Enhancing resiliency to drought in Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands
The case study Enhancing resiliency to drought in Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands provides an overview of a pilot project undertaken in Kenya between 2005 and 2010 that linked together the provision of downscaled weather forecasts, improved agricultural practices, increased access to reliable water sources and the promotion of a revolving microcredit system for women's self-help groups.
Implemented by the Nairobi-based Centre for Science and Technology Innovations in collaboration with the Arid Lands Resource Management Project, the pilot project responded to the fact that drought associated with climate change and climate variability have become more pronounced in Kenya in recent years, adversely affecting the lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers in its arid and semi-arid lands.
The case study is one of six produced by the Canadian Coalition on Climate Change and Development (C4D) in 2010, along with an accompanying synopsis of lessons learned, as part of its Climate Change Adaptation: Lessons from Canadian NGOs initiative. Drawing directly from the experience of Canadian NGOs and their partners in the global South, the case studies highlight climate change impacts and how local communities are reducing their vulnerability to changing conditions. Financial support for this initiative was provided by the International Development Research Centre.
In 2013 an epilogue to this case study was prepared by Cynthia Awuor. The epilogue highlights how activities that build resilience to climate change at the field level continued after the ACCESA pilot project ended in 2010. It was one of 10 new and updated case studies prepared by C4D in partnership with Canadian NGOs.
The Kenya case study profiles one of three pilot projects being implemented as part of the regional project, Integrating Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change into Sustainable Development Policy Planning and Implementation in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACCESA). This project was implemented by the International Institute for Sustainable Development on behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme. Funding for this project was provided by the Global Environment Facility and the governments of the Netherlands and Norway, and supported by in-kind contributions from the governments of Germany and Kenya. Further information is available here.
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