By: Nagmeldin Elhassan on behalf of AF14 project _SUDAN

1. SBSTA_20: In-session Adaptation WorkshopSession 4. Solutions and opportunities: exchange of practical experiences Presentation Title:Strategies for Increasing Human Resilience in Sudan: Lessons for Climate Change Adaptation In the Sahelian Africa By: Nagmeldin Elhassan on behalf of AF14 project _SUDAN

2. Overview • Rationale and Motivations • Sudan AF14 Project: • Overview • Project Goal • Major objectives • Methodology: • Research Goal • Research Approach • Research Scope • Bara case study: • Overview • What happened? • Results? • Conclusions

3. Rationale and Motivations • Urgent adaptation needs of most vulnerable groups • Increase current coping capacity through adaptation • Existence of local coping strategies and lessons from other disciplines (e.g., sustainable livelihoods, disaster mitigation, natural resource management); potential for integration • Developing Countries in need of SD-consistent adaptation strategies • Many no-regrets options and co-benefits exist • But, disconnect between community needs and policy process

4. Sudan AF14: Overview • Sudan AF14 project: Strategies for Increasing Human Resilience in Sudan: Lessons for Climate Change Adaptation in the Sahelian Africa • One of the 24 regional studies of AIACC:Global Assessment of Impacts and Adaptation to Climate Change in multiple regions and sectors • AIACC sponsor by GEF, with collateral funding from USAID,CIDA, US EPA and the WB. And implemented by UNEP and executed by START and TWAS • Partners: Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources (HCENR) in Sudan and Stockholm Environment Institute Boston Center (SEI-Boston)

5. Sudan AF14: Project Goal To support the process of climate change adaptation to effectively respond to the needs of vulnerable communities by documenting cases of effective community-based adaptive capacity (AC) building and sharing lessons on why these cases were effective and how to support similar activity. Villagers from drought-affected area of Northern Sudan (USAID)

6. Sudan AF14: Major Objectives • Strengthen capacity of national actors in Sudan (and surrounding countries) to respond to climate change • Provide decision makers with most current information on SL/NRM strategies that can increase the AC of vulnerable communities. • Share lessons for promoting climate change adaptation with the research, planning, policy-making, communities etc. • Enhance and expand regional collaboration in the areas of EM, disaster mitigation and climate change adaptation

7. Methodology: Research Goals • Measure impact of successful SL projects (change in AC pre- and post-project) • Identify policies, institutions and processes that support or inhibit SL activities (enabling factors at different scales) • Generate guidance for using the SL framework as an adaptation assessment tool • Generate lessons for pro-poor adaptation policy, planning and implementation

8. Methodology: Research Approach • Climate variability and extremes as climate change proxy • Sustainable livelihoods framework and assessment tools • “Successful” AC-building experiences • Targeted participation • Indicators • Policy Process analysis of micro-macro linkages

9. Methodology: Research Scope • 3 or 4 case studies of successful SL projects in drought-prone communities • 2 major elements per case study: • Project impact assessment (fieldwork): Has the project succeeded in building community adaptive capacity? In what ways? To what effect? • Policy/institutional analysis: What enabling factors account for project success? What policies, conditions, etc. (micro, meso, macro-scale) are behind successful experiences? How can these be built upon/encouraged?

10. Bara case study: Overview • Context: Villages in the drought-prone Bara Province, Western Sudan • Approach: Community-Based Rangeland Rehabilitation • Two main development objectives: • Create locally sustainable NRM system to rehabilitate overexploited lands. • Reduce the risk of production failure by increasing the number of livelihood alternatives… leading to greater local stability • Key Actors: Villages within Gireigikh rural council, pilot project staff, UNDP/GEF

11. Bara case study: What happened? A group of villages undertook a package of SL measures. These included: • Institution Building • Training and capacity building • Rangeland Rehabilitation • Replanting • Stabilization of sand dunes • Creation of windbreaks • Livestock restocking and management • Community Development • Water development • Rural energy management • Introduction of revolving credit • Drought contingency planning

12. Results: Natural Resources(natural capital) • Rangeland improved in area, and the grazing allotment system introduced by the project improved the quality and diversity of rangeland, and hence its forage production (carrying capacity) • Livestock improved in number and productivity particularly the sheep which is most adapted to the type of rangeland in the area • Land use system become more adapted, more land allocated as grazing allotments at the expense of marginal land cultivation • Access by marginal groups improved particularly to grazing allotments

13. Results: Financial Resources(financial capital) • Access to credits (revolving funds and local banking system) improved • More diversity of income sources (livestock, women gardens, poultry, small industries etc) • Access to market very much improved, local market linked to national and regional markets (favored by supportive policy) • Average income improved in level and stability • More information become available and people learned how to use information for marketing and planning purposes

14. Results: Infrastructure(Physical capital) • Water infrastructure improved, water harvesting systems and water pumps more water made available for household and irrigation purposes • Food storage improved in capacity and quality (grains stores, grains mills) • Mud building instead of using natural vegetation • Improved stoves introduced and adopted • Women gardens, Grazing allotments, veterinary pharmacy etc

15. Results: Human Resources(human and social capitals) • Number of trained skilled people increased in areas of planning, NRM, veterinary, human health service, pumps and mills maintenance etc (high level of awareness). • Education, human health and veterinary services improved • Food production and quality improved (women gardens) • Efficient Local institutions well recognized and able to mobilize community and to carry on interventions (natural resources, drought, revolving funds, coordination and othercommittees) • Marginal groups are well represented in committees and participating in decision making • Traditional leaders support the committees

16. Results: Sustainability and Risks concerns • Number of migrating tribes attracted by the resources in the project area, they come along with their animals • lack of clear land use and land tenure policies, lack of rangeland legislation and lack of proper coordination between the people and the rangeland administration. • Committees lack adequate financial and logistical resources which affect their performance • Need for political recognition and support • Migration of trained people to work in towns and irrigated schemes

17. Conclusions • Adaptations to current climate risks are generally consistent with adapting to future climate change • Immediate actions on AC building and enhancement of current coping capacity are necessary to reduce vulnerability to current climate-related risks and climate change. • Adaptive capacity (AC) can improve where people have better access to resource, market, technology, information, social service, high level of awareness, skills, security , strong institutions and effective organizations • National policy processes and SD planning need to integrate AC building and adaptation strategies at the community level

18. Conclusions • Adaptation concept and practice will evolve overtime when more information on practical experience become available (but we need to start learning by doing now) • Effective mechanisms for information exchange and sharing of experiences are highly needed to advance knowledge and actions on adaptation • Need to identify and share lessons from successful community-based AC-building experience – both autonomous and project-based (AF-14 project goal). • Need to understanding the processes , priorities and dynamics of local communities before formulating practical adaptation strategies

19. Thank You