Background to the Climate Adaptation for Rural livelihoods and Agriculture (CARLA) Project

Background information Malawi, like many Southern African countries, is experiencing increasing climate change and variability, which results into poor crop yields and/or even total crop failure due to drought and floods. Being an agro-based economy with more than 80% of the population relying on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihood and survival, the level of vulnerability has been increasing with the increasing extremes of drought, flooding and erratic rainfall patterns. There is therefore need for intervention programmes to help the communities cope and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Malawi Government will be implementing the Climate Adaptation for Rural Livelihoods and Agriculture (CARLA) project which responds to this need.

Climate change and climate change adaptation Climate change is the change in the average statistical properties of the climate system when considered over long periods of time (at least 30 years) attributed directly or indirectly to human activity; that alters the composition of the global atmosphere, which affects the feedback mechanisms in the climate system thereby increasing uncertainties for societies that depend on the climate system for survival. Climate change adaptation refers to all activities that people, individually or in groups such as households, communities, and any other organized structure carry out to become suited over generations to survive in a situation of climate change impacts.

Selected Key National Initiatives on Climate Change Adaptation Malawi ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1994 to show commitment in joining the global community to address climate change challenges. Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment Studies (V& A) were conducted between 1997 and Malawi’s Initial National Communication was completed in December 2003, which gave an analysis on how far Malawi implemented the convention including adaptation. In 2011, the Second National communication was completed, and it provides an analysis of how far the country has implemented the obligations under the UNFCCC In 2006, the National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA) was published as a planning tool for addressing urgent and immediate adaptation needs at national level.

Selected Key National Initiatives on climate change Adaptation continued In 2009, climate change was elevated into top nine government priorities, and an addendum to the MGDS on CC was developed The Green Belt Initiative - Government has embarked on this Initiative to utilize water from lakes and perennial rivers to enhance the country’s production of a variety of crops, livestock and fisheries In April 2012, Malawi Government established the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to enhance coordination of CC Malawi Government is implementing a number of, including development of a Policy on Climate Change, National Climate Change Investment Plan and Sustainable land management

Priority areas of the NAPA Through wide stakeholder consultation, the NAPA identified five core adaptation concepts in order of priority as follows; 1.Improving community resilience to climate change through the development of sustainable rural livelihoods; 2.Restoring forests in the Upper, Middle and Lower Shire Valley catchments to reduce siltation and the associated water flow problems; 3.Improving agricultural production under erratic rains and changing climatic conditions;

Priority areas of the NAPA continued 4. Improving Malawi’s preparedness to cope with droughts and floods; and 5. Improving climate monitoring to enhance Malawi’s early warning capability and decision making for sustainable utilization of Lake Malawi and lakeshore areas resources

CARLA and its linkage to NAPA and SCPMP The CARLA project is addressing NAPA priorities 1 and 3 It is the first targeted project to implement the NAPA, which identified six districts of Karonga, Salima, Dedza, Zomba, Chikhwawa and Nsanje as the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change The CARLA also builds on initiatives which have been undertaken by SCPMP in the selected impact areas, on increasing adaptive capacities to the impacts of climate change

Project preparation process After the NAPA was launched in 2008, Malawi government through Environmental Affairs Department prepared a Project Identification Form to the Global Environment Facility. After it had passed criteria, Consultants (MARBEK from Canada and Bunda College) were hired to develop a full CARLA project in A vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment was conducted including a baseline survey.

Project preparation process continued Over 600 questionnaires were administered in 9 districts including 7 focus group discussions and consultations with key informants Baseline results were analyzed, and validation workshops were conducted in the 6 NAPA districts. Based on the results and district validation exercises, the TAs were identified

Project Preparation process continued Within the selected communities, candidate communities were identified by district technical personnel using an agreed criteria (next slide) CARLA and district teams reviewed, visited, and consulted with the candidate communities Based on these inputs the consulting team selected recommended communities, which were confirmed by ADCs and District Councils

Selection criteria of Candidate community NB: The elements of the selection criteria are not in order of priority: The communities nominated should be vulnerable communities exposed to climate risks, particularly flooding and drought, and should have: a.The capacity to implement project activities b.The interest and willingness to participate in the project c.Strong local leadership /local champions (social capital) d.The potential for information sharing and transfer of approach and technologies to adjacent communities e.Practicality of location, ease of accessibility f.An environment representative of the district g.Other projects present with which to develop synergies (not essential, but an advantage) h.SCPMP activities nearby (not essential, but an advantage).

Project preparation Based on district validation exercises and confirmation of results and communities, a full project design document was prepared and submitted to the Global Environment Facility for Consideration. National consultations and workshops were also conducted which fed into the Project Document GEF approved the project in October 2010 In June 2011, the AfDB approved the CARLA project for Malawi.

Inception of the CARLA The CARLA became officially effective on 12 April It was launched on 16 th May 2012, and it runs up to June 2015

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