Strategic Plan – Climate change, Vulnerability, and Adaptation
Climate change and climate variability are uneven processes that have been occurring since the beginning of time. Since the Industrial Revolution, however, and particularly since the turn of the twentieth century, the pace and frequency of these processes have taken on a disturbing intensification, reflecting massive increases in anthropogenic contributions to the composition of the atmosphere, particularly in terms of those greenhouse gases (GHGs) that have most impact on climate dynamics. The nature of climate change impacts varies from region to region but it is generally accepted that the developing world and Africa in particular, is likely to be worst hit, not just in terms of the negative impacts of physical changes taking place but also in its vulnerability, preparedness and resources available to adapt to the likely impacts.
This is an ironic situation for Africa to be in since most of the anthropogenic causes of climate change lie in past and present processes originating in the highly developed economies of the north. That said, there is much that Africa can do to mitigate local impacts of locally engendered environmental change, for example, in terms of deforestation, use of biomass as a fuel, extensive burning and over-exploitation of existing productive land. Meanwhile ENDA understands climate change in Africa is taking place and may do so in the future at an increased pace which requires preparedness and planning and not just dealing with the impacts when they occur.
Overall, precipitation levels are likely to increase, but some regions of the world, particularly in the northern and southernmost zones of inter-tropical convergence are likely to see reductions in precipitation and overall aridification of the physical environment with concomitant reductions in biocapacity. This, in turn, can impose limitations on the capacity for human development and advancement. In Africa, the Sahel and Kalahari Basins are particularly vulnerable. These regions also happen to contain many of the countries least able to deal with the ramifications of such impacts in terms of both mitigation and adaptability. This is due, to a large extent, to poor economic and political capacity, lack of infrastructure and skills, and lack of information at all levels of governance as well as among the communities affected. Vulnerable populations in these zones are concomitantly undergoing rapid socio-economic change and are often exposed to political instability, conflict and poverty in the postcolonial era, all of which conspire to exacerbate the precariousness of human security.
Some communities in these vulnerable zones are not yet experiencing noticeable levels of climate change or are unaware of the logic for changes that are occurring to the weather and the natural environment. Others, meanwhile, are experiencing higher temperatures, reduced and less reliable rainfall, more droughts, floods and other severe weather events while those close to the coast are vulnerable to rising sea levels that threaten to inundate coastal urban and rural areas with salt water. All of these threaten exiting modes of production and human security.
It remains largely the case that local people have virtually no information regarding potential changes to their ecosystems due to climate change that are likely to occur in the future and are, therefore, largely unprepared. This lack of information is a serious hazard to socio-economic development and is an oft-unappreciated aspect of vulnerability. Meanwhile, these same communities are often substantially reliant on the natural environment for their survival, productive activity and reproduction of culture, particularly in the rural areas.
Research into climate change and the potential for adaptation, therefore, must take into account shortfalls in local information both of impending changes and alternative strategies that may be available, as well as skills and resources for implementation. Research must also take into account current and future relevant political, economic and socio-cultural dynamics and the explanations behind such dynamics that vulnerable regions are exposed to. No attempt at adaptation can exclude these, particularly in the realms of governance and economic supply and demand. Failure to accurately take into account such dynamics can render futile costly research into the mechanics of climate change and climate modelling and prediction as these can lead to inappropriate project and programme development. Currently, there exists a shortfall in the realm of planning for environmental change and this is reflected in the state of overall unpreparedness across Africa, a situation that heightens vulnerability.
As a leading African NGO specialising in environment and development, ENDA seeks to investigate, catalogue and inform on climate processes and changes that are and are likely to affect the different regions of Africa. This mission entails, firstly, the accumulation of data and knowledge from the regions as well as from organisations and researchers specialising in climate research. Secondly, ENDA appreciates the knowledge deficit that has existed in Africa to date at all levels on climate processes, current and expected changes, their explanation and the possibilities that exist for mitigation and adaptation. ENDA seeks to correct this knowledge deficit through the construction of ‘knowledge banks’, programmes of information provision, training and capacity building, particularly at policy and other decision-making and enabling levels.
Vulnerability in this case refers to the sensitivity of physical and human environments to the impacts unleashed by climate change and variability. This is not to say that climate is the only factor creating vulnerability and environmental change as several other human and physical processes also contribute in this regard. In this programme, however, we are concerned with potential detrimental impacts on physical and human systems and their ability to cope and survive. Fundamental to the theme is an understanding that climate change, itself a process initiated by both physical and anthropogenic processes, does not act alone in creating negative or detrimental impacts but rather in tandem with other political, economic and socio-cultural dynamics and networks. Thus, vulnerability has to be understood as a product of exposure to several crosscutting biophysical and human dynamics.
Therefore,in terms of human (social) and biophysical systems (inherent), vulnerability can be viewed as an intrinsic property of the system, partly arising from its internal characteristics. Social vulnerability is determined by factors such as poverty and inequality, marginalisation, governance, food entitlements, access to insurance and housing quality. In this formulation, it is the interaction of hazard with social vulnerability that produces an outcome, generally measured in terms of physical or socioeconomic damage. Hence social vulnerability may be viewed as one of the determinants of biophysical vulnerability.
As previously suggested, vulnerability exists differentially across the African continent and even within countries, some of which straddle more than one biome. ENDA, thus, seeks to correctly identify and map vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and the degree to which this exists.
Adaptation, meanwhile, follows on from the discussion on vulnerability in that, having identified vulnerable environments and systems, new or adapted processes may be sought to reduce the harshness of impacts and create alternative viable activities and dynamics to replace and exceed any value lost, directly or indirectly as a result of climate change. In so doing, it is often the case that new and more efficient ways of utilising resources are discovered and that would, in any case, assist the overall development effort. Adaptation takes place in two modes on two timescales, retroactively as a reaction to existing impacts of climate change or variability and proactively in advance of predicted impacts.
The term adaptation is used here to refer to adjustments in a system’s behaviour and characteristics that enhance its ability to cope with external stresses. Given constant levels of hazards over time, adaptation will allow a system to reduce the risk associated with these hazards by reducing its social or biophysical vulnerability. Decisions on adaptation are made by individuals, groups within society, organizations and governments on behalf of society. The role of social institutions, social capital and social networks must be acknowledged in adaptation processes.
Nevertheless, adaptation can only take place if capacity is in place. This capacity refers to knowledge and information, infrastructure, skills, policy environment and enabling strategies at various levels of governance. Thus one of the chief challenges that ENDA takes on is to accurately assess the ability of communities and governing bodies to adapt and for environments to be adapted. This critical component of assessment is seen as key to successful adaptation strategies being adopted and ENDA seeks to utilise its expertise and experience of African politico-economic and socio-cultural as well as biophysical environments, to provide the maximum level of information.
A second but equally important challenge is to propose and support specific adaptation measures that are tailored to specific African environments and circumstances.
Meanwhile, the gender issue has often been a missing component within the climate change debate. Throughout the process of assessment of vulnerability and planning for adaptation, consideration must be given to gendered inequalities that are particularly marked in countries where wide divisions of wealth and prosperity exist, which tend to become even more acute during phases of crisis.
ENDA supports adaptation that puts ‘development first’ in programme planning and implementation, a people-centred approach that considers the aspirations and needs of populations at the coalface of environmental change as the overriding priority. This does not negate the primacy of sustainable development that caters for the development needs of both present and ensuing generations as well as the physical environment.
The ENDA vision – an Africa in which climate change, which is now accepted as an unavoidable global process, takes place without harming human or environmental security and in which aspects of human development such as poverty alleviation and economic development can continue unhindered.
The ENDA mission – to participate in and coordinate research and provide information on climate change, vulnerability and adaptation, and capacity deficits where these exist; to contribute to policy making and programmes that protect and ensure African development goes ahead with all due care for the environment and its inhabitants and to participate in capacity development at all levels
The ENDA strategic plan – to enable the above in three linked phases by:
- A programme of research into climate processes past, present and predicted affecting Africa as part of the global climate system
- Create a knowledge bank of indigenous strategies and systems employed to adapt to climate change over time and space in Africa and analyse how this could be useful in current and predicted climate scenarios
- A strategy of information provision to be undertaken at various levels of government, academia, organisation and local community in what can be termed ‘knowledge exchange workshops’ at which information can be fed from specialists to policy makers and affected communities and also receive information in return.
- Produce an assessment of vulnerability, mapping where it exists and to what extent local communities and their environments are likely to be impacted.
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An assessment and analysis of past and present adaptation practice to investigate what strategies have experienced success and which have not.
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Develop a programme of adaptation possibilities and potentialities according to location and severity of projected impacts together with strategies for their operationalisation under the heading of ‘development first’. The emphasis of adaptation will be in the realm of proactive strategies that plan for change, although reactive strategies are also necessary. Gender sensitivity will also play a key role. The focus of ENDA’s work is at a variety of scales ranging from the regional to the local (community level).
- Compilation of a needs assessment for capacity building to enable adaptation strategies to be operationalised together with proposals to build capacity where applicable. Develop new methodologies (integrative, development and policy driven, taking into account indigenous knowledge as well as gender issues) and strategies for training and capacity building among African institutions as well as improving exchange and networking facilities on climate change adaptation at various levels of governance, traditional leadership and civil society, the emphasis being on closing the gap between research and action and curtailing dependence on overseas institutions.
- Assisting policy and decision makers at national governance level to factor in climate change mitigation and adaptation into national strategies for poverty eradication and sustainable development such as Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) and National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs).
Throughout, ENDA recognises the need for sharing of information and resources as well as strategic co-operation with other organisations, both northern and southern based. Meanwhile, ENDA’s vitality as an independent, long-established Africa-based organisation specialising in African energy, environment and development issues positions it squarely at the forefront of African development for the twenty-first century, a position ENDA will confirm and enhance. Based in Dakar (Senegal), ENDA has particular experience and unrivalled knowledge of the West African sub-region, participating in and coordinating development research and practice, and building indigenous capacity in conjunction with other development organisations and international donors.
