#theme:cc_cba

This manual is intended to support adaptive decision-making in vulnerable communities. The participatory monitoring, evaluation, reflection and learning (PMERL) framework presents a participatory methodology for developing and monitoring against community-based adaptation (CBA) indicators. The manual recommends three types of information which are essential to monitoring and evaluating CBA: practice, outcomes and context. These three types of information are needed, because practitioners need to know: what is being done and whether it is being done in ways that engage and support the most vulnerable communities (practice); if activities are resulting in actual vulnerability reductions on the ground (outcomes); and if vulnerability reductions are occurring in light of changing climate and other contexts, to better understand how climate and other stresses influence outcomes and to ensure outcomes are sustainable under climate and other stresses.

Indigenous peoples have extensive knowledge of their local environment and this knowledge can be a valuable tool for climate change adaptation. Unfortunately, indigenous knowledge is rapidly being lost as a result of globalisation, migration and the continued marginalisation and impoverishment of indigenous peoples. Through the lens of three case studies from the Peruvian Andes, this paper demonstrates the invaluable role that indigenous knowledge can play in adaptation to climate change, as well as the crucial contribution outside actors can play in preserving, restoring and disseminating this knowledge.

Climate change is set to have a significant impact on climate-sensitive sectors of national economies, such as agriculture. This report, published by the World Agroforestry Centre, discusses the challenges that climate change brings to smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia, and outlines adaptive measures that can be taken. It begins with a brief general discussion of climate change and moves on to describe the likely impacts for farmers. The following section highlights adaptive strategies available to small-scale farmers in the region. These options include: the diversification income and livelihood activities, altering current management practices, utilizing available carbon finance and altering crop varieties. The report concludes by offering advice to smallholder farmers who want to develop their own climate change adaptation strategy.

When considering climate change, indigenous peoples and marginalised populations warrant particular attention. Impacts on their territories and communities are anticipated to be both early and severe due to their location in vulnerable environments. Indigenous and traditional knowledge has been recognised as an invaluable basis for developing climate change adaptation and natural resource management strategies. Nevertheless, it remains largely outside the scope of the assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In order to strengthen consideration of indigenous knowledge in IPCC’s fifth assessment report (5AR), to be released in 2014, this publication draws the attention to the rapidly growing scientific literature on the contributions of indigenous and traditional knowledge to understanding climate change vulnerability, resilience and adaptation.

The paper starts by examining the rationale for coordination and mainstreaming of CCA and DRR based on trends in climate variability and extreme events, disasters and their economic implications and overlaps and conceptual similarities. Next, a brief overview of common characteristics of CCA and DRR climate risk management and mainstreaming approaches is provided along with emerging experience from their application in the context of climate change adaptation. This is followed by an analysis of nine climate change adaptation mainstreaming projects in Sub-Saharan Africa focusing on whether collaboration and or coordination is taking place and on identifying opportunities arising at various levels. The final section offers a discussion of potential ways forward for supporting systematic integration of CCA and DRR in the context of development.

Four fifths of the developing world’s food is produced on about half a billion small farms. Smallholder farmers live and earn their livelihoods in the world’s most ecologically and climatically vulnerable landscapes and they are at the forefront of the world’s efforts to deal with climate change and environmental degradation. Yet they are themselves among the poorest and least food secure people on earth. This proceedings document draws on the discussion that took place during the thirty-fifth session of the International Fund for Agricultural Development's (IFAD) Governing Council’s meeting held in February 2012. The panel discussions focused on developing innovative ways to address the many overlapping issues regarding the promotion of sustainable smallholder agriculture.

This paper describes how climate smart agriculture differs from traditional agricultural interventions for rural development and highlights the necessary changes in policy and practice to support rural stakeholders to adapt to the changing environment. The paper outlines three changes from business-as-usual development: 1) project and policy preparation must reflect the higher risks associated with climate change, calling for the use of vulnerability assessments and greater use of climate scenarios; 2) the appreciation of the interconnected risks should lead to scaling up of a multiple benefit approach to agricultural intensification by smallholder farmers to address poverty alleviation, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increase yields and enhance biodiversity; 3) changes in international development finance will enable smallholders to become direct beneficiaries of climate finance.

This report presents important knowledge on Ghana’s vulnerability to climate change and various adaptation options that could be integrated into sectoral and spatial planning. It provides the needed inputs for planning a sustainable future. The need to pay attention to community-level actions/responses through direct support and mainstreaming into national policy cannot be overemphasized. This study seeks to: Identify some robust adaptation strategies and options at the local level. Provide a basis for understanding how to structure adaptation interventions so as to benefit the most vulnerable households and communities within vulnerable regions. Assess the impact of socioeconomic status, gender, and poverty in shaping a range of types of vulnerability of different social groups to climate change. Provide cost-benefit estimates for alternative adaptation responses in different agroecological zones.