National Stakeholder Workshop on Community Based Adaptation in The Gambia

8/3/2019 National Stakeholder Workshop on Community Based Adaptation in The Gambia

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Zachary BaileyPolitical/Economic Officer

U.S. Embassy Banjul, The Gambia

February 25, 2011

Adaption to Climate Change in The

Gambia


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The Big Picture Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa

Africa is home to 45 percent of the worlds biodiversity andthe survival of its forests is a critical factor in tempering globalclimate change.

Development pressures are driving degradation of Africassoil, water, and biodiversity resources, resulting in asignificant threat to the economic well-being of futuregenerations of Africans.

By 2020, between 75 and 250 million people are projected tobe exposed to increased water stress due to climate changein Africa.


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How is the Climate Changing

Over the 20th century, mean temperature on the Africancontinent has increased by 0.8 C, rainfall has diminished,and seasonal/interannual rainfall variability has increased. Bythe end of this century, temperatures are projected to rise 3-

4 C

Northern and Southern Africa are projected to become drier,East Africa wetter, while the direction of precipitation in West

Africa remains uncertain

Seasonal/interannual climate variability is also expected toincrease in this century resulting in more frequent and morecatastrophic droughts and floods, and greater rainfallintensity.


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Possible Results of Climate Change

Increased food insecurity due to high dependence on rainfed agriculture

Decreased water availability as a result of elevated surface

temperatures, and increased seasonal/interannual rainfallvariability, and aridity

Heightened disease burden due to an increase in the range

of mosquitoes, results of floods and droughts, and higherrates of malnutrition

Detrimental coastal effects such as sea level rise, morefrequent storms and stronger storm surges, erosion, andsaltwater intrusion


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The Smiling Coast of The Gambia

In Gambia people are attracted to the coast because it is afocal point for economic growthaccounting forinfrastructure, transportation, trade, tourism, recreation and amyriad of ecological goods and services.

They provide habitat and nurseries for the majority ofcommercially important marine fish and shellfish species, andprovide food security and livelihoods.

They offer storm surge protection, erosion control, floodmitigation, help retain nutrients, and filter pollutants.


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Erosion impacts both public and private investmentswhich are often built too close to the shore or do not consider

appropriate building techniques for dynamic shorelines


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The Way Forward - Adaptation

Adaptation: Adjustment in natural or human systems inresponse to actual or expected climatic changes or theirimpacts, so as to reduce harm or exploit beneficialopportunities.

Ecosystem-based adaptation strategies can helpcommunities protect natural systems such as coastalforests, sand dunes, and coral reefsand, in turn, protect the

benefits they provide, such as shoreline protection, erosioncontrol, recreation opportunities, food, jobs and income.

Effective climate change adaptation costs much less thanthe no action alternative.


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The 5 Step Adaptation Roadmap

1. Assess Vulnerability

2. Select Coarse Action

3. Mainstream CoastalAdaptation

4. Implement Adaptation

5. Evaluate for AdaptiveManagement


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1. Assess the Vulnerability

Assess climate change projections

Assess exposure to climate change

Assess sensitivity to climate change

Assess health of coastal habitats

Assess adaptive capacity


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2. Select Coarse of Action

Identify priorities

Define adaptation goals and objectives

Assess adaptation measures

Select measure or bundle of measures


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Functioning and healthy coastal ecosystems

The built environment is less exposed and less vulnerable todamages from natural hazards

Livelihood opportunities are maintained or strengthened inthe face of climate change impacts

Examples of Adaptation Goals for Coastal Climate

Change


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3. Mainstream Coastal Adaptation

Integrating climate concerns and adaptation responses intorelevant policies, plans, programs, and projects at thenational, sub-national, and local scales. The long-term goal isto have climate change adaptation integrated into public

policy across many sectors, woven into organizationalmissions, and routinely considered in decisions aboutdevelopment

Climate change policies cannot be the frosting on thecake of development; they must be baked into therecipe of growth and social development. -RobertZoellick, President, the World Bank Group


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Building capacity and providing opportunities for exchangeamong practitioners will be key to successful mainstreaming


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Entry Point I: National / regional settingsNational Adaptation Programme of ActionNational coastal management programsHazard mitigation or disasterpreparedness

Poverty reduction strategies

Entry Point II: Sectoral investments andprojectsTourism development in specific sitesFisheries

Freshwater supply

Entry Point III: Coastal placesMunicipalities, districts, provincesEcosystems (estuaries, rivers)Coastal watersheds Marine protected

areas

Entry Points & National Strategy


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4. Implement Adaptation

Ensure adequate governance capacity

Strengthen legal frameworks

Strengthen personnel capabilities

Highlight costs of doing nothing

Develop sustainable funding

Plan for externalities

Maintain scientific basis for policy

Maintain an inclusive and participatory process

Select technically appropriate and effective measures


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Financing

1. The Least Developed Country Fund In November 2001, Parties to the UNFCCC decidedthat least developed countries should be assisted in preparing National AdaptationPrograms of Action to identify urgent needs related to adaptation to the adverse effectsof climate change. Countries can use LDC funds to prepare NAPAs or to implementactions identified in the NAPAs.

2. The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) The SCCF under the Convention wasestablished in 2001 to support projects and programs in development sectors mostsensitive to climate change, including coastal zone management, disaster risk reduction,agriculture, and water resources management.

3. Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, a partnership to support developing countriesREDD+ efforts and reduce deforestation.

4. Global Environment Fund (GEF), which helps developing countries and emergingeconomies mitigate greenhouse gas emissions through projects in energy efficiency,renewable energy, sustainable urban transport and sustainable management of land use,land-use change, and forestry.


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5. Evaluate for Adaptive Management

Specify the evaluation questions

Establish roles and responsibilities for evaluation

Select evaluation tools and develop timeline

Conduct evaluation

Communicate evaluation results

Adapt policies, adaptation measures and strategies on thebasis of evaluation results


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Local Case Study: The Gambia

The Gambia - Restoring Historic James Island and Preventing Coastal Erosion: ThePeace Corps, with the support of U.S. Embassy Banjuls Ambassadors CulturalPreservation Fund and the National Center for Arts and Culture in The Gambia, hasplanted mangroves on historic James Island to help protect the island and the CFAOBuilding, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, from further deterioration due to heavywaves, erosion and weathering. Local village members assisted in moving rocks and wood

to create a 100-meter barricade for the island and the CFAO building. After constructingthe barricade, red mangroves, Rhizophora sp, were also planted. Restoration andprotection of the fort and island, a key historical site of the West African Slave Trade in TheGambia, will allow for further historical research on the island and for continued promotionof the site as an educational facility for Gambian students and visitors.


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Additional U.S. Assistance

USAIDs $8.5 million regional climate change program works across sub-Saharan Africa:

ClimDev Africa, an 11-year joint initiative of USAID, the African Union, the AfricanDevelopment Bank, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, that will focuson climate observations, climate services, climate risk management, and climate policyneeds in Africa.

Helping African communities adapt to climate change by developing methodologies forvulnerability assessments; identifying research areas that will target critical issues, such asprevention of waterborne disease; and integrating climate change into projects in the naturalresource management, agriculture, infrastructure, and health sectors.

The United States is now partnering with other contributor nations, based on theCopenhagen Accords to provide what is known as fast start funding for climate-relatedactivities approaching $30 billion during 20102012.

Documents

National Stakeholder Workshop on Community Based Adaptation in The Gambia