Building Resilience in the Horn of Africa: A DG ECHO Perspective

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Cuthbert Ford
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1 Building Resilience in the Horn of Africa: A DG ECHO Perspective Think Space: Resilience in the Horn of Africa, Nairobi, 23 th January 2013

2 Presentation Outline Definition and conceptual framework Resilience of whom to what? A case study from the arid lands The need to do business differently: the way forward

3 Definition and conceptual framework Resilience is the ability of an individual, a household, a community, a country or a region to withstand, adapt and to quickly recover from stresses and shocks (EU Communication on Resilience) In the HoA, mainly concerned with building resilience to drought in the context of increased vulnerability due to chronic structural causes - but also includes other shocks such as floods and natural resource based conflict (more on this later )

4 Definition and conceptual framework Multi-sectoral approach aimed to reduce risks (mainstream DRR) and improving rapid coping and adaptation at all levels; Aligning humanitarian action with longer term development processes: expansion/ contraction rather than start/ stop; Implies an in-depth understanding of the underlying causes of vulnerability (JHDF) and a long-term approach to build capacity to better manage future uncertainty and change, while retaining early response capacity; Requires a focused effort to identify resilience of whom to what

6 Resilience of Whom to What? Of Whom? Pastoralists and ex-pastoralists in the arid lands Somalia, N Kenya, S and E Ethiopia, Djibouti; Agro-pastoralists in the ASAL zones; Marginal agriculturalists

7 To What? Resilience of Whom to What? Region with recurrent droughts with increased impact due to: Decades of marginalisation and lack of development investment Rapid population growth Erosion of traditional livelihoods and huge increase in destitute asset-depleted people Chronic food and nutrition insecurity and poverty Conflict especially Somalia, but common throughout the region. Flood prone areas: eastern Kenya and S/C Somalia

8 Case Study from the arid lands Two Big factors are changing how people live in the arid lands: Demographic change: a doubling of population every years Commercialisation of pastoralism with increased demand locally and the middle East Reduced per-capita livestock holdings Increased livestock holdings of the wealthy Net transfer of livestock from poor to wealthy Massive increase in ex-pastoralists and increasing sedentarisation of diversified pastoralists

10 Wealth Distribution, ASAL zones in Ethiopia Proportion of population (%) Afar Somali 10 0 lowest second middle fourth highest Wealth quintal Source: Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey, 2011 Ex-Pastoralists: Few or no livestock Sedentarised Dependant on aid: food assistance and social protection >50% of population Future prospects??? Diversified Pastoralists: Few small ruminants Other sources of income Sedentarised Highly vulnerable about 25% of population Pastoralists: Traditional or commercialised Mobile/ absent Cashing in on increased meat demand Highly drought resilient. About 25% of popn.

11 High market access Good rangeland access/mobility Future = commercialization and trade, domestic + export = continued use of mobile livestock production systems Future = added value on livestock products = diversification Future = traditional pastoralism and mobility Future = exits and protracted destitution for some = alternative livelihoods for others Low market access Poor rangeland access/low mobility

12 Example: Turkana, Kenya Poor pastorali sts Moving Out Tradition al pastoralis ts Conflict causing immobility Population growth Drought Inappropriate aid Only 51% of HH own livestock

13 Case Study from the arid lands Volume and price of shoats exported from Bossasso and Berbera

15 Case Study from the arid lands

16 Business as Usual Development funds invest in the Growth Model : High potential areas (agricultural productivity) In the pastoral area : livestock health, marketing and fodder production: effectively the wealthier pastoralists. Humanitarian funds channeled to the most vulnerable: Equity ASAL and marginal farming areas; High and persistent levels of food and nutrition insecurity: the very poor and poor. Different communities are being targeted Trickle down from rich to poor does not work

17 Doing things differently Principles Action research to understand the dynamics/ changes and opportunities to build resilient livelihoods. To re-balance development funding such that both the most vulnerable and the growth model approach are included, And to identify key geographical areas of focus and the most vulnerable communities. Critical to align humanitarian and development funding instruments to address the structural and transient needs of the most vulnerable.

18 Doing things differently Process/ state of play We don't have a good understanding of the dynamics in the arid lands we need: Joint situation and risk analysis: livelihood profiling, wealth ranking, threat and vulnerability analysis; We have no concrete strategy there are government frameworks, but they are too broad: We need Joint Strategy Development; SHARE did Joint Programming at HQ: We need to have joint programming at the national level, including all stakeholders; Common Log frame/ results framework; Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework; Very weak coordination between humanitarian cluster system and development coordination mechanisms, or between donors We need enhanced coordination of all actors.

Livelihood, Pastoralism and Disaster Risk Reduction

Livelihood, Pastoralism and Disaster Risk Reduction Second African Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction Consultative Meeting, Nairobi, 5-7 May 2009 Helen Bushell: Regional DRR Focal Point, Oxfam