Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) program.

Welcome to Adaptation Africa, a quarterly news and events bulletin from the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) program.


Adaptation Africa: CCAA News and Events

Contents

1. Project news
2. Media coverage
3. Competitions
4. Events
5. Publications
6. Adaptation resources


1. Project news

New fund to support local adaptation strategies
A new fund has been launched to help vulnerable groups in three countries of West Africa propose adaptation research that meets local needs. The Support Fund for Local Adaptation Strategies was launched in April 2009. The Fund is administered by IED Afrique, with financial support from the CCAA program. Its first call targeted community-based organizations in Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal. Read more: http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-133599-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html

Latest CCAA projects
Following a call for proposals on urban vulnerabilities in September 2009, five projects to date have been approved. Full details on the call and successful projects can be found at http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-131052-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html.

Other projects recently approved:

· Partnership for adapting Vulnerable Populations to Soil Salinzation resulting from Climate Change in Sénégal led by Institut sénégalais de recherches agricoles (ISRA)

· Monitoring and evaluation toolkit development for climate change adaptation initiatives led by United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

· Eco-Health Approach to the Control of Onchocerciasis in the Volta Basin of Ghana led by Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana and Analysis of the health impacts of climate change adaptation strategies: The case of transmission of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis from Leishmania major in Tunisia administered by the Agence Tunisienne de Coopération Technique and implemented by l’Observatoire des Maladies Emergentes are the latest components of the CCAA-Ecohealth Linking Water, Climate Change and Health initiative.

· Linking African Researchers with Adaptation Policy Spaces (Kenya, Malawi, Uganda) led by Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex


2. Media coverage

Links to the latest media coverage of CCAA events and research projects captured online can be found at: http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-141450-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html


3. Competitions

AfricaAdapt and the Knowledge Sharing Innovation Fund
AfricaAdapt, a new knowledge sharing platform on adaptation in Africa, was launched in May 2009. From July 1 to August 1, 2009, AfricaAdapt invites applications to an innovation fund that offers grants of up to US $10,000 for projects attempting to share knowledge with hard to reach or marginalised African communities.
For more on AfricaAdapt or to apply to the Knowledge Sharing Innovation Fund, visit: www.africa-adapt.net
For background on CCAA support to AfricaAdapt: http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-140225-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html

Picture this
Caring for the Earth photo contest seeks images that show how ordinary people on the African continent are mitigating the consequences of climate change and environmental degradation. The contest was launched by UNDP, in partnership with Agence France-Presse (AFP) and the Olympus Corporation. The deadline for submissions is August 31, 2009.
For more information: http://www.undp.org/picturethis


4. Events

Cities and Climate Change
CCAA and IDRC’s Urban Poverty and Environment program supported the 2009 Urban Research Symposium in Marseille France, June 28-30. The programs jointly contributed to research papers and presentations on the symposium theme: “Cities and Climate Change – Responding to an Urgent Agenda”.

AMCEN Third Special Session on Climate Change
CCAA Program Officer Evans Kituyi represented the program as an observer to the Third Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) on Climate Change, May 25-29, 2009. The Special Session provided a forum for the Ministers to discuss a common African negotiating position on a post-2012 international climate change regime and a comprehensive framework of African climate change programs.
Background on and outcomes of the Special Session can be found at: http://www.unep.org/roa/Amcen/Amcen_Events/3rd_ss/default.asp
A policy brief prepared by the CCAA program for the Special Session can be found at: http://www.idrc.ca/ev_en.php?ID=142157_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC

Exploring Morocco’s vulnerability to climate change
Partners, staff and Advisors to the CCAA program met in Agadir in May 2009 for a roundtable that explored how participatory action research is addressing climate change vulnerability. Researchers from four projects presented their work to date, following the 7th meeting of CCAA’s Advisory Board. DFID’s Chief Science Advisor, Sir Gordon Conway, was on hand to highlight the value of involving communities directly in testing adaptation options. Dr. Mohamed Badraoui, Director General of INRA, underscored the imperative of safeguarding Morocco’s development achievements against the impacts of climate change.
Read more: http://www.idrc.ca/ev_en.php?ID=142086_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC

Advisors present on climate change and mobility in Africa
CCAA’s Advisory Board Chair and Vice-Chair participated in the conference on “Climate Change and Human Mobility in Africa” organized by the Centro Studi di Politica Internazionale (CeSPI) and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, April 21-22, 2009. Vice Chair Balgis Osman Elasha provided an overview of the IPCC report on Africa for the conference attendees, while Chair Mbareck Diop highlighted the work of the CCAA program during a panel on environmental vulnerability, migration, peace and stability. Their presentations and more information on the conference can be found at: http://www.cespi.it/climate-dev-africa.html

Strengthening M&E in adaptation research
Staff and partners of CCAA reviewed various approaches to monitoring and evaluating adaptation research at a workshop held in Mombasa, Kenya in May 2009. Research partners were consulted on research communications needs and were introduced to AfricaAdapt, a new knowledge sharing platform that will serve the continent. More information on CCAA’s capacity building workshops to date can be found at: http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-126891-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html

Improving communication with policymakers
CCAA recently supported a half-day symposium on Effective Communication of Science and Climate Change Information to Policy Makers. The event took place during the 3rd East African Health and Scientific Conference (EAHSC) held in Nairobi on March 25-27, 2009. It brought journalists, researchers and policymakers together to identify capacity gaps and opportunities to improve communication on climate change and science issues in the sub-region.
For a full report see: http://www.idrc.ca/ev_en.php?ID=141838_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC


5. Publications

· “Farmers' perceptions lead to experimentation and learning”, an article by P. Mapfumo et al in Leisa magazine, Volume 24 special issue on Climate Change, documents early lessons from the CCAA project Resilience and the African Smallholder.

· « Accompagner des citoyens dans des actions d’adaptation aux changements climatiques » by Diane Pruneau, Abdellatif Khattabi and Jackie Kerry appears on pp. 48-52 of Énergie, santé et éducation relative à l’environnement, published by IEPF. Dr. Khattabi leads the CCAA project Moroccan Coastal Management: Building Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change through Sustainable Policies and Planning

· A special feature on Malaria and Climate Change by Andrew Githeko appears in the Commonwealth Health Ministers' Update 2009. Dr. Githeko leads the CCAA project Transferring the Malaria Epidemic Prediction Model to Users in East Africa


6. Adaptation resources

The Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the Heinrich Böll Foundation have launched a new, independent website that tracks international funding initiatives designed to help developing countries address the challenges of climate change. See: www.climatefundsupdate.org

Communicating research
New! CCAA presents a collection of online resources to help you effectively communicate your research: http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-141591-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html

Scoping studies on African adaptation
In 2007, CCAA commissioned a series of scoping studies exploring the strengths and capacity needs of African institutions with expertise relevant to climate change and adaptation. Regional reports can be found at:
http://www.idrc.ca/ccaa/ev-142225-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html



The Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) research and capacity development program aims to improve the capacity of African people and organizations to adapt to climate change in ways that benefit the most vulnerable.

The program was launched in 2006 and is jointly funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID). It is hosted and managed by IDRC from headquarters in Ottawa and three regional offices in Africa.