COMESA-EAC –SADC Climate Initiative By Chikakula Miti Coordinator -COMESA Climate, Agriculture, Land Use, and Livelihoods

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The COMESA Logic Agriculture: Lead sector for overall growth in Africa Most important form of land use in Sub-Saharan Africa Significant pressures on land use and livelihoods Driven by human and natural threats Climate Change: Intensifies and speeds up these pressures Adds a new dimension of variability and change Driven by human and natural threats

And it is this dual focus on human and natural threats that constitute the conceptual basis of COMESA’s thinking, approach, strategy and programs regarding climate, agriculture, land use and livelihoods.

Two Perspectives on Climate Change? Adaptation Land use change (LULUCF) Mitigation Deforestation (REDD) AfricaOECD Forest Forest-buffer zones Forest-agricultural lands

Bringing Perspectives Together CAADP addresses the climate challenge by: enhancing biodiversity through sustainable agriculture and agroforestry safeguarding the productivity of farms through SLWM But, recognizing climate change, both local and global, as a threat to these objectives, by using these same approaches as adaptation strategies to climate change. And, recognizing the role that carbon plays in land use, as well as in the global climate regime, by linking mitigation strategies, especially carbon sequestration, to these goals.

The COMESA Partnership COMESA –EAC-SADC Summit, Council of Ministers, Member Countries, Climate Working Group CAADP Country Roundtables, Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Congo DR ICRAF, CIFOR, WWF, IFPRI, MSU, wide range of other African Institutions AfDB, Proposed Africa Carbon Finance mechanism Political Platform: Country Platforms: Technical Platforms: Financial Platforms:

The COMESA Climate Initiative Frameworks and ToolsApplications and Learning Strengthening and collaborating: with economic and social institutions to build the political and institutional infrastructure necessary to conserve and protect African landscapes by Supplying : scientific knowledge, frameworks and tools to assess and develop agricultural and climate-sensitive investments in African landscapes institutional and policy options for establishing the conditions for sustainable, climate-sensitive management of African landscapes guidance for more effective decision-making by commercial farmers, small holders, pastoralists, project developers and managers on African landscapes Measurement & Monitoring : Development and deployment of an advanced prototype for measuring and monitoring carbon sequestration and co-benefits for sustainable land management projects Best Practice: Development and deployment of a “toolbox” of best practices for sustainable agriculture, land management and related livelihood strategies Institutions & Policy: Identification of the institutional and policy innovations and reforms necessary to create an enabling environment for sustainable agriculture and better land management practices Political Platforms: COMESA-EAC-SADC Summit, Council of Ministers, Member Countries, Climate Working Group Country Platforms : CAADP country roundtables, Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia Financial Platforms: ICRAF, CIFOR, WWF, IFPRI, MSU, wide range of African Institutions Learning & Outreach: AfDB, IFC, TerraGlobal Capital, and Gulf, South Africa, and global investors