CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN NORTHERN KENYA by IDRC

NEMA, through the Department of Environmental Education, Information and Public Participation, is leading a team of researchers to study climate change in Northern Kenya. A project titled “Enhancing Adaptive Capacity of Pastoralists to Climate Change-induced vulnerability in Northern Kenya” was funded in December 2007 by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The project will run for 2 years. The central aim of the Pastoralist Adaptive project would be to inform both theoretical developments and future policy interventions & responses aimed at enhancing adaptive capacity to climate change.

Current Status of the Project

• The project was funded in December 2007.  So far the following has been achieved:
  
  
• An Inception workshop was held on 28th to 31st January 2008 in Nairobi and attended by a group of pastoralists from Mandera. The workshop was also meant to gather views from scientists working on climate change from various institutions in Nairobi such as Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Kenya Forestry Research Institute, Action Aid, World Vision, Arid Lands Information Network, Centre for Governance and Development, Ministry of Agriculture, IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre among others.
  
  
• The project was officially launched in Turkana on 8th March 2008.  The research team introduced the project to the community who endorsed by signing on a flipchart board.

1. An outcome mapping training done on 9th – 11th March 2008 at Lodwar and the project monitoring and evaluation document has been finalized.
   
   
2. Project partnerships are being formalized through development of MOUs between Practical Action (who are managing the project funds) and the other institutions. The MOUs are to be finalized soon.
   
   
3. Work plans guiding activities by the diverse scientists have been finalised.
   
   
4. Researchers are now finalizing the research tools in readiness for the first phase of field data collection.

Benefits to NEMA from IDRC project

NEMA is the principal instrument of the government in implementation of environmental policies. Its role includes supervision and coordination of all environmental activities in Kenya. NEMA is also the designated competent authority in climate change issues. Climate policies are fragmented in diverse sectoral policy documents. To date there is no comprehensive policy on climate change. The study is therefore necessary to engage these sectoral legislation provisions and recommend necessary changes to enhance  climate change adaptation by the communities.

The project will also be useful in capacity development for NEMA staff. Already, three NEMA officers have been trained on “Monitoring and Evaluation using Outcome Mapping Approach. This training was done initially in Cairo; Egypt for all projects in Africa and also specifically for this project in Lodwar in Turkana the project site. One officer has also been trained by the project on Gender dimensions of Climate change in another training session for all African projects held in Dakar Senegal.  As a result of this training, NEMA has adapted this monitoring and evaluation technique to assess progress in the implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Implementation Strategy (2005-2014).  Members of the National ESD committee and some NEMA staff have also been trained on the application of the outcome mapping approach in ESD monitoring and evaluation.