Global Climate Change Alliance: Intra-ACP Programme Training Module Mainstreaming Climate Change

1. Global Climate Change Alliance: Intra-ACP Programme Training ModuleMainstreaming Climate Change Module 10 – Enhanced participation of communities Ms Isabelle MamatySenior ExpertClimate Support Facility

2. Enhanced participation of communities • Learning objective: • To understand the need to put communities first in designing appropriate climate change responses • To understand the need to integrate local knowledge on climate change in development planning • Expected outcomes: • Raising awareness on the recognition and respect of the vulnerability at community level to the impacts of climate change • Raising awareness on the use of lessons and experiences at the local level to feed into higher levels of decision making

3. Why should communities be involved? • Climate change impacts occur locally and affect local livelihoods activities • Vulnerability and adaptive capacity are context - specific and local • Climate change actions are best observed at local levels • Communities are an important repository of experiences and lessons learned (traditional knowledge) • Communities may help building climate change strategies to support poverty (via top-down and bottom-up approaches)*

4. Challenges facing the participation of communities • Lack of awareness of the government at local and national levels • Lack of information at local level • Limited capacity (financial and human) of local authorities • Structural and Institutional constraints e.gLand issue

5. Channels of engagement of communities (1) • Government should increase participation of communities in decision making processes though: • Local government • Civil society • Private sector • Both top-down and bottom-up approaches should be encouraged: communities should benefit from and shape decision making on climate change at national level

6. Channels of engagement of communities (1) • Local governments can help communities understand and reduce climate risks through: • Political representation: make sure that communities socio-economic and environmental priorities are taken into account in regional and national decision making and policies • Strategic development planning: Ensure participation of communities for strategic development planning processes for infrastructure, housing, land use and allocation, and regulation of natural resources • Delivery of public service: e.g. infrastructure and technology selected with a climate lens • Raising and managing local revenue: in case of higher decentralisation in the country…. But generally they are facing financial constraints that make the prioritisation of development objectives and activities difficult.

7. Channels of engagement of communities (2) • Civil society is effective intermediary between government and the communities through: • Advocacy: ensure that needs and preoccupations of communities are taken into account in development policies and processes at local and national levels • Awareness raising: e.g..( new) measures that seek to reduce climate-related risks • Research: collect of analysis ofinformation on risk , vulnerability, adaptive capacity and monitoring and evaluation at community level • Capacity building and training: e.g. new skills may be needed to develop Climate change strategies • Service delivery: health care, water and sanitation, disaster risk reduction

8. Channels of engagement of communities (2) • Private sector may support communities through: • Provision of economic opportunities and growth: job creation, better incomes • Service delivery: health, water .. • Political influence: local and national levels • Provision of financial, technical and human resources: access to innovations and technologies: e.g. water conservation; more resilient buildings…) • Public – private partnerships

9. Elements for successful participation Effective engagement with the community depends on: • clarity of the objectives and goals; • understanding of how the engagement fits in with official processes; • collect and communicate accessible, reliable information about climate change trends, impacts and actions: awareness-raising and targeted messaging on climate change • respect and promote local knowledge and ownership; • skill development and capacity building; • build relationships based on mutual trust and respect: participatory approaches e.g. participatory budgeting • feedback to the community and flexibility in the approach.

10. Gathering and using appropriate information (1) • Scientific information should be translated into information relevant to the target group • Knowledge about past climate risks and coping strategies is embedded in local traditions, histories and practices and should be understood as a basis for action • local knowledge should be gathered though Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools, stories, evidence, experienced trends; etc…

11. Gathering and using appropriate information (2) • Different categories of tools exist : • Process guidance tools that guide users through the identification, gathering, and analysis of relevant data and information • Data and information provision tools that generate or present data and information • Knowledge-sharing tools: platforms and networks that offer adaptation practitioners a virtual space for information and experiences related to climate risk and adaptation

12. Tools for gathering and organising information at the community level (1)

13. Tools for gathering and organising information at the community level (2)

14. Turning words into action

15. Discussion What are the opportunities for enhancing participation of communities in mainstreaming climate change process in your sector or at your level and what are the institutional and capacity needs in your organisation to do so? • Questions and answers • Participation of communities

16. Presentation of case studies • Presentation of case studies and best practices on the participation of communities

17. Recap – Key messages • In order to enhance participation of communities there is a need to: • analyse their problems, needs and interests in relation to national development priorities • gather, use and provide appropriate information • develop through top down and bottom approaches, strategies that will reduce their exposure to climate hazards and/or increase capacity to cope with their impacts while responding to their development needs • Development of these strategies should be through local governments, civil society and private sector channels

18. Key references • Conde C., K. Lonsdale, A. Nyong and I. Aguilar, 2005a. Engaging stakeholders in the adaptation process. In: Adaptation policy frameworks for climate change: Developing strategies, policies and measures. (B. Lim and E. Spanger-Siegfried, Eds.) Cambridge University Press, UK, 49-60. • OECD (2009) Integrating climate Change Adaptation into Development Co-operation-policy guidance • UNDP (2011) Practitioner’s Guide: Capacity Development for Environmental Sustainability. United Nations Development Programme, New York • UNDP-UNEP (2011) Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change into Development Planning: A Guide for Practitioners. UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Initiative • UNDP – Integrating environment into development: http://www.undp.org/mainstreaming/ • USAID (2007) – Adapting climate change – Guidance Manual

19. Thank you Contact: Dr. Pendo MARO, ACP Secretariat pendomaro@acp.int or +32 495 281 494www.gcca.eu/intra-acp