AIACC_AF14 Project: Environmental Strategies for Increasing Human Resilience in Sudan: Lessons for Climate Change Adaptation in Northern and Eastern Africa Title: Supporting Community Adaptation Strategies with Policy Analysis AIACC Regional workshop, session D3 South Africa, March2003

Overview Rationale Objectives Approach for policy analysis Problem encountered or anticipated Solutions

Rationale There is a need for small scale community level adaptation strategies to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable groups and to diversify and strengthen national adaptation planning (mostly dominated by large-scale approaches) To enable these strategies, need to understand interplay between local livelihood conditions (micro- scale) and the “range of policies, institutions and processes which support or hinder them” (micro-, meso- and macro-scale) (Goldman, 2000)

Objectives To understand the ways in which existing policies and institutions support or inhibit community-based resilience building activity. To identify the specific policy and institutional factors that enable the success of community-based resilience building activity. To draw out lessons on how such factors can be used to implement, support (for a lasting effect) and scale up community level adaptation. To provide useful information to relevant decision-makers on how to support this process.

Approach Origin: Building upon approach developed by the “Improving Livelihood – Policy Relationships in South Asia” project. This project begins with policies and seeks to identify their livelihood outcomes. Key Modification: AF-14 is beginning with successful livelihood outcomes and “backcasting” to identify any policy/institutional determinants. This research project is funded by DFID and is being led by University of Leeds Geography Department. Partners including International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS), Development Alternatives in India, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Nepal and the Lanka International Forum on Environment (LIFE), in Sri Lanka.University of Leeds International Institute for Environment and DevelopmentBangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies Development Alternatives

Approach: Main question What policy and institutional factors (local, district, national, others) enabled SL/NRM strategies to: be effectively implemented and supported for a lasting effect. succeed in building resilience of vulnerable communities

Approach: Main steps (1) 1.Determine outcomes and impacts of policies and institutional arrangements for livelihoods –This step is the livelihood assessment process of project AF-14 (discussed in Day 2) 2.Identify key policy and institutional issues at macro, meso and micro levels that considered important in the development and success of the SL project –Identify the policies and institutions that are seen as important to the development, implementation and success of the SL project –This step will rely on interviews with key stakeholders (from govt., civil society, etc), household surveys, community consultation, and desk-based research

Approach: Main steps (2) 3.Explore relevant policy development processes –Ask: How relevant policies and institutions were developed? Who are the key actors in policy development process at all levels? How can actors (particularly local groups) influence policy development and implementation? –This step will involve primarily interviews with key stakeholders and desk-based research 4. Establish a picture of the policy, institutional and process contexts –Develop a series of nested pictures to describe SL project context from the village (micro) to district (meso) and up to the national or regional (macro) level. Use these to understanding enabling factors and the work needed to support implementation of SL activities and to enhance their effect –This step will involve primarily interviews with key stakeholders, community consultation, and desk-based research

Approach: Main steps (3) 5. Create a history of key policy milestones –To understand the landmark legislation, reforms etc. that play a direct role in enabling SL activity today –This step will rely on interviews with key stakeholders and desk-based research

Problems encountered or anticipated Determining causality between project outcomes and policy/institutional factors –Multiple stakeholder perspectives –Interaction between factors Dealing with cross-scale issues Other?

Solutions Causality: –will rely on triangulation techniques to reduce uncertainty about linkages between policy institutional factors and project outcomes –Other? Cross-scale issues –? Other?