AIACC Regional workshop, Open Meeting South Africa, March2003

1. AIACC_AF14 Project: EnvironmentalStrategies for Increasing Human Resilience in Sudan:Lessons for Climate Change Adaptation in Northern and Eastern Africa AIACC Regional workshop, Open Meeting South Africa, March2003

2. Overview • AIACC AF14 Project Background • Project progress to date • Stakeholders engagement • Link to national communication (NC)

3. AF14 Background: Partners and Goal • A joint project between the HCENR of Sudan and Stockholm Environment Institute-Boston Center (SEI_B) • Project Goal: To contribute to efforts to build the resilience of vulnerable communities to climate change. • Actually started May 2002 and expected to be completed by mid. 2004

4. AF14 Background: 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 resilience 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 SL, NRM, disaster mitigation and climate change adaptation • Contribute to adaptation planning under the UNFCCC

5. AF14 Background: Project Approach General steps: • Identify and confirm “successful” SL/NRM experiences. • Explore the nature of this success, using indicators to determine the way in which the community is resilient. • Ask “Why?” – what factors/conditions made it possible for strategies to be implemented, to take hold and to persist (lasting effect). • Distill (and communicate) lessons on how to build community resilience to climate impact.

6. AF14 Background: Expected Outputs • Series of 3-4 case studies reports • Series of three project synthesis reports • Peer reviewed publication of one or more synthesis documents • Series of four training modules • Three regional training workshops • Dedicated web page • The beginnings of regional network

7. AF14 Background: Expected Outcomes • Enable national and regional planning processes to effectively consider the most vulnerable groups; articulate unique local vulnerabilities • Identify locally-relevant resilience-building options • Build understanding of micro-and macro-level enabling conditions for adaptation • Build local adaptation awareness and engage GOS, NGOs and other potential adaptation project implementers

8. AF14 Progress: Phases • Scoping (completed) • Preparation (near completion) • Case studies research (started; to be completed mid-2003) • Synthesis and publication (late 2003) • Dissemination and Communication (first half of 2004)

9. AF14 Progress: Scoping phase • Internal scoping reports prepared for identification and selection of the TF members, CSRs and case studies (CS) • TF members, CSRs identified, contacted and contracted • Intensive literature review conducted for research methodologies, historical climate data, SL & NRM strategies and potential CSs • Methodology framework prepared and presented for discussion in Trieste workshop • First TF meeting conducted during scoping

10. AF14 Progress: Preparation phase • Background paper prepared on climate data for Sahelian Africa • 10 potential CSs identified summarized and circulated for review selection by TF & CSRs • Detailed Methodology and TORs documents prepared and reviewed by TF, CSRs (at least twice) and also by others • Two meetings conducted with the TF and CSRs to discuss the Methodology and TORs, and review potential CSs

11. AF14 Progress: Research phase • Examples of assessment indicators prepared and discussed with TF and CSRs • Pilot case study agreed and identified (main purpose to test methodology and TORs, and to identify, test and finally select indicators for resilience assessment) • Initial visit to the pilot case study site conducted

12. AF14: Stakeholders engagement 1 • Project development phase: the project introduced to Ministries of International Cooperation, Environment and to UNDP • Scoping phase: project introduced to number of organizations (local & international) involved in NRM, SL application, relief and disaster management, most of them contributed in the data collection task • Preparation phase: the TF consists of members who represent local, regional and international organizations. CSRs represent 6 different organizations (government, research, universities, NGOs and private) and at least twogenerations

13. AF14: Stakeholders engagement 2 • Research phase: various stakeholders at the case study sites are expected (planned) to be involved (Method. & TORs) these include local people groups, traditional leaders, local government, NGOs • Synthesis, publication and communication phases target variety of potential users and other interested national, regional and international stakeholder groups • A complementary project proposal on stakeholders involvement has been prepared and submitted to AIACC, its main objective is to inform guide and enhance planning and decision-making to better respond to the needs of vulnerable communities

14. AF14:Link to National Communications • AF14 is hosted and administered by the HCENR the Sudan’s focal point for UNFCCC and IPCC and responsible for the preparation of the NCs • SEI_B provided the technical advice to HCENR in the preparation of the first NC and other related activities • AF14 PIs and advisers are the key contributors to the preparation of Sudan’s first NC and most, if not all, will participate in the preparation of the coming NC • A member of Sudan’s V&A team participated in AIACC workshop on climate scenarios held in Norwich • Since HCENR is responsible for preparation of NCs, NAPA and Environmental planning, it is expected that AF14 will have direct connection with all these processes