Your search found 5 records
1 Overland, I.; Sagbakken, H. F.; Isataeva, A.; Kolodzinskaia, G.; Simpson, N. P.; Trisos, C.; Vakulchuk, R. 2021. Funding flows for climate change research on Africa: where do they come from and where do they go? Climate and Development, 21p. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2021.1976609]
Climate change adaptation ; Climate change mitigation ; Research funding ; Research support ; Development aid ; Developing countries ; Sustainable development ; Greenhouse gas emissions ; Risk ; Vulnerability / Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050652)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/17565529.2021.1976609
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050652.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050652.pdf
(3.83 MB) (3.83 MB)
Africa has only contributed a small fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions yet faces disproportionate risks from climate change. This imbalance is one of many inequities associated with climate change and raises questions concerning the origin, distribution and thematic prioritization of funding for climate-change research on Africa. This article analyses a database comprising USD 1.51 trillion of research grants from 521 organizations around the world and covering all fields of research from 1990 to 2020. At most 3.8% of global funding for climate-change research is spent on African topics – a figure incommensurate with Africa’s share of the world population and vulnerability to climate change. Moreover, institutions based in Europe and North America received 78% of funding for climate research on Africa, while African institutions received only 14.5%. Research on climate mitigation received only 17% of the funding while climate impacts and adaptation each received around 40%. Except for Egypt and Nigeria, funding supported research on former British colonies more than other African countries. The findings highlight the need to prioritise research on a broader set of climate-change issues in Africa and to increase funding for Africa-based researchers in order to strengthen African ownership of research informing African responses to climate change.
2 Filho, W. L.; Totin, E.; Franke, J. A.; Andrew, S. M.; Abubakar, I. R.; Azadi, H.; Nunn, P. D.; Ouweneel, B.; Williams, P. A.; Simpson, N. P.; Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative Team. 2021. Understanding responses to climate-related water scarcity in Africa. Science of the Total Environment, 806(Part 1):150420. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150420]
Water scarcity ; Climate change ; Adaptation ; Risk reduction ; Resilience ; Food systems ; Livelihoods ; Cities ; Water stress ; Vulnerability ; Rainwater harvesting ; Indigenous knowledge ; Population growth ; Infrastructure ; Sustainability ; Ecosystems ; Economic aspects ; Semiarid zones / Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050678)
(2.41 MB)
Water scarcity is a global challenge, yet existing responses are failing to cope with current shocks and stressors, including those attributable to climate change. In sub-Saharan Africa, the impacts of water scarcity threaten livelihoods and wellbeing across the continent and are driving a broad range of adaptive responses. This paper describes trends of water scarcity for Africa and outlines climate impacts on key water-related sectors on food systems, cities, livelihoods and wellbeing, conflict and security, economies, and ecosystems. It then uses systematic review methods, including the Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative, to analyse 240 articles and identify adaptation characteristics of planned and autonomous responses to water scarcity across Africa. The most common impact drivers responded to are drought and participation variability. The most frequently identified actors responding to water scarcity include individuals or households (32%), local government (15%) and national government (15%), while the most common types of response are behavioural and cultural (30%), technological and infrastructural (27%), ecosystem-based (25%) and institutional (18%). Most planned responses target low-income communities (31%), women (20%), and indigenous communities (13%), but very few studies target migrants, ethnic minorities or those living with disabilities. There is a lack of coordination of planned adaptation at scale across all relevant sectors and regions, and lack of legal and institutional frameworks for their operation. Most responses to water scarcity are coping and autonomous responses that showed only minor adjustments to business-as-usual water practices, suggesting limited adaptation depth. Maladaptation is associated with one or more dimension of responses in almost 20% of articles. Coordinating institutional responses, carefully planned technologies, planning for projected climate risks including extension of climate services and increased climate change literacy, and integrating indigenous knowledge will help to address identified challenges of water scarcity towards more adaptive responses across Africa.
3 Zvobgo, L.; Johnston, P.; Williams, P. A.; Trisos, C. H.; Simpson, N. P.; Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative Team. 2022. The role of indigenous knowledge and local knowledge in water sector adaptation to climate change in Africa: a structured assessment. Sustainability Science, 17(5):2077-2092. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-022-01118-x]
Climate change adaptation ; Water management ; Indigenous Peoples' knowledge ; Local knowledge ; Risk reduction ; Assessment ; Water conservation ; Rainwater harvesting ; Water supply ; Irrigation ; Vulnerability ; Policies / Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051414)
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11625-022-01118-x.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051414.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051414.pdf
(2.97 MB) (2.97 MB)
Evidence is increasing of human responses to the impacts of climate change in Africa. However, understanding of the effectiveness of these responses for adaptation to climate change across the diversity of African contexts is still limited. Despite high reliance on indigenous knowledge (IK) and local knowledge (LK) for climate adaptation by African communities, potential of IK and LK to contribute to adaptation through reducing climate risk or supporting transformative adaptation responses is yet to be established. Here, we assess the influence of IK and LK for the implementation of water sector adaptation responses in Africa to better understand the relationship between responses to climate change and indigenous and local knowledge systems. Eighteen (18) water adaptation response types were identified from the academic literature through the Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative (GAMI) and intended nationally determined contributions (iNDCs) for selected African countries. Southern, West, and East Africa show relatively high evidence of the influence of IK and LK on the implementation of water adaptation responses, while North and Central Africa show lower evidence. At country level, Zimbabwe displays the highest evidence (77.8%) followed by Ghana (53.6%), Kenya (46.2%), and South Africa (31.3%). Irrigation, rainwater harvesting, water conservation, and ecosystem-based measures, mainly agroforestry, were the most implemented measures across Africa. These were mainly household and individual measures influenced by local and indigenous knowledge. Adaptation responses with IK and LK influence recorded higher evidence of risk reduction compared to responses without IK and LK. Analysis of iNDCs shows the most implemented water adaptation actions in academic literature are consistent with water sector adaptation targets set by most African governments. Yet only 10.4% of the African governments included IK and LK in adaptation planning in the iNDCs. This study recommends a coordinated approach to adaptation that integrates multiple knowledge sources, including IK and LK, to ensure sustainability of both current and potential water adaptation measures in Africa.
4 Zvobgo, L.; Johnston, P.; Olagbegi, O. M.; Simpson, N. P.; Trisos, C. H. 2023. Role of Indigenous and local knowledge in seasonal forecasts and climate adaptation: a case study of smallholder farmers in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. Environmental Science and Policy, 145:13-28. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2023.03.017]
Indigenous Peoples' knowledge ; Local knowledge ; Weather forecasting ; Decision making ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Climate change adaptation ; Farmland ; Vulnerability ; Households ; Climate variability ; Livelihood diversification ; Indicators ; Agricultural extension ; Policies ; Case studies / Zimbabwe / Chiredzi
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051912)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901123000898/pdfft?md5=5955d7b3cba76974a31e92f8f47c7cae&pid=1-s2.0-S1462901123000898-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051912.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051912.pdf
(3.76 MB) (3.76 MB)
Accessible, reliable and diverse sources of climate information are needed to inform climate change adaptation at all levels of society, particularly for vulnerable sectors such as smallholder farming. Globally, many smallholder farmers use Indigenous knowledge (IK) and local knowledge (LK) to forecast weather and climate; however, less is known about how the use of these forecasts connects to decisions and actions for reducing climate risks. We examined the role of IK and LK in seasonal forecasting and the broader climate adaptation decision-making of smallholder farmers in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. The data were collected from a sample of 100 smallholder farmers. Seventy-three of the 100 interviewed farmers used IK and LK weather and climate forecasts, and 32% relied solely on IK and LK forecasts for climate adaptation decision-making. Observations of cuckoo birds, leaf-sprouting of Mopane trees, high summer temperatures, and Nimbus clouds are the main indicators used for IK and LK forecasts. The use of IK and LK climate forecasts was significantly positively associated with increasing farmer age and farmland size. Farmers using IK and LK forecasts implemented, on average, triple the number of adaptation measures compared with farmers not using IK and LK. These findings demonstrate the widespread reliance of farmers on IK and LK for seasonal forecasts, and the strong positive link between the use of IK and LK and the implementation of climate adaptation actions. This positive association between IK and LK usage and the implementation of adaptation actions may be widespread in smallholder farming communities throughout Africa and globally. Recognition and inclusion of IK and LK in climate services is important to ensure their continued potential for enhancing climate change adaptation.
5 Ayanlade, A.; Smucker, T. A.; Nyasimi, M.; Sterly, H.; Weldemariam, L. F.; Simpson, N. P.. 2023. Complex climate change risk and emerging directions for vulnerability research in Africa. Climate Risk Management, 40:100497. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2023.100497]
Climate change adaptation ; Vulnerability ; Research ; Risk assessment ; Intersectionality ; Risk reduction ; Infrastructure ; Political aspects ; Livelihoods / Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052069)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096323000232/pdfft?md5=124efbb3092a76141eab6cdb197ae13d&pid=1-s2.0-S2212096323000232-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052069.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052069.pdf
(4.82 MB) (4.82 MB)
This article explains the assessment and conceptual framing of the Vulnerability Synthesis in the Africa chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report (AR6), situating the synthesis within emerging understandings of complex climate change risk, intersectionality and multi-dimensional vulnerability. It highlights how reducing vulnerability holds the greatest potential gains for reducing near-term climate risk in Africa. It elaborates how important dimensions of vulnerability, such as inequalities of gender, migrant status or level of income, compound with each other to affect risk. Our review of current vulnerability scholarship reveals severe limitations for climate risk management that are rooted in a lack of attention to interacting social drivers and their effects on risk, as well as an orientation toward vulnerability analyses at coarse social and spatial levels. These scales do not match well with the localised nature of vulnerability nor the impacts of climate change. There is also limited research on the intersectional differentiation of vulnerabilities, which is essential to understanding the heterogeneous nature of vulnerable groups and their agency, particularly concerning navigating or contesting unequal power relations. Reflecting on these dimensions in the Vulnerability Synthesis, we identify how research can provide a deeper understanding of the interactions among multiple drivers of vulnerability and why this matters for adaptation in Africa. Key to this understanding will be to show how responses to climate change affect important dimensions of vulnerability and with what overall risk outcomes. Doing so will advance intersectional analysis within place-based vulnerability assessments across Africa and better inform the design of interventions targeting those dimensions and scales of vulnerability that have the greatest proportional effect on risk reduction. These will contribute informed safeguards against maladaptation as well as provide concrete directions for planning for more inclusive climate-resilient development.
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