Climate Change Adaptation in Lowland Ecosystem of Ethiopia (LL-CCA)
INTRODUCTION
Climate change Adaptation project in lowland ecosystems of Ethiopia is a GEF-LDCF project and its objective is to promote climate change adaptation and sustainable economic growth among communities in Ethiopia’s lowland ecosystems. The implementation of the project increases climate resilience and diversify livelihood options of land users in the lowland ecosystem of Ethiopia by minimizing risks or avoiding risks as well as enhancing the capacity of stakeholders and ecosystems to adapt to climate change. Therefore, this project is meant for integrating actions that bring about long-term sustainability of environment in the face of climate change that is set to continue changing.
The project has two components with four outcomes, 16 outputs and 8 indicators. The result framework (RFW), Indicator tracking table (ITT) and M&E checklist is annexed for more clarification and reference to be used at woreda level for project planning, implementation, monitoring and reviewing of the progresses and do annual work plan adjustment if necessary.
The idea of developing guideline was initiated following the observations and lessons learned during national and regional project launching workshops conducted at the presence of all national and regional steering committee members, UNDP and project management unit from national and targeted Woredas. The participants of the workshop strongly requested to have uniform approaches at all levels mainly to avoid confusion, effort duplications and resources wastages.
Moreover, it is included in the project proposal that project enhances transparent, detailed and all-inclusive discussions and decision making among land users, government and other stakeholders.
It promotes the participation of government stakeholders who are responsible for reflecting the needs of those who are most affected by climate change, particularly the vulnerable and marginalized communities. It also promotes the participation of the ultimate land users or local communities to bring about the climate resilient development envisaged by them. In order to help these actors and stakeholders take informed decision in mainstreaming human-rights based approach; the project strengthens the ability of land users, government and other stakeholders. The project will also implement a Stakeholder Engagement Plan to ensure meaningful stakeholder engagement throughout. A project Grievance Redress Mechanism will also be established to ensure affected people have access to mechanisms to submit concerns.
One of the key design principles that underpin this project is Being participatory, transparent, accountable, and culturally appropriate, while actively embracing equity and gender issues’’. Therefore, in order to implement gender mainstreaming, the project has included gender analysis and tentative gender action plan that focuses on the involvement and integration of women in delivery of the project outputs and promotion of active women participation in the project management, monitoring and evaluation
This project is fully consistent with the goals of LDCF Strategic Objectives in several ways including increased knowledge and understanding of climate variability and change-induced risks at country level and in targeted vulnerable areas, strengthened adaptive capacity to reduce risks to climate-induced economic losses, successful demonstration, deployment, and transfer of relevant adaptation technology in targeted areas and enhanced enabling environment to support adaptation related technology transfer. It specifically responds to the Focal Area Objective CCA2 (Increasing Adaptive Capacity: Increase adaptive capacity to respond to the impacts of climate change, including variability, at local, national, regional and global level), CCA2-Outcome 2.1 (Increased knowledge and understanding of climate variability and change induced risks at country level and in targeted vulnerable areas). This is aligned with project Components 1 and 2, as it focuses on expanding the knowledge and understanding among relevant groups of stakeholders on specific climate risks affecting the lowland ecosystem project sites as well as for strengthening climate change adaptation practices. The project also responds to the Focal Area Objective CCA1 (Reducing Vulnerability: Reduce vulnerability to the adverse impacts of climate change, including variability, at local, national, regional and global level), specifically CCA1-Outcome.2 (Climate-risk management adopted by smallholder farmers through accessible climate information and decision-making tools), and CCA1-Outcome 3 (Climate change adaptation practices adopted in communities in lowland ecosystems). Finally, the project is aligned with Focal Area Objective CCA3 (Promote transfer and adoption of adaptation technology).