Effective Use of Climate Science to Improve Adaptation in Africa

Introduction

Gina Ziervogel, Climate Systems Analysis Group, University of Cape Town and Stockholm Environment Institute writes, “I have worked in the adaptation field for many years now but it has only been in the last year that I have started to work more closely with climate scientists. I have experienced a lot of challenges in accessing and interpreting climate data but by working with climatologists and others I have been able to look more closely at climate change scenarios and what they might mean for developing adaptation strategies in southern Africa. It is easier to use large scale global climate models and suggest adaptation strategies that are broadly linked to expected changes but downscaled climate scenarios exist from a range of models that can help us develop and prioritize robust locally-relevant adaptation strategies. However, there are many challenges we need to address in ensuring this is done more widely in Africa.”

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Effective Use of Climate Science to Improve Adaptation in Africa       

By Gina Ziervogel

Climate change is expected to intensify existing problems and create new combinations of risk with potentially grave consequences. This is particularly true in Africa where direct dependence on the natural environment for livelihood support combines with a lack of infrastructure and high levels of poverty to create vulnerability in the face of all types of environmental change. Accordingly there is a growing need for “anticipatory adaptation”, in other words, proactive rather than reactive management of climate change risk. Successful anticipatory adaptation requires the best available information concerning the nature of future climate risks: therefore it is vital that climate science is used more effectively in adaptation decision making.

A report entitled Climate Change and Adaptation in African Agriculture assessed the extent to which climate science is currently used in developing adaptation strategies within the agricultural development sector with a focus on Africa.  The evidence was based on interviews with over 40 practitioners and donors working in Africa to evaluate how the agricultural sector could be better supported in drawing on the science to develop robust climate change adaptation strategies.  From the report a number of key recommendations emerged that are presented below. 

Recommendation for improving the effective use of climate science in developing adaptation strategies

1. Improve access to historical climate data

Global climate models (GCMs) are not going to significantly increase in quality in the near future. However, by improving access to and availability of historical data, the quality of downscaling efforts would be enhanced and past climate trends could be more closely examined. ‘Rescuing’ historical data and converting these to workable (digital) formats would support this.

2. Strengthen skills for applying climate science

Climate scientists in Africa need to be better trained to apply climate change models, particularly at the local scale, using techniques such as downscaling. Resources are needed to support graduate students and provide employment opportunities for them at the post-doctoral level to encourage their continued contribution to developing and applying climate data. At the same time, efforts should be made to establish regional climate-science centres that have the necessary technology and institutional capacity to support climate modelling and downscaling.

3. Bridge the gap between information producers and information users

Communication between users of climate change model output (e.g. decision makers, practitioners and researchers) and producers of data (climate scientists) should be strengthened. To achieve this, it is necessary to:

• build the capacity of users to appropriately interpret and apply climate change projections while ensuring that the possibilities and limitations are well understood;
• improve climate scientists’ understanding of the information needs of different user groups, enabling them to more effectively target output; and
• support ‘translators’: individuals and organizations who understand the challenges to both users and producers, and who can act as information conduits between the two groups. This requires skills that many of those engaged in climate change adaptation have not developed. Specifically, it requires the ability to translate scientific concepts—without distorting them— into language that users can understand and apply. It also requires in-depth understanding of users’ needs and the potential uses of climate change projections.

4. Create ‘platforms’ for collaborative action and information sharing

A ‘platform’ for climate change adaptation (web based or otherwise) can provide space for collaborative action, mutual learning and the exchange of a range of material, for example from workshops, mailing lists, e-conferences, academic papers, policy briefs or information sheets (see box). A successful platform should be multi-disciplinary and have clear links to policymakers. It should also:

• offer a space for scientists, researchers, decision makers and practitioners to share knowledge
• and experience of climate change adaptation;
• be a repository for local climate, weather and climate change information; and
• store information on tools and methods to assess the impacts of climate change and contribute to the development of adaptation strategies.

The weAdapt platform

The weAdapt platform unites modelers, practitioners, donors and others via a range of innovative tools and methods, datasets, experience and guidance. It is an interactive resource (including a wiki) for building capacity for adaptation practitioners. It provides a structure and forum for reading, discussing and contributing to current thinking and experience on responses to climate variability and change. It includes stories about living with climate variability from stakeholders in Africa, challenges to developing NAPAs and suggestions on the use of climate information. Another key element of the platform is the Climate Change Explorer (CCE) tool, which permits access to and exploration of past and projected climate outcomes.

5. Build on existing organizations and networks

Despite Africa’s institutional deficit, there are a range of existing organizations and networks that have emerged to respond to local challenges. These should be the starting point for building adaptation responses. Typically, existing organizations benefit from a long-standing presence in the region and have built effective networks, credibility and trust among stakeholders. Often, such organizations are already grounded in the local reality—they understand local needs and know how to deal with the institutional constraints in the country in which they operate. Discussions should take place between newcomers and existing donors and players to ensure an effective response and avoid overlaps in roles and responsibilities.

6. Develop records of ‘good’ adaptation

To encourage local people, policymakers and development agencies to implement adaptation responses, evidence of ‘good’ adaptation is needed and should be recorded and catalogued (for example, cases of successful decision making in agricultural productivity or flood management that draw on climate change projection data). Evidence of ‘good’ adaptation would establish whether a policy or procedure is feasible and encourage its use elsewhere. Such records could also help to measure and assess the value of using climate change projections.

7. Focus aid to better support adaptation

Donor agencies have in the past three years shown increasing interest in climate change adaptation. In order to avoid the vagaries of supply driven interventions that have little relevance to local needs and priorities, it is essential to focus resources on the needs that are emerging from within Africa. Aid should:

• Support longer-term processes. Although one-off projects can help develop technical capacity to interpret and use climate information, experience has shown that building capacity in this way is a slow, resource-intensive process. Therefore it is important that funding is aimed beyond creating project-specific skills to strengthening existing networks and developing institutional capacity and stability.
• Help integrate ‘climate-driven’ and ‘development first’ approaches in institutional processes. Some donors support independent adaptation projects that first assess impacts and climate change vulnerability and then develop adaptation strategies. Others focus on development projects at the outset and integrate climate throughout the project cycle. Both approaches are needed to address the complexity of climate change impacts. 
  

Notes

The Climate Change and Adaptation in African Agriculture report was prepared by Ziervogel, G, Cartwright, A., Tas, A., Adejuwon, J., Zermoglio, F., Shale, M. and Smith, B. in 2008, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation.

Information about the author(s)

Gina Ziervogel is a Senior Researcher at the Climate Systems Analysis Group, University of Cape Town and a Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute. Gina holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Oxford in 2002.  Her work in southern Africa over the last 10 years has focused on how people depend on the environment, in order to understand how they might be impacted and adapt to climate change. She also explores how climate links to other challenges people face such as water insecurity, poor health and food insecurity. Gina has been involved in a number of projects including work for The Rockefeller Foundation, Oxfam GB, FAO among others.  In a recent visit to Malawi she worked with participatory film makers and the Malawi Red Cross who were helping people in Mphunga village capture their story of the impact and response to recent floods.

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