Eiar presentation 24th

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CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND AFRICAN AGRICULTURE GRANTEE CONVENING

24-25 February 2011

Making Ethiopian Agriculture Climate Resilient: Towards Networking and Coordination to

Mainstream Climate Change Adapataion into Food Security and Sustaiable Developemnt

Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR)

Girma Mamo, Principal Investigator

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Brief Background of EIAR

EIAR: evolved through several stages since its first initiation in late 1940s.

Part of NARS=

EIAR+ Regional Agricultural Research Institutes (RARIs) + Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs)

EIAR Overall coordination countrywide 55 research centers across various agro-ecological zones.

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Prime responsibility to address climate issues in Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP)

Current core value:

Better position in terms of technically capable manpower in climate science

Brief Background of EIAR

Directorate Technical Man Power

PhD MSc/MA BSc/BA/BEd Total

Crop 48 108 76 232

Livestock 7 56 37 100

Forestry 9 27 21 57

Soil and

Water 11 35 48 94

Agricultural

Mechanization 0 5 7 12

Total 75 231 189 495

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Other projects on CCA

Project Title Ongoing /new Funder

1. Integrated Technologies to mitigate drought and increase smallholder sorghum productivity

Ongoing

ASARECA

2. Linking seasonal climate outlook and weather info into food security under rain-fed cropping

Ongoing

World Bank

3. Assessing vulnerability and exploring best options

12 new Government

4. Making the best of climate variability in agriculture

5. Many more others forming leverage

Ongoing On going

ASARECA IDRC…

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Objectives of the Rockefeller Foundation Grant

1. To form a consortium that ensures networking among climate and agriculture institutions for mainstreaming climate change adaptations Capacity building

2. To develop a standard methodological tool for monitoring progresses from mainstreaming of CCA and sustain the impact beyond the project life Scalability/Sustainability

3. To assess vulnerability (social, economic and environmental) and map impacts Science

4. To create relevant climate risk adaptation policies and practices suited to effective networking Policy

5. To develop institutional capacity for technology dissemination, uptake and impact pathways to enhance climate change adaptations Technology/communication/impact

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No. Institution Remark

1 Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) NARS

2 Tigray Research Institute

3 Southern Agricultural Research Institute

4 Oromiya Agricultural Research Institute

5 Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute

6 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Development support institutions

7 Climate Change Forum-Ethiopia (CCF-E)

8 National Meteorology Agency (NMA)

9 Extension Directorate, MoA

10 Adama University, Assela College of Agriculture Knowledge institutions

11 Jima ,

12 Hawassa University, College of Agriculture

13 Arba Minch University

14 Andnet Secondary School (Assela)

15 Chilalo Terara Secondary School (Assela)

16 Hawas Preparatory School (Adama)

17 St. Joseph Preparatory School

18 Farmers Training Centres (FTCs) Target Groups

Partner Institutions

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Key Activities

1. Coordination and networking: Seven key climate-agriculture institutions with common goals have formed alliance

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2. Capacity building for effective mainstreaming

Short term training Climate change vulnerability and risk mapping

Climate change impact assessment

Long term training Climate & development oriented courses institutionalization and accreditation

MSc students (climate change& development)

Procurement Computing facilities, including for Farmers Training Centers

Development of commutation tools

Social Media, Own Web page RANET (Radio Internet)

Key Activities Continued

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4. Climate change policy formulation

Policy gap analyses for agriculture sector Policy gap analyses on climate data use Build on existing policy documents on agriculture and climate data use

5. Adaptation technology & communication mainstreaming

Assess project activities for climate risk management Identification of adaptation options Prioritize adaptation options Select best adaptation options Evaluation of adaptation options (through work-shopping ) Scoping the existing national technology communication structure Value addition NMA-Research- Extension- Farmers chain

Key Activities Continued

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Entry points/Indicators for Mainstreaming CCA

Project Level

Assess project activities for climate risk

Identify, Prioritize and Select best bet adaptation options

Implement adaptation options

Higher Learning Institute Level

Curriculum review

Curriculum

design/update

Feedback collection

Program accreditation

Enroll students

Farmer Training Center Level

Selection of FTCs

Module development

Capacity building

training for development agents

Farmers training

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Communication Tool Among Partners

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Training Specific area No of trainees

Short term • Climate change adaptation related project proposal writing 20

•Focal Personnel in climate change impact assessment and downscaling of GCM outputs

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•Experts from NARS and Arba Minch University in using RegCM 4.1 for downscaling (Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics)

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•Training on Social Media 15

•Sensitization workshop for community at 4 EIAR Research Centers

900

•Sensitization workshop for environmental clubs/scouts in 4 High Schools

200

Long Term MSc students in climate science 15 + 6

Resource persons (international) offering courses at Arba Minch University expressed commitment

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Highlight on the Progress to date

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Challenges

Currently, initiatives are many across a wide ranging institutions, However, climate change is such a complex challenge that, neither research nor development efforts can solve its adverse impacts in isolation

In Ethiopian context, with almost virtually rain-fed system, agriculture will continue to take the lead in the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) of the nation over the coming 5 years

But, existing adaptation options can not stand this ambitious plan:

Poor networking and coordination Poor institutional capacity to analyze climate

vulnerability, risks and impact mapping Poor technology, Poor financial backup Poor infrastructure

Government funded research projects identified to make

the best entry point in mainstreaming CCA in research

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NARS can not have any priority agenda than considering climate as a variable in its core business

Clearly, adaptation to the constraint in point will require new level of thinking and technologies (Business as usual can not be the way forward)

Therefore, re-positioning the existing technologies in response to ensuing opportunities

Climate science courses structuring and accreditation identified to make the best entry point in mainstreaming CCA in HLIs & secondary schools

The need for graduation of institutions for mainstreaming CCA

Building on existing climate related agriculture policy issues

Of partner local universities, only one is member of RUFORUM

Lessons Learnt

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Emerging Opportunities for Collaboration

Opportunities are also many, especially since the time is right and ripe to confront climate change through networking, and that, international donors are demonstrating great interest.

Opportunity of expanding (scaling out) the project idea and practices to Rockefeller Foundation grant receiving countries in East Africa

Strong commitment from African Governments on CCA

Establishment of 11,000 Farmer Training Centers (out reach )

Public climate money is hovering (Copenhagen and Cancun texts)

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Next steps

Enhancing analytical capacity in CC vulnerability and impact mapping

Building on existing farmers capacities

Building on existing policies in climate and agriculture

Strengthening communication tools in reaching out the farmers

Scientific evidence (both historical and future scenario)

Overall, working towards the graduation of partner institutions for mainstreaming CCA