Climate Change In Africa: Linking Science And Policy For Adaptation

Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research & International Institute for Environment and Development

Date: 30 March 2006

• There is a need to refine study of climate change modelling and scenarios on shorter timescales (5-20 years) than is often presented in climate change studies in order to be consistent with development priorities and investments (e.g., MDGs).
• Identify/analyse ways to improve collaboration between climate scientists and data users, in particular to target scientific outputs to the needs of resource managers.
• Expand research efforts to understand the context-specific nature of vulnerability and adaptation, working closely with local, regional and national governments in order to identify policy interventions which reduce vulnerability and enhance
  adaptation.

• There is still a lack of individual/institutional capacity in African countries to conduct climate change research.
• There is a need to better integrate climate-related information to sectoral policymaking in African countries, although National Communications and National Adaptation Plans (NAPAs) may be suitable avenues to foster such integration
• Internationally, there is a need to further strengthen (and secure funding) for existing research networks, as well as extend their programmes of research. New research programmes in this direction (e.g., the IDRC-DFID CCAA) are welcomed.
• There is also a need to improve collaboration among scientists and governments to share climatic data. Closely related to this is the need to improve the number of monitoring stations and the capacity to manage and analyse data that are collected.
• Identify institutional mechanisms through which the natural disaster and climate change communities can be closely linked in terms of research effort and funding strategies.
• It is important to look at capacity-building not as the provision of short workshops but as a sustained process involving both African researchers and policy-makers,
  and conducting activities within African countries.

• Equal partnerships between Northern-based and African institutions, as well as African leadership, in networks and research programmes should be promoted.
• Governance, in the form of institutional capacity, is a key issue and efforts are needed to build more robust functioning institutions.
• There is a need to embed adaptation in existing planning systems.
• Reliance on rain-fed agriculture makes people particularly vulnerable to climate impacts. Augmenting human capital through education and health care should be recognised as a critical process for enhancing resilience and adaptive capacity.
• Adaptation is undertaken by individuals and institutions across different scales and it should be seen as a process to be supported rather than an outside intervention that promotes standard or blueprint actions.
• Policy-makers’ responsibilities should include consideration of a wide range of stakeholders in cross-sectoral policy planning.
• Promote risk-management strategies, including livelihood diversification and compensation measures or safety nets for the most vulnerable.
• Promote disaster risk reduction strategies, which can be synergistic to other adaptation efforts.
• It is important to factor climate change into new development investments and ensure the effective development and implementation of National Communications, NAPAs, and promote cross-sectoral policy dialogue.

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