Événements

In order to integrate the work of CCAFS themes and research as well as non-research partners, CCAFS has established six learning sites across four countries, where place-based research will be conducted in Kenya (Nyando and Wote), Uganda (Hoima and Rakai), Tanzania (Lushoto) and Ethiopia (Borana). The learning sites were chosen to represent areas that are becoming both drier and wetter, and are focal locations where participatory action research (PAR) efforts are expected to generate results that can be applied and adapted to other regions worldwide. Read more about where we work here.

The regional program will host a three-day workshop to engage with partners from agricultural research, agricultural extension, climate services and products, food security, and early warning systems in East Africa. The overall objective of the workshop is to plan and develop thematic research to support climate risk management, adaptation and mitigation options in East Africa, resulting in four to five project concepts that can be supported as seed PAR activities. From these seed activities, we intend to build longer term projects from those with the greatest potential to deliver CCAFS outcomes and impact. The workshop will build on the regional research needs and priorities identified from previous national and regional workshops in 2011.

The workshop will take place on Tuesday, 26th – Thursday, 28th June, 2012 at the Mt. Meru Hotel in Arusha, Tanzania.

The specific objectives of the workshop are to:

- Share on-going CCAFS participatory action research (PAR) activities across the learning sites and through national as well as regional initiatives;

- Explore areas of collaboration between national and other partners working within East Africa, with those from CGIAR centers and Universities;

- Develop four to five project concepts that can be supported as seed PAR activities, focusing on thematic research areas to support climate risk management, adaptation and mitigation options in East Africa; and

- Identify climate risk management, adaptation and mitigation practices and plan for interventions in agriculture and that are likely to benefit women and other socially differentiated groups.

2. Anticipated workshop outputs:

-  Formation of working groups on climate risk management, adaptation and mitigation in agriculture

- Identification of climate-smart agricultural practices and interventions that are likely to improve gender equity and benefit poor women

- Draft of four to five research concept notes for activities that range from 9 months to 2.5 years

- Agreements on partnership arrangements and an implementation plan

3. Research needs and priorities in East Africa identified in 2011

Climate risk management

 - Develop of tools to assess impacts of climate change on crop yields, livestock production and fish at the local level e.g. APSIM and AQUACROP tools;

 - Improve and downscale seasonal forecasts and climate predictions;

 - Timely, reliable and user friendly delivery of seasonal forecasts that effectively address the demands of the farmers (PDF);

 - Identification and documentation of local traditional risk-management strategies

 - Integration and communication of indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) and scientific weather forecasting and early warning systems; and

 - Diversification for risk management and index-based financial risk transfer for crops and livestock.

Adaptation

 - Crop and livestock breeding, and improvement of livestock feed resources for future climate;

 - Integrated pest and disease management;

 - Mapping risks for targeting appropriate crop and livestock adaptation technologies; and

 - Use of climate scenarios, spatial and temporal analogues for designing adaptation strategies in agriculture.

Mitigation

 - Sustainable agricultural intensification strategies through sustainable land management , and agro-forestry;

 - Test institutional options and incentives for mitigation across socially differentiated groups and gender; and

 - Quantification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to inform mitigation interventions.

Linking knowledge to action

 - Communication and social learning approaches and knowledge networks for scaling up climate smart agricultural technologies; and

 - Processes, approaches and tools to enhance science-policy dialogue and promote evidence-based policy outcomes through the Regional Learning Partnership (RLP).