TOT on CC Adaptation Session 4.1 Tools and Frameworks Using VCA & CEDRA Terry Cannon

What is VCA? A version of PRA tools modified for disaster vulnerability We can modify it for adaptation to climate change Participatory: the people get involved – as important as the product itself You can get quantitative data It is a powerful way of cross-checking other information It can help to make a questionnaire much more effective

International Federation of Red Cross VCA methodology for disaster vulnerability and capacity assessment Many other examples from NGOs etc

Three examples from VCA A: Community mapping B: Institution (power) mapping C: Problem tree – diagnosing causes

People in a group draw a map of their community and what is important in it Use paper, sticks in the earth, colour pens Should be easy for people to reach – can be on the ground but older people may not be comfy Can do several “layers” – –basic information and vulnerabilities –Risks and hazards – all types –Resources and sources of resilience Goal is to empower people to think about risks and risk reduction A: Community mapping

Community mapping Better if you do it after a transect walk or walkabout –People get involved, you can identify participants –Should allow for “spontaneous” focus groups e.g. Turkey RC Izmir – women, disabled….Can do mapping with different groups – e.g. women, children – they often show different maps and pictures Could use simple cheap digital cameras and get people to take photos to link to map – collect results a week later

“Make that change” Red Cross IFRC

Kenya study by UNU

Using Google Earth for mapping Images can be used to correlate with community maps Quality of images varies a lot You can put markers on Google Earth to log information and share it with others In Disaster Risk Reduction this could be used to pressure for government action to reduce risks – e.g. highlighting dangerous schools

Murshidabad, West Bengal

B: Institution (Power) mapping Often uses Venn diagrams (chapati diagrams…) Size of circle shows level of power Various ways to show power relationships Important to centre on the people in survey It will involve disputes – power is about conflicts Call it institution mapping!!

FAO example of a typical Venn diagram – it shows different sizes for various institutions and levels of power

World Bank

Benefits and drawbacks of method Engages people – you have to think about power and influence of different actors May be sensitive – we leave but the people are stuck there, and we may stir up a hornets nest… Maps may use the idea of distance and space – people may take a while to understand how to use this E.g. they may show an institution as being distant, even though it is immensely powerful

Problem Tree Identifies factors that are important in creating a problem Helps to identify the causes Can be used to design projects and activities that reduce causes rather than treating the symptoms Will help to identify what you can and cannot do Needs for campaigns and advocacy to reduce causes

CEDRA Climate Change and Environmental Degradation Risk & Adaptation Assessment From Tearfund

Key benefits of CEDRA It links climate problems with environmental degradation It clarifies what the NGO project can and cannot do Advises on how to connect with other stakeholders Shows how to link up to scientific knowledge and local knowledge

Possible limitation Lack of clarity on how to link disaster context with the “everyday” issue of livelihoods and climate trends and variability But we are ALL learning on this – we can invent and modify!