Session 10_Gretel Gambarelli

Climate change adaptation vulnerability assessments using adaptation tools (CRiSTAL and CVCA) in East Africa and Central America

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

Katharine Cross(presented by Gretel Gambarelli)

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Outline

• The process: from vulnerability assessment to implementation

• Lessons learned

• Challenges

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Overview of vulnerability assessment

• Objective: Assess vulnerability to climate change and identify adaptation options

• Key Steps: 1. Community Consultations

– Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis Tool (CVCA) Key questions for different levels (individual/household; local

government/community; and national levels); Set of tools to gather information (e.g. policy analysis, institutional

mapping, participatory tools)

2. Data Analysis– CRiSTAL (Community-based Risk Screening Tool - Adaptation &

Livelihoods) Decision support system (using series of excel sheets) Assists users in making adjustments to improve a project’s impact

on adaptive capacity. Also identifies activities to increase adaptive capacity

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Where applied?

• Eastern and Southern Africa (Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and Mozambique)

• Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Chiapas, Guatemala)

• Also being applied in Western Africa

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Overview of process

• Step 1: Identification of the sites• Step 2: Training of facilitators on use of adaptation tools and

analysis

Chiapas, Tapachula El Salvador, San Francisco Menéndez

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Overview of process

• Step 3: Community consultations using adaptation tools (CVCA and CRiSTAL)

– Rain calendar and hazard map– Livelihood context - Information on key resources to

support livelihoods– Climate context – climatic hazards, impacts, coping

strategies, whether these are working, possible alternative strategies

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Example: Rain Calendar

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Example: Hazard map

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Livelihood Context (Shambarai Burka), Tanzania

Natural Water, land, trees

Physical Roads, irrigation infrastructure, oxen carts

Financial Selling crops, selling livestock, petty trading

Human Agricultural and livestock keeping skills, traditional healers, teachers

Social Religious groups, village organizations, schools

Resources important to sustaining local livelihood (mixed farming)

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Climate Context (Shambarai Burka example)

Hazard Impact Most common Coping Strategy

Is it working and sustainable

Revised coping strategy and how can be achieved

Drought Water shortage Water rationing Yes, but not sustainable

Build water storage, lining of irrigation canals to prevent leakage

Reduced pasture Move to look for new pasture

Yes, but not sustainable

Reduce number of livestock

Livestock disease Use of traditional medicine

Yes, but not sustainable

Introduce new health facilities (i.e. Dipping)

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Application with women of the Bri Bri indigenous community of Yorkin, Costa Rica

Application with men of the Bri Bri indigenous community of Yorkin, Costa Rica

Gather information in smaller groups – old men, old women, young men, young women, girls, boys, children – to cover different perspectives and priorities within community

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Overview of vulnerability assessment process

• Step 4 - Data analysis using CRiSTAL tool– Enter information from communities into excel sheets

along with facilitated discussion– OUTCOME – Series of adaptation activities which

improve communities’ adaptive capacity to dealing with climate change impacts

– Action plan to determine way forward

• Step 5 - Prioritise adaptation activities (i.e. cattle troughs, early warning systems)

– Feedback meeting with stakeholders (i.e. communities, district, Basin staff) to prioritise adaptation activities

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Overview of vulnerability assessment process

• Step 6 – Budgeting process– Put together budget estimates for prioritized adaptation

activities

• Step 7 – Implement and monitor adaptation activities• Step 8 - Communicate results and process with

decision-makers at different levels (parallel to all steps)

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Lessons Learned

• Need to choose tools that meet your needs: no one size fits all• Tools can be adapted according to context • Simultaneous training and application (learning by doing) is

essential in ensuring proper understanding of tools • Involvement of community members in data gathering as well

as analysis provides more in-depth valuable knowledge• Time for reflection is essential and feedback can strengthen

outcomes of the assessment– allow for enough time for data collection, analysis, and feedback

• Key to involve planners from different sectors in identification/analysis of adaptation to incorporate actions into development planning (i.e. district development plans)

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Challenges

• It is difficult to identify climate change impacts as distinct from other environmental and socio-economic trends

• Poor sharing of users’ experience across regions and organizations on tools application

• Facilitation is key to successful application – needs to be a strong component in training - training for trainers for scaling up

• Key decisions cannot rely on outputs of community vulnerability assessment alone - need holistic decision making framework (incl. available technology, resources, institutions, and legal framework)

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THANK YOU

Session 10_Gretel Gambarelli

Documents

adaptation tools cvca

adaptation tools cristal

use of adaptation tools

adaptation optionskey

training training

tools application facilitation

communities adaptive

context simultaneous