Reducing Vulnerability to Climate Change World Vision’s Experience Helping Children and Their Families 9/April/2008Douglas R. Brown

Outline Who we are and what we do Climate, livelihoods and vulnerability Practical examples –COVACA –FMNR –Conservation Agriculture Global perspectives on climate, change and resilience –Coastal areas –Agriculture and food security –Perceptions of risk and attitudes to climate change

Who we are and what we do World Vision is: –“a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice” Focus on human and social transformation –Area Development Programs (ADP)– long-term perspective Improved well-being for children and their families A three-pronged strategy –development programming –humanitarian response –advocacy Serve all regardless of religion, race, gender or ethnicity An international partnership Assist approximately 100 million people in nearly 100 countries with a global budget of almost $3.6 billion

Climate Change and Human Well-Being Combating climate change is central to all humanitarian action –Climate change is not only an environmental problem as there are: Social aspects Economic aspects –Climate change is fundamentally a development problem

Sustainable Livelihoods Framework Livelihood building blocks: social human natural physical financial Livelihood strategy A: activity 1 activity 2 activity 3 Livelihood strategy B: activity 1 activity 2 activity 3 Actual livelihood outcomes: malnutrition illness vulnerable unsustainable Desired livelihood outcomes: child well-being health resilient sustainable Vulnerability and context of household decision-making: environmental, economic, social context policies, institutions and procedures (PIPs) Vulnerability = f(exposure, adaptive capacity)

COVACA Community-Owned Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment A key component of DRR and Adaptation efforts throughout World Vision COVACA in Haiti consisted of: –A realistic assessment of vulnerabilities and capacities leading to better decision making –Identify activities that communities can implement within their own resources to protect themselves from selected key threats –Empower the community to take responsibility for their own protection and implementation the identified activities

FMNR Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration Key success factors: –Initial incentive –Genuine active community participation –Socio-cultural norms –Institutional change –Widespread adoption Adapting it to other contexts: –West Africa – Senegal, Mali, Niger, Chad –Ethiopia –CDM project –Community see benefit already

Conservation Agriculture Key success factors –Carbon, nutrient and water cycling –Labour resource constraints –Management of crop residues/mulch –Socio-cultural institutions

The future of our planet lies in our hands Proactive adaptation – prepare for disasters and change before they occur –reducing vulnerability and risk –increasing resilience –promoting preparedness Asia-Pacific Region Report

Global Food Security Initiative Priority Interventions for Adaptation, Resilience and Food Security Short-term (Crisis/Emergency) Mid-term (Transition and Development) Long-term (Restoration and Development)  General Targeted Food/Cash Assistance  Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF)  Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM)  Food or Cash for Work or Assets (FFW/CFW/FFA/CFA)  Support for Agricultural Inputs  Essential Nutrition Package (ENP)  Food for Education (FFE)  Core Health and Nutrition Package  Diversification of Farming Systems  Soil and Water Conservation/Management  Post-harvest Handling, Storage and Marketing

Global Agricultural Strategy To promote ecologically-sound, socially and economically viable and just small-holder agriculture and NRM practices that contribute to the well-being of children –Promote more productive and sustainable agricultural systems –Protect and/or restore healthy agro-ecosystems –Support viable markets and smallholder agricultural enterprises –Build smallholder household resilience and capacity to manage risk in the face of shocks –Engage in advocacy supportive of smallholder agricultural development

Climate Change Survey Organization-wide survey –Attitudes to climate change –Perceptions of risk –Understanding of concepts climate change adaptation Mitigation

Choose Hope Climate science: –Projections of what might happen if –Predictions of what will happen We have a choice –Denial says “nothing needs to be done” –Despair says “nothing can be done” –Between these, there is hope – with hope we: Look for solutions Act as stewards Choose justice Protect and nurture our children and their future

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