Influencing Policy on Climate Change from the Bottom Up:

Increasing Community Resilience to Drought in Makueni District in Kenya

Development and Climate Days at COP-14

Policy Formation in a Changing Climate Session

Poznan, 7 December, 2008

Dr. Maggie OpondoCentre for Science & Technology Innovations

Nairobi, Kenya

FACILITATEINTEGRATION

OF ADAPTATIONTO CLIMATE

CHANGE INTO KENYA’S

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

PLANS & POLICIES

SAKAI PROJECT

REDUCE POVERTYTHROUGH

DIVERSIFICATIONOF

LIVELIHOODS

INCREASE FOOD SECURITY BYENHANCINGDROUGHT RESILIENCEOF LOCAL

AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES

AIMS

GOAL = CONTRIBUTE TO ACHIEVEMENT OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS BY:

PROVIDING PRACTICAL EXAMPLES OF HOW A COMMUNITY CAN COPE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE-INDUCED DROUGHT

PROVIDING PRACTICAL EXAMPLES OF HOW NATIONAL POLICY MAY BE MODIFIED BASED ON INPUTS FROM LOCAL COMMUNITIES

Project Activities 1

Downscaling climate forecasts to guide choice of crops planted and the timing of agricultural activities

Project Activities 2

Improving agronomic practices by providing access to fast maturing and drought-resistant crop varieties

Project Activities 3 Building sand dams, shallow boreholes and drip irrigation systems to improve access to water for use in crop production

We can now plant and sell vegetables using the water from the sand dams” Onesmus Munyao

Project Activities 4

Increasing local self-help groups’ access to income-diversification activities

Policy Context 1• Environment and Development Policy (E&DP)

(1999) in response to increasing concerns about the effects of development of environment

• Recognition of inability to manage and reduce vulnerability to national disasters => National Disaster Management Policy Draft (NDMP)

• Draft Policy on Sustainable Development of Arid and Semi Arid Lands (SDASALs) to support implementation of NDMP

Policy Context 2• 2004 – Government taskforce constituted and finalised draft policies on NDM and SDASALs - but continued to gather dust

• 2007 – NDM draft policy recalled for inclusion of hazards such as tsunami and avian flu by the taskforce

• James Oduor – informed them of the pilot project and need to include CV and CC issues into the policy

Policy Context 3• Taskforce members agree that issues of CV &

CC be included in NDM draft policy

• An environmental scientist revised NDM policy to cover main issues on climate change and adaptation

• Revision included issues on climate change and adaptation in nearly all sections of draft policy on NDM

• NDM draft policy at cabinet level and likely to be approved late 2008 or early 2009

Policy engagement• Participatory “bottom-up” approach responsive to

local institutional structures

• 1 : ALRMP = agreed to work together and complement one another in areas of mutual interest

• 2 : Makueni District Steering Group = endorsement of project

• 3 : Local community engagement in problem identification and prioritization = community runs off with the project

Up-scaling at the local level• Demonstration sites established in 40 farming households

• Farmer to farmer training outside of pilot project site (each farmer trains 2 neighbours)

• 640 farmers trained by May 2008

• ALRMP – training on use of weather info in agricultural planning and GAPs conducted in other ASAL districts in 2007

• ALRMP currently rolling out the use of weather info in agricultural planning and GAPs in other ASAL districts

Impacts on Policy• Revision of the draft NDM policy to capture CV

& CC issues

• ALRMP implementation of project activities in other ASAL regions

• ALRMP to continue with pilot project activities

• Ministry of Development of Northern Kenya (February 2008) has recalled draft policy on SDASALS to revise and include issues on climate change and adaptation

Conclusion• Continuous participatory stakeholder engagement

• Not reinventing the wheel! Partnership with the ALRMP

• Influence and role of ALRMP in ASALs

• Receptive Sakai community leading to their ownership of project by community

• James Oduor committed ALRMP coordinator

• Dynamic multi-disciplinary

• Science-policy interface

• Utilizing windows of opportunities