Benefits for including decision makers in early project planning cop21

Benefits for including decision-makersin early project planning

Dr Tanya A. Warnaars11 Dec. 2015

Outline of talk• General needs for good policy dialogue• Communicating• FCFA programme & aims• AMMA-2050 project - driven by decision makers• Conclusions

General needs for Science-Policy Interfacing

Requires good knowledge of the decision making context, notably:• Who are the decision makers that drive the policy on CC?

• Government (ministers, government committees)• Civil servants• Regional, local authorities• Scientific & Political advisors

• What are the current policies & scale of operationLocal & regional; National; InternationalTiming: Are any changes anticipated in the near future?

• How are decisions reached: as scientists need to appreciate the decision making process

Policy making processEvidenced to

(new) policies

Appraise the options

Decide on option

Implement option

Assess risk and

uncertainty

Review evidence

Monitor Progress

How do they get their information is key to understand when and where to communicate

Communicating the message• Needs to be tailored for the audience Part of this exercise is understanding

where the barriers are• Knowledge exchange is a tool for interactions between these 2 ‘worlds’• Should communicate science in an appropriate way to the right

decision/policy makers & showing how it fits their policy needs

Policy & PracticeResearch

KE • Goal is for effective ways for knowledge sharing

• Proper funding is needed to support such activities

FCFA: supporting medium term decision makingFuture Climate For Africa (FCFA) programme will: • produce innovative climate science focused on Africa• ensure that this science has an impact on human development across the continent

FCFA funded by:- Department for International Development (DFID): lead the UK’s contribution to end extreme poverty- Natural Environment Research Council: (NERC): leading UK funder of independent research, training and innovation in environmental science

The partnership between DFID and NERC reflects the triple focus of the programme on scientific excellence, achieving impact and strengthening scientific capacity & international collaboration

AMMA-2050: African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis

Overall objectives:• understanding how the monsoon will change

in future decades• how this information can be most effectively

used to support development in the region

AMMA-2050 aims to improve understanding of how the West African monsoon will be affected by climate change in the coming decades, and help societies adapt.

Aims of AMMA-2050• Determine drivers of High Impact Weather (HIW)• Assess trustworthiness of HIW projections• Identify impacts and adaptation options for decision-makers• Apply knowledge in agricultural and urban hydrological settings • Greater awareness of the value of climate information in medium-

term decision making

Pilot studies in resilient agriculture, Senegal

Agricultural study based in Niakhar, Senegal

• Transfer climate smart information and technologies to decision-makers to support their mid- and long-term strategies and policies

• Identify appropriate climate smart agriculture technologies and innovations for intensification

Policies & engagement

• COMNACC (Comité National Changement Climatique) : All ministries, civil society, public and private sectors and experts

• Programme de Relance et d’Accélération de l’Agriculture au Sénégal” (PRACAS)

• Reporting to the stakeholders and elected officials updated policies on climate change

• Briefing decision-makers at the sub-regional level in the development of agricultural policies integrating information and forecasts on climate

• helping small farmers build their capacities for development resilience by providing both responsive and proactive technical assistance

Pilot studies in urban flooding, Burkina FasoFuture floods study based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

• Build a comprehensive knowledge base of flood information

• Inform the urban planning process • Evaluate the socio-economic impacts of flood predictions• Develop tools and outputs that integrate climatic risks

and socio-economic factors

Policies & engagement

• CONASUR (Conseil National de Secours d'Urgence et de Réhabilitation )

• The “Grand Ouaga” plan under development by the Burkina Faso Ministry of Urban Planning and Habitat.

• Build a comprehensive knowledge base of flood information

• Maps and reports on vulnerable flooding zones in Ouagadougou

• Identify the key social and economic factors and drivers which influence the flooding events in Ouagadougou.

Flooding in Ouagadougou, September 2009

FCFA Scoping studies findings• Focus on: Using Climate information to achieve long term development objects • Location: Accra and Maputo• neither city directly used future climate information• non-climate issued were critical to finding suitable climate change adaptation

strategies / interventions• Future plans need interaction of non-climatic and climatic factors• Expressed need for improved observational data to support future planning• Malawi study: highlighted barriers to using available climate information &

better use of existing information would improve resilience policies /planning

Conclusions• Co-production: scientists and policy makers working together• Demonstrate value of climate information in decision making• Understanding of the different view points of communities:• Know the Current regulating legislation • Who are the decision makers that drive the policy on CC?• Where is innovation coming from? Industry/research? Other?

Know this to get information to those who needed

More information:

[email protected] www.futureclimateafrica.org

www.amma2050.org (under construction)

THANK YOU