Ngang Eric Ndeh Mboumien Action Group on Governance and Environmental Management (AGGEM)

Transcription

1 Harnessing and valuing local indigenous knowledge and practice to inform policy planning on climate change mitigation and adaptation: the Case of Cameroon Ngang Eric Ndeh Mboumien Action Group on Governance and Environmental Management (AGGEM)

2 Outline of presentation Introduction/project background What has been done? Who was involved/benefitted? What has been achieved? What has been learned and what impact on climate change policy development and implementation? What next?

3 Introduction Climate change is a defining issue of our era, with its impacts reaching global, regional and local scales Source: Mwiturubani and van Wyk 2010, p. 4

4 Households and families in less developed world contribute less to the phenomenon but are significantly exposed to the impacts. New agricultural technologies, tools and financing mechanisms are being introduced to shield farmers from the impacts of climatic risks. However some of these actions have sidelined Local Indigenous Knowledge and Practices (LIKPs) that are currently recognised as making significant contribution to community adaptation (Haddad et al, 2007). World Bank 2009, Hellmuth et al. 2007; Adejuwon 2006)

5 Objectives Local agrarian/farmer-led adaptation practices and knowledge and tools linked to climate change are documented. community-based analysis to position communities as co-create knowledge on climate change mitigation and adaptation using their LIKPs is done. Evidence of the importance of LIKPs in addressing climate change in appropriate forms disseminated to key audiences to stimulate its consideration in the decision making process

6 What has been done? Pilot phase in Western Highlands eco-region 7 Pilot villages: Santa/Pinyin, Bamendakwe, Bafut, Mankon, Mbengwi, Babanki

7 Administration of Questionnaires. Criterion sampling (custodians of LIKPs, oldercommunity, members, organised groups using LIKPS). Use of photovoice. Questionnaire sought to get: 1. Description of LIKPS and tools, 2. development and adoption levels, its effectiveness (contributions, uptake and constraints) and the 3. impact in terms of ways it has helped farmers increase food security and diversification of livelihood (benefits to men and women were explored)

8 Who was involved/benefitted? Individual farmers interviewed = 139 (53 Men, 86 women) 200 (80 men and 120 women) in weekly Focus Group meetings Over 800 (approximate 200 men and 600women) in two agric shows 102 (49 women, 53 men) in multi-stakeholder presentation of findings

9 What has been learned and what impact on climate change policy development and implementation? MAIN AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY OF RESPONDENTS

10 AWARENESS OF CLIMATE CHANGE Response Frequency Percent Yes No 1.7 Total

11 CHANGES OBSERVED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS HAZARDOUS TO STAPLE CROPS

12 CHANGES IN FARMING PRACTICES Frequency Percent Yes No Total

13 Actions taken in response to Changes 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Use/application of new technique Diversified crops Alternate planting periods Use LIKPs

14 REPLICABILITY AND SCALABILITY OF CURRENT LOCAL INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES

15 RESPONDENTS INVOLVED IN LIKPS SHARING

16 HOW WAS LIKPS SHARED

17 RISK OF LOSING LIKPS HAS LIKPS BEEN DOCUMENTATION

18 WHO WERE THE CUSTODIANS OF LIKPS

19 FINANCIAL VALUE OF LIKP Estimate Frequency Percent Can't Estimate More than Total

20 What has been learned? Grass root communities are not only victims of the climate change phenomenon. Their understanding and perception of climate change is key to addressing the phenomenon. They have an invaluable store of knowledge and practices that if well harnessed can generated a bottom-up dynamics that merge with the current topdown scientific policy on climate change and mitigation. Communities LIKPs is at risk of being lost. Policy planning at national levels does not fully value, strengthen and integrate these local practices and experiences as contributors to sustain communities adaptation and resilience to the ever changing climate before high level policies reach them.

21 What next? Employing more quantitative and qualitative surveys in different communities to add statistical rigor and enhance evidence of LIKPS linked to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Take advantage of the ongoing process to put in place a national framework on climate change mitigation and adaptation meet more decision makers including parliamentarians and senators to share the current findings and those to be generated in the future. Facilitate processes for custodians of LIKPs to engage with/lobby local councils, elites, parliamentarians and senators to support to scale up use of LIKPs in their budgets.

22 Cross section of multi-stakeholder during the consultations integrating LIKPS in local and national decision making on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Project Website link

23 Thank you Merci