Guyana's embassy in Beijing was the centre of environmental interest on March 25, 2015, when dozens of representatives from a wide cross-section of international governmental organisations, the diplomatic community and Chinese low-carbon technology companies came together to look at how changes in climate are affecting the Caribbean.
The workshop was organised by INTASAVE Asia-Pacific and the Caribbean Caucus of Ambassadors, with support from the China South Low Carbon Academy. It was attended by about 40 people and explored the impact climate change is having on the Caribbean, and its people, economies and infrastructure.
The event was also a chance for Chinese experts to share progress on China/South-South Cooperation policy and approaches to mitigating the effects of climate change. The forum explored the ways that public-private partnerships can be improved to tackle climate change in the Caribbean.
Professor David Dabydeen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Guyana, China gave the opening remarks.
Dr Murray Simpson, CEO of the INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE Group and visiting Research Fellow, Oxford University, was the key speaker, addressing issues in the Caribbean, climate change adaptation and low–carbon projects in the region and beyond. Dr Simpson also talked about the challenges and opportunities for south-south cooperation.
Ms Li Ting, Executive Director, China South Low Carbon Academy, shared her organisation's perspective on developments in Chinese climate change south-south policy.
The event ended with a panel discussion and informal talks.
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Tuesday, 7 April 2015
Thursday, 26 March 2015
Climate Change in the Caribbean: Impacts and Opportunities for Enhancing China/South-South Cooperation
Guyana’s embassy in Beijing was the centre of environmental interest on March 25, 2015, when dozens of representatives from a wide cross-section of international governmental organisations, the diplomatic community and Chinese low-carbon technology companies came together to look at how changes in climate are affecting the Caribbean.
The workshop was organised by INTASAVE Asia-Pacific and the Caribbean Caucus of Ambassadors, with support from the China South Low Carbon Academy. It was attended by about 40 people and explored the impact climate change is having on the Caribbean, and its people, economies and infrastructure.
The event was also a chance for Chinese experts to share progress on China/South-South Cooperation policy and approaches to mitigating the effects of climate change. The forum explored the ways that public-private partnerships can be improved to tackle climate change in the Caribbean.
Professor David Dabydeen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Guyana, China gave the opening remarks.
Dr Murray Simpson, CEO of the INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE Group and visiting Research Fellow, Oxford University, was the key speaker, addressing issues in the Caribbean, climate change adaptation and low-carbon projects in the region and beyond. Dr Simpson also talked about the challenges and opportunities for south-south cooperation.
Ms Li Ting, Executive Director, China South Low Carbon Academy, shared her organisation’s perspective on developments in Chinese climate change south-south policy.
The event ended with a panel discussion and informal talks.
The workshop was organised by INTASAVE Asia-Pacific and the Caribbean Caucus of Ambassadors, with support from the China South Low Carbon Academy. It was attended by about 40 people and explored the impact climate change is having on the Caribbean, and its people, economies and infrastructure.
The event was also a chance for Chinese experts to share progress on China/South-South Cooperation policy and approaches to mitigating the effects of climate change. The forum explored the ways that public-private partnerships can be improved to tackle climate change in the Caribbean.
Professor David Dabydeen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Guyana, China gave the opening remarks.
Dr Murray Simpson, CEO of the INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE Group and visiting Research Fellow, Oxford University, was the key speaker, addressing issues in the Caribbean, climate change adaptation and low-carbon projects in the region and beyond. Dr Simpson also talked about the challenges and opportunities for south-south cooperation.
Ms Li Ting, Executive Director, China South Low Carbon Academy, shared her organisation’s perspective on developments in Chinese climate change south-south policy.
The event ended with a panel discussion and informal talks.
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
ASSAR Kilimanjaro Landscape Field Visit
In the scenic Kilimanjaro Landscape rises Africa's highest peak, surrounded by diverse ecosystems from wetlands to savannah. This landscape covers both Kenya and Tanzania and hosts three national parks: Amboseli, Tsavo west in Kenya and Mkomazi National Park and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
The ASSAR project team conducted a 5 day field visit from 8th - 12th of February in Kilimanjaro landscape in order to scout for appropriate research sites for the ASSAR project in Kenya. The East Africa team is led by University of East Anglia through Dr. Roger Few.
The field excursion was aimed at identifying communities affected by climate change in semi-arid areas in Kenya, understanding the driver of their vulnerabilities, the coping strategies they employ and the adaptation strategies that vulnerable communities used to respond to longer-term climate risks. This information presented an in-depth understanding of the critical determinants to vulnerability due to climate change in the semi-arid region of Kilimanjaro. The research team conducted interviews and held discussions with key informants in the government, such as agricultural officers, water and wildlife officials. In addition, the research team conducted interviews with community leaders, community members and community conservancy leaders.
The following issues emerged from the field visit:
Given the arid and the semi-arid conditions, the landscape ecosystem was observed to be fragile and even more vulnerable to climate change, with conflicting land use practices further exacerbating the situation, thus calling for integrated approaches in natural resource management as a key adaptation strategy to climate change.
Based on these findings, the research team will be in a better position to select the project sites for the ASSAR project in Kenya.
The ASSAR project team conducted a 5 day field visit from 8th - 12th of February in Kilimanjaro landscape in order to scout for appropriate research sites for the ASSAR project in Kenya. The East Africa team is led by University of East Anglia through Dr. Roger Few.
The field excursion was aimed at identifying communities affected by climate change in semi-arid areas in Kenya, understanding the driver of their vulnerabilities, the coping strategies they employ and the adaptation strategies that vulnerable communities used to respond to longer-term climate risks. This information presented an in-depth understanding of the critical determinants to vulnerability due to climate change in the semi-arid region of Kilimanjaro. The research team conducted interviews and held discussions with key informants in the government, such as agricultural officers, water and wildlife officials. In addition, the research team conducted interviews with community leaders, community members and community conservancy leaders.
The following issues emerged from the field visit:
- Cross cutting demands on land and natural resources were observed to be widespread in the region, with agricultural activities and industrialization taking centre stage. These developments were found to be antagonistic to conservation efforts in the region as they increased pressure on water and land resources with total disregard to wildlife, leading to human - wildlife conflicts, depletion of wetland resources and loss of biodiversity. The Oloitokitok Sub County Government - Agricultural Division, confirmed their efforts in addressing the issues by promoting and facilitating trainings and capacity building forums on sustainable agricultural practices. However, inadequate resources among farmers to embrace sustainable agricultural technologies such as drip irrigation, coupled with minimal efforts by the county leadership to redress land use issues and inadequate/lack of capacity to formulate policies addressing the same, proved to be prime challenges.
- To safeguard water resources quality from adverse impacts, the Water Resource Management Authority (WRMA), a state corporation under the Ministry of Water and irrigation attested their commitment to developing principles, guidelines and procedures for water resource allocation amidst defaulters. Technological advancements in rain water harvesting and irrigation methods were some of the authority's initiatives in reducing pressure on underground water and wetland resources.
- Pastoral communities (at Elerai and Ilmarba conservancies) were seen to have adopted planned grazing in response to climate change and human - wildlife conflict on water and pasture. This was accomplished through merging of communal grazing lands and ranches into conservancies where grazing plans were plotted for both dry and wet spells in full consideration of wildlife needs. Wildlife attraction into the conservancies and sustainable pasture yields for livestock in and out of season were the end results, with communities further utilizing the conservancies for income generation through tourism enterprises such as lodging and camping facilities. The communities also recommended the construction of water pans at strategic points away from the main water points to mitigate human - wildlife conflict and depletion of pasture. Lack of coordination in the establishment of conservancies vis a vis planned grazing at the regional level was observed to be a setback to the initiative as free riders were rampant.
Given the arid and the semi-arid conditions, the landscape ecosystem was observed to be fragile and even more vulnerable to climate change, with conflicting land use practices further exacerbating the situation, thus calling for integrated approaches in natural resource management as a key adaptation strategy to climate change.
Based on these findings, the research team will be in a better position to select the project sites for the ASSAR project in Kenya.
Tuesday, 10 March 2015
Supporting sustainable market-based conservation-friendly enterprises that benefit both people and wildlife
Wildlife conservancies in Kenya present a promising avenue through which the community can become direct beneficiaries of wildlife and tourism.
Participation is perhaps the best incentive for communities to conserve and take care of wildlife and other tourism resources. More importantly, the benefits of the Wildlife Conservancies go way beyond conservation and tourism alone to yielding multiple local, national and even international benefits for people by stabilizing regions, improving security, building local capacity, diversifying livelihoods, increasing community resilience, generating prosperity, reducing donor reliance, protecting the natural environment, facilitating access to social services and enhancing local governance. However, the strength, success and sustainability of any conservancy lies within the community that lives therein, and not with any outside agency. Therefore, any effort to empower the local communities whether through capacity building, investments in alternative livelihoods or effective participation in decision making has a direct benefit to sustainability of any wildlife conservancy.
As part INTASAVE Africa's project "Capacity Building for Community Managed Wildlife Areas in Kenya", a collaborative project undertaken with Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA), INTASAVE climate and wildlife experts undertook a community baseline survey field trip to Baringo County. They were visit two community conservancies, undertaking a baseline survey of their existing status, and then develop a business plan for each of them for their future purposes of fundraising from the county government, private investors, and targeted Calls for Proposals.
The following morning we set out for the nearby Kapkuikui shopping center where we would be holding our focus group discussion meeting.
The meeting commenced with us seated on some well-worn rocks underneath a tree on the edge of the shopping centre where we were able to speak to the chairman of the Kapkuikui Livestock Improvement Self Help Group, Mr Kiprop. He provided us with information pertaining to the groups' sustainable acacia honey, which has received acclaim in Baringo County and even in the adjacent Nakuru County. The honey has received Kenya Bureau of Standards certification which speaks volumes as pertains to quality assurance. Through partnership, the Group has been able to market their honey at the nearby Lake Bogoria Spa, Kabarak University in Nakuru County, and a number of retail outlets. The acacia honey will constitute one of the products being marketed by Irong Community Conservancy.
The meeting with members of the Irong Communty Conservancy, comprised of the Endorois ethnic community, as well as stakeholders from Lake Bogoria National Reserve, and Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS), thankfully moved from the baking sun into the much cooler office of the local administrative chief, and revealed ongoing plans to establish the Conservancy as a fully-fledged enterprise. The conservancy is home to the Greater Kudu and the elusive leopard, zebra, and giraffe. Several species of birds are also found in this pristine location which makes it a bird lover's haven. The conservancy has abundant flora and fauna, some endemic to the conservancy, which will serve as a major attraction to tourists, both domestic and international. Its close proximity to Lake Bogoria National Reserve and Lake Bogoria Spa Resort means it is well placed as being part of a package tour within the greater Lake Bogoria ecosystem. The community members were very enthusiastic pertaining to the establishment of the Conservancy and looked forward to the completion of the business plan which they would then actualize through partnership development and marketing.
We then left the humid Lake Bogoria ecosystem in the afternoon and proceeded to Rugus which is adjacent to Lake Baringo, the site of the next conservancy on our itinerary, Ruko Community Wildlife Conservancy. The Conservancy was established in 2006 and falls under the stewardship of Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), which is an umbrella organisation for a number of conservancies in Northern Kenya, whose mission is to develop resilient community conservancies which transform people's lives, secure peace and conserve natural resources. The following morning, we clambered into a boat and sped across the turquoise blue waters of Lake Baringo headed for the island of Komolion where we would have our focus group discussion with fishermen from the surrounding communities.
Ruko is home to the Njemps and Pokot ethnic communities. The Njemps are pastoralists and fishermen, while the Pokot are pastoralists and cultivators. The business plan to be developed in this conservancy will involve a fish-to-market enterprise which will entail the setting up of a fish processing and refrigeration plant at one of the beach landing sites on the shores of Lake Baringo, with the objective of engaging in value addition of the fish caught by the fishermen, as well as refrigeration of fish. This model would allow the fishermen, who are organised as beach management units (BMUs), to attract better prices for their catch through elimination of exploitative middlemen. The enterprise would also make it possible for the fishermen to procure smart fishing gear, safety equipment such as life jackets, and better boats in the mid-term. Once again the community members were overly enthusiastic about the proposed enterprise and eagerly awaited the business plan so as to propel it to the next level.
This meeting served as the culmination of our baseline surveys and we then bid farewell to our loquacious hosts and returned to the mainland from whence we embarked on the journey back to Nairobi, in awe of Mother Nature's beauty and the important role we, as part of humanity, play as the custodians of the global commons for the benefit of posterity.
Participation is perhaps the best incentive for communities to conserve and take care of wildlife and other tourism resources. More importantly, the benefits of the Wildlife Conservancies go way beyond conservation and tourism alone to yielding multiple local, national and even international benefits for people by stabilizing regions, improving security, building local capacity, diversifying livelihoods, increasing community resilience, generating prosperity, reducing donor reliance, protecting the natural environment, facilitating access to social services and enhancing local governance. However, the strength, success and sustainability of any conservancy lies within the community that lives therein, and not with any outside agency. Therefore, any effort to empower the local communities whether through capacity building, investments in alternative livelihoods or effective participation in decision making has a direct benefit to sustainability of any wildlife conservancy.
As part INTASAVE Africa's project "Capacity Building for Community Managed Wildlife Areas in Kenya", a collaborative project undertaken with Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA), INTASAVE climate and wildlife experts undertook a community baseline survey field trip to Baringo County. They were visit two community conservancies, undertaking a baseline survey of their existing status, and then develop a business plan for each of them for their future purposes of fundraising from the county government, private investors, and targeted Calls for Proposals.
James Mwangi, Senior Project Officer in the Kenya office, tells us about the trip…
The journey from Nairobi to Bogoria in Baringo County commenced on the hot, sweltering afternoon of Tuesday 10th February 2015. We traversed the breathtaking views of the Rift Valley, bypassing the Rift Valley Lakes of Lake Elementaita, Lake Naivasha, and Lake Nakuru before finally arriving at the Lake Bogoria Spa Resort which would be our rest stop for the night. Lake Bogoria Spa Resort is the only Resort in Kenya with a naturally heated Spa pool derived from the natural hot water springs of Lake Bogoria. As such, the temperatures in the environs of the Spa Resort are between 30 - 35 degrees centigrade, and we were to bear testimony to the authenticity of this temperature estimate the next day.The following morning we set out for the nearby Kapkuikui shopping center where we would be holding our focus group discussion meeting.
The meeting commenced with us seated on some well-worn rocks underneath a tree on the edge of the shopping centre where we were able to speak to the chairman of the Kapkuikui Livestock Improvement Self Help Group, Mr Kiprop. He provided us with information pertaining to the groups' sustainable acacia honey, which has received acclaim in Baringo County and even in the adjacent Nakuru County. The honey has received Kenya Bureau of Standards certification which speaks volumes as pertains to quality assurance. Through partnership, the Group has been able to market their honey at the nearby Lake Bogoria Spa, Kabarak University in Nakuru County, and a number of retail outlets. The acacia honey will constitute one of the products being marketed by Irong Community Conservancy.
The meeting with members of the Irong Communty Conservancy, comprised of the Endorois ethnic community, as well as stakeholders from Lake Bogoria National Reserve, and Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS), thankfully moved from the baking sun into the much cooler office of the local administrative chief, and revealed ongoing plans to establish the Conservancy as a fully-fledged enterprise. The conservancy is home to the Greater Kudu and the elusive leopard, zebra, and giraffe. Several species of birds are also found in this pristine location which makes it a bird lover's haven. The conservancy has abundant flora and fauna, some endemic to the conservancy, which will serve as a major attraction to tourists, both domestic and international. Its close proximity to Lake Bogoria National Reserve and Lake Bogoria Spa Resort means it is well placed as being part of a package tour within the greater Lake Bogoria ecosystem. The community members were very enthusiastic pertaining to the establishment of the Conservancy and looked forward to the completion of the business plan which they would then actualize through partnership development and marketing.
We then left the humid Lake Bogoria ecosystem in the afternoon and proceeded to Rugus which is adjacent to Lake Baringo, the site of the next conservancy on our itinerary, Ruko Community Wildlife Conservancy. The Conservancy was established in 2006 and falls under the stewardship of Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), which is an umbrella organisation for a number of conservancies in Northern Kenya, whose mission is to develop resilient community conservancies which transform people's lives, secure peace and conserve natural resources. The following morning, we clambered into a boat and sped across the turquoise blue waters of Lake Baringo headed for the island of Komolion where we would have our focus group discussion with fishermen from the surrounding communities.
Ruko is home to the Njemps and Pokot ethnic communities. The Njemps are pastoralists and fishermen, while the Pokot are pastoralists and cultivators. The business plan to be developed in this conservancy will involve a fish-to-market enterprise which will entail the setting up of a fish processing and refrigeration plant at one of the beach landing sites on the shores of Lake Baringo, with the objective of engaging in value addition of the fish caught by the fishermen, as well as refrigeration of fish. This model would allow the fishermen, who are organised as beach management units (BMUs), to attract better prices for their catch through elimination of exploitative middlemen. The enterprise would also make it possible for the fishermen to procure smart fishing gear, safety equipment such as life jackets, and better boats in the mid-term. Once again the community members were overly enthusiastic about the proposed enterprise and eagerly awaited the business plan so as to propel it to the next level.
This meeting served as the culmination of our baseline surveys and we then bid farewell to our loquacious hosts and returned to the mainland from whence we embarked on the journey back to Nairobi, in awe of Mother Nature's beauty and the important role we, as part of humanity, play as the custodians of the global commons for the benefit of posterity.
Thursday, 22 January 2015
ASSAR's annual meeting - Bangalore, India
The ASSAR team makes progress as decisions taken during its annual meeting begin to take shape.
Each year, members of the international and interdisciplinary ASSAR project team meet to review the progress made and strategise the way ahead. Throughout the year the ASSAR team works in diverse locations across Africa and Asia, so these annual meetings provide rare but important opportunities for face to face interactions that facilitate productive discussions and debates, nurture working relationships, and develop and instil a common project purpose and unified project strategy. This year's meeting, hosted by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements in Bangalore, India, brought together approximately 50 of the ASSAR team members from 16 different research institutions and practitioner organisations.
During a jam-packed five days, the team discussed the project's progress and challenges, and debated, work-shopped and brainstormed its content and actions. The four regional project groups (Southern Africa, West Africa, East Africa and India) worked together to refine the project's research questions, and to discuss the potential strategies and sites to use for their region-specific research. The team also discussed how to weave ASSAR's cross-regional themes - which include topics like gender, well-being, climate science and research-into-use - into the project's research programmes. Importantly, the team committed to ensuring that ASSAR produces meaningful, high quality work that achieves extensive and valuable development impacts at multiple scales - from individuals to businesses to governments.
But it wasn't all boardrooms and briefcases. During the meeting the ASSAR team also had the opportunity to see the amazing work of the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR) - a key ASSAR partner. Heading into the rural areas of Maharashtra, the team witnessed first-hand how 20 years of innovative management of watershed systems has transformed this dry and barren area into a landscape that supports people, biodiversity, crops and livestock.
As a community-focused organisation, WOTR's watershed management activities are centred on social upliftment, and it was incredible to hear from the people in these areas how they believe they have been educated and empowered to manage not only their land, water and biodiversity, but also their health, livelihoods and well-being.
As this annual meeting drew to a close it was clear that a great deal had been achieved. The ASSAR team left with a more holistic and unified understanding of the project purpose, with a more defined research plan, and with the ability to better understand and visualise the kind of impacts that ASSAR can have across the semi-arid areas of Africa and Asia.
In the weeks since the meeting the ASSAR team has been working at full steam. The four regional groups have begun writing the first drafts of their regional diagnostic studies - reports that provide a high-level snapshot of the climate adaptation environments in each of the ASSAR regions. The regional groups are also planning their first field visits to their study sites, during which they'll be engaging with local and national stakeholders. These engagements will not only ensure that ASSAR's work meets local and national needs, but will also help the regional groups to identify the most appropriate ways to develop tailored adaptation knowledge and to build adaptive capacities in their regions.
The ASSAR cross-cutting working groups, which are not region-specific but rather made up of members from each regional team, have also been making great progress. Some of these groups have begun to develop training courses for the ASSAR team members to improve their capacity to conduct specialised research. For example, in a course in mid-2015 the gender working group will teach the ASSAR team members how to conduct gender-sensitive research and how to mainstream gender issues into all of ASSAR's activities. Other cross-cutting working groups are developing frameworks for research topics like well-being, governance, vulnerability and biophysical impacts to ensure that the work done within each region is directly comparable with the work done in other regions.
With the ASSAR momentum now in full flow, the coming months should be very busy and productive. This will set the scene for more fascinating discussions and promote further project development at the next annual meeting, which will be held in May 2015 in Botswana.
Written by Tali Hoffman
See more at: http://www.assar.uct.ac.za/news/assars-annual-meeting-bangalore-india#sthash.sO4CDXmg.dpuf
Each year, members of the international and interdisciplinary ASSAR project team meet to review the progress made and strategise the way ahead. Throughout the year the ASSAR team works in diverse locations across Africa and Asia, so these annual meetings provide rare but important opportunities for face to face interactions that facilitate productive discussions and debates, nurture working relationships, and develop and instil a common project purpose and unified project strategy. This year's meeting, hosted by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements in Bangalore, India, brought together approximately 50 of the ASSAR team members from 16 different research institutions and practitioner organisations.
During a jam-packed five days, the team discussed the project's progress and challenges, and debated, work-shopped and brainstormed its content and actions. The four regional project groups (Southern Africa, West Africa, East Africa and India) worked together to refine the project's research questions, and to discuss the potential strategies and sites to use for their region-specific research. The team also discussed how to weave ASSAR's cross-regional themes - which include topics like gender, well-being, climate science and research-into-use - into the project's research programmes. Importantly, the team committed to ensuring that ASSAR produces meaningful, high quality work that achieves extensive and valuable development impacts at multiple scales - from individuals to businesses to governments.
But it wasn't all boardrooms and briefcases. During the meeting the ASSAR team also had the opportunity to see the amazing work of the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR) - a key ASSAR partner. Heading into the rural areas of Maharashtra, the team witnessed first-hand how 20 years of innovative management of watershed systems has transformed this dry and barren area into a landscape that supports people, biodiversity, crops and livestock.
As a community-focused organisation, WOTR's watershed management activities are centred on social upliftment, and it was incredible to hear from the people in these areas how they believe they have been educated and empowered to manage not only their land, water and biodiversity, but also their health, livelihoods and well-being.
As this annual meeting drew to a close it was clear that a great deal had been achieved. The ASSAR team left with a more holistic and unified understanding of the project purpose, with a more defined research plan, and with the ability to better understand and visualise the kind of impacts that ASSAR can have across the semi-arid areas of Africa and Asia.
In the weeks since the meeting the ASSAR team has been working at full steam. The four regional groups have begun writing the first drafts of their regional diagnostic studies - reports that provide a high-level snapshot of the climate adaptation environments in each of the ASSAR regions. The regional groups are also planning their first field visits to their study sites, during which they'll be engaging with local and national stakeholders. These engagements will not only ensure that ASSAR's work meets local and national needs, but will also help the regional groups to identify the most appropriate ways to develop tailored adaptation knowledge and to build adaptive capacities in their regions.
The ASSAR cross-cutting working groups, which are not region-specific but rather made up of members from each regional team, have also been making great progress. Some of these groups have begun to develop training courses for the ASSAR team members to improve their capacity to conduct specialised research. For example, in a course in mid-2015 the gender working group will teach the ASSAR team members how to conduct gender-sensitive research and how to mainstream gender issues into all of ASSAR's activities. Other cross-cutting working groups are developing frameworks for research topics like well-being, governance, vulnerability and biophysical impacts to ensure that the work done within each region is directly comparable with the work done in other regions.
With the ASSAR momentum now in full flow, the coming months should be very busy and productive. This will set the scene for more fascinating discussions and promote further project development at the next annual meeting, which will be held in May 2015 in Botswana.
Written by Tali Hoffman
See more at: http://www.assar.uct.ac.za/news/assars-annual-meeting-bangalore-india#sthash.sO4CDXmg.dpuf
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
A Provincial Vision for China’s Adaptation - Workshop in Beijing
As the second phase of the Adapting to Climate Change in China project (ACCC) begins, a province-level seminar was held in Beijing, to communicate and discuss key adaptation action points with representatives from different provinces. The aim was to ensure that these adaptation action points are in line with the real situation of each province and lay the foundations for successful progress and implementation. The seminar was organized by its project management office (PMO), directed by INTASAVE Asia-Pacific, China office, with support by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the National Development and Reform Commission, China (NDRC).
Director General Su Wei from NDRC reviewed the cooperation between China and Switzerland in the field of climate change. He first reviewed the achievements the first phase of the ACCC project had made, and then expressed his expectations towards this next phase. Director General Su Wei hoped that experts, international organizations and local DRCs could use Phase 2 as an opportunity to carry out adaptation plans in specific prioritised areas.
Mr. Philippe Zahner, Development Counsellor, SDC shared Switzerland’s experience, remarking that Switzerland was the first country that passed the national climate change strategy. He briefly talked about their development model in the field of climate change and expressed his hope that they could lend support to China’s adaptation through their continued funding of the ACCC project, and learn more lessons from different provinces in China.
Dr. Rebecca Nadin, Project Director of ACCC and Regional Director of INTASAVE Asia-Pacific introduced the project with a welcome speech. As the project management team, INTASAVE Asia-Pacific will take charge of the ACCC implementation in the following 3 years. This is a continuation for INTASAVE on supporting climate change adaptation in China.
ACCC II (2014-2017) builds on the work of Phase 1 and aims:
INTASAVE Asia-Pacific are the project implementers for Phase 2. The project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in partnership with China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
Read more about ACCC at www.ccadaptation.org.cn
Or contact ACCC Communications Officer, Kay Zhang, at kay.zhang@intasave.org.cn
Director General Su Wei from NDRC reviewed the cooperation between China and Switzerland in the field of climate change. He first reviewed the achievements the first phase of the ACCC project had made, and then expressed his expectations towards this next phase. Director General Su Wei hoped that experts, international organizations and local DRCs could use Phase 2 as an opportunity to carry out adaptation plans in specific prioritised areas.
Mr. Philippe Zahner, Development Counsellor, SDC shared Switzerland’s experience, remarking that Switzerland was the first country that passed the national climate change strategy. He briefly talked about their development model in the field of climate change and expressed his hope that they could lend support to China’s adaptation through their continued funding of the ACCC project, and learn more lessons from different provinces in China.
Dr. Rebecca Nadin, Project Director of ACCC and Regional Director of INTASAVE Asia-Pacific introduced the project with a welcome speech. As the project management team, INTASAVE Asia-Pacific will take charge of the ACCC implementation in the following 3 years. This is a continuation for INTASAVE on supporting climate change adaptation in China.
About ACCC
The Adapting to Climate Change in China (ACCC) project brings together Chinese policy makers, research and policy institutions, as well as international organizations and experts, to develop practical approaches to climate change adaptation policy planning. The first phase of the ACCC project (2009-2013) was designed as a “research-into-use” project, and focused on developing evidence-based climate change adaptation policy in China, at both the national and provincial levels. It made notable contributions to the formulation of the National Adaptation Strategy through building on cross-sectorial partnerships, capacity building work and scientific and policy advances. However, significant support is still required in order to achieve more in-depth and ambitious mainstreaming process on adaptive planning.ACCC II (2014-2017) builds on the work of Phase 1 and aims:
- To mainstream climate change adaptation into development policies at national and provincial levels
- To support the formulation and implementation of integrated Provincial Adaptation Plans (PAPs) across priority sectors and share these experiences and lessons with other developing countries.
INTASAVE Asia-Pacific are the project implementers for Phase 2. The project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in partnership with China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
Read more about ACCC at www.ccadaptation.org.cn
Or contact ACCC Communications Officer, Kay Zhang, at kay.zhang@intasave.org.cn
Thursday, 18 December 2014
News from Namibia
A common criticism of research projects is that they exist in a vacuum, and lack consideration for how to put the research findings into practice. To avoid this, and to ensure that the project yields tangible, practical and actionable value, ASSAR is endeavouring to develop comprehensive 'research-into-use' strategies across its regions. These strategies are something that the Southern African Team kept high on their agenda during their recent field trip.
Within ASSAR, the Southern African team focuses on the semi-arid areas of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Their mandate is to work with local experts and stakeholders to identify factors that will help people adapt to climate change in ways that support their livelihoods and ensure their wellbeing.
To get this work off the ground, in November 2014, Dian Spear, Salma Hegga and Margaret Angula drove some 2375 km through the semi-arid landscapes of north-central Namibia. Their goals for this trip included understanding the needs and interests of critical stakeholders from governmental and non-governmental fields, and figuring out how to work together - throughout the project life - to ensure that these needs are met.
Through these meetings the ASSAR team was able to develop their existing collaborations, forge links with new stakeholders, and identify stakeholders to reach out to in future. In the process they developed a better understanding of the context and status of climate change adaptation in Namibia. They also learned more about the perceptions, roles, concerns and needs of different stakeholders at different scales, from constituent levels, to regional and national levels.
From a strategic point of view, the team also became aware of the importance of following appropriate protocols when conducting work at multiple scales and with multiple and interconnected stakeholders. Lastly, and very importantly, the connections that the Southern African team developed with the Namibian stakeholders helped to identify potential pathways for putting their research into use, and making sure it has practical value.
With three years of research ahead of them this trip marks only the very beginning of the Southern African work process, yet it was critical for obtaining early support for the project by the people who matter most. As the team continues on its journey we will continue to document their activities, successes and challenges. Watch this space!
Written by Tali Hoffman
See more at: http://www.assar.uct.ac.za/news/news-namibia#sthash.sXaKx1RF.dpuf
Within ASSAR, the Southern African team focuses on the semi-arid areas of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Their mandate is to work with local experts and stakeholders to identify factors that will help people adapt to climate change in ways that support their livelihoods and ensure their wellbeing.
To get this work off the ground, in November 2014, Dian Spear, Salma Hegga and Margaret Angula drove some 2375 km through the semi-arid landscapes of north-central Namibia. Their goals for this trip included understanding the needs and interests of critical stakeholders from governmental and non-governmental fields, and figuring out how to work together - throughout the project life - to ensure that these needs are met.
Through these meetings the ASSAR team was able to develop their existing collaborations, forge links with new stakeholders, and identify stakeholders to reach out to in future. In the process they developed a better understanding of the context and status of climate change adaptation in Namibia. They also learned more about the perceptions, roles, concerns and needs of different stakeholders at different scales, from constituent levels, to regional and national levels.
From a strategic point of view, the team also became aware of the importance of following appropriate protocols when conducting work at multiple scales and with multiple and interconnected stakeholders. Lastly, and very importantly, the connections that the Southern African team developed with the Namibian stakeholders helped to identify potential pathways for putting their research into use, and making sure it has practical value.
With three years of research ahead of them this trip marks only the very beginning of the Southern African work process, yet it was critical for obtaining early support for the project by the people who matter most. As the team continues on its journey we will continue to document their activities, successes and challenges. Watch this space!
Written by Tali Hoffman
See more at: http://www.assar.uct.ac.za/news/news-namibia#sthash.sXaKx1RF.dpuf
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