technologies to Enhance Capacity (LOCATE) methodology, which recognises the context specificity of adaptation. The methodology seeks to focus on natural, human and social capital, and disaggregates climate change, vulnerability, and adaptation for analysis. Based on the outcomes of applying the methodology, pilot community-based adaptation projects will be designed and tested. The efficacy of these projects will be assessed through participatory monitoring and evaluation methods.

The programme will be implemented in three phases. The first involves an assessment of local indigenous knowledge, socio-cultural factors and dynamics that affect vulnerability among certain groups, and their capacities to adapt, as well as the testing of LOCATE methodology, and the development and piloting of adaptation projects. Phase two will involve implementation of selected community-based adaptation projects and dissemination of scientific and non-scientific outputs. Phase three involves evaluation. According to the organisers, the project will be monitored and evaluated continuously, in a participatory manner.

The expected programme results include: improved capacity of vulnerable communities in different ecosystems to understand and appropriately adapt to climate change, and of African scientists, organisations, decision and policy-makers to conduct action research on climate change adaptation. The project will also produce products and tools for integrating climate information into development activities, disseminate targeted and timely information on community-based adaptation to policy processes at various levels, and build strong and lasting partnerships among southern organisations to address climate change.

Click here to view a CBAA video from Malawi.
Click here to view a CBAA video from Zimbabwe.
Click here to view a CBAA video from Kenya.

Development Issues

Environment, Climate Change, Sustainable Development

Partners

African Centre for Technology Studies, Sudanese Environmental Conservation Society, Environmental Protection Management Services, Development Network for Indigenous Voluntary Association, Coordination Unit for the Rehabilitation of the Environment, South South North-South Africa, Energy and Environmental Concerns Zambia, ZERO Regional Environment Organisation, International Institute for Environment and Development, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, and Stockholm Environmental Institute.

Sources

African Centre for Technology Studies website on September 30 2010.

Comments

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 07:28 Permalink

I found the project information perfect for the kind of literature I am reviewing. A similar project in Uganda will be employing the ecohealth approach, in two selected districts along the cattle corridor in Uganda. the purpose of this desk review is to scan the environment to get a feel of the status quo in climate change adaptation work; get a list of stakeholders from which to select partners, from within the Africa region as well as those in Uganda. I have noted with interest that DENIVA, which is a Ugandan network, is one of the partners in your project. I have been able to get the ACTS contact for future correspondence. thank you for this space.

Beatrice Mukasa
Africa Innovations Institute (AfrII),
Kampala Uganda