Jenny Bennion, Lancashire Wildlife Trust
North Europe
Jenny
Bennion
Improvement of green-gray infrastructure

The EbA measure implemented in Tanta includes both green and gray infrastructure.

 

The green infrastructure, which is the ecosystems, was improved by promoting appropriate pasture and livestock management practices that contribute to the positive conservation status of the pastures. To this end, work was done to strengthen community organization, the participatory design of the livestock management strategy, and the bolstering of local knowledge.

 

In terms of gray infrastructure, the community prioritized the construction of a shed to reduce the exposure of livestock to climate hazards intensified by climate change, such as hail, and frost, simultaneously protecting them from strong winds and intense sunlight.

The construction of the shed began with the participatory design of the infrastructure, advised by a professional from the local university and validated in a community assembly. Meetings were then held with the livestock department (committee) and directors to plan out the work and the transfer of materials. Prior to the start of construction, the community made an offering to the mountain, a custom they still maintain.

 

The shed is now operational, the community reports a decrease in animal mortality, and maintenance is being carried out, especially on the roof, using local materials.

  • Consolidated community organization, the existence of a participatory pasture and livestock management plan, and augmented local knowledge on key issues such as climate change and sustainable conservation of high Andean ecosystems.
  • Open and respectful communication as a central component.
  • The leadership of local authorities and specialists (board of directors and livestock department) was promoted.
  • Dialogue between local and technical knowledge.
  • The community provided the labor for construction.
  • Use of local materials such as stone and straw.
  • During the planning phase, allocate sufficient time for critical activities such as infrastructure work, impact monitoring, communications, and systematization of results.

  • Local/community work for infrastructure development and/or maintenance may take longer than anticipated.

  • Seek the commitment and support of local authorities and promote their leadership in decision-making processes. Build partnerships with other institutions in the area to make the EbA measure more sustainable.

  • Participatory planning, local governance, and ownership are key to the success of the measure.

Strengthening local skills and knowledge

This component has been transversal to the entire project and included training and workshops on livestock and pasture management, animal health, and planting and harvesting water, carried out in collaboration with the Universidad Nacional del Centro and external specialists. These activities helped to raise awareness among cattle ranchers and managers of the communal farm and testimonies indicate that their skills in these areas have increased.

Local knowledge was key to developing the livestock management strategy and the shed's design and construction. The use of ancestral technologies existing on the ranches, such as stone corrals, and local materials were chosen.

As part of the communication activities, an awareness campaign was developed with the support of the Rare organization to promote sustainable grazing practices within the community. The campaign, which used the slogan "Smart grazing is the pride of my people", included radio soap operas, comics, and plays with the participation of women and men of all ages. This helped raise awareness among the population about the importance of proper pasture and livestock management and helped disseminate information about the project at the community and NYCLR levels.

  • Use of communication tools to disseminate information about the project and raise public awareness about climate change, the importance of adaptation actions, and the sustainable management of natural resources.
  • Dialogue between local knowledge and technical-scientific knowledge, facilitated by specialists in participatory processes.
  • The active collaboration and leadership of the livestock department (committee) were key to achieving active participation of the local population during the workshops.

     

  • Adaptation measures, from their design, must incorporate local knowledge and respond to community priorities and perspectives to ensure their effectiveness, viability, and sustainability.

  • It is essential that the field team is trained in the application of participatory approaches, methods, and tools that contribute to improving the quality of participation and facilitate collective learning and dialogue between local, technical, and scientific knowledge.

  • It is essential to incorporate all community members in communal assemblies to encourage participation.

  • Communication activities help to raise levels of trust and participation, as well as local ownership.

  • Diversify work with local partners, combining workshops with other methods, practical tools, and fieldwork (of the "learning by doing" type).

  • Develop activities that involve women, youth, and other groups within the community.

  • Maintain a high field presence and share daily updates with the community.

Strengthening of community organization

Under the "Strengthening community organization" component, the project worked with the Tanta community to develop a livestock management strategy, with the support of a specialist, to improve livestock management in the community’s farm territory. The objective was to fortify the community’s collective decision-making process in regards to the management of its natural resources, thus contributing to the recovery of grazing areas, which in turn ensures having the necessary level of food for livestock and improving both productivity and ecosystem services for water regulation.

The livestock management strategy has been the product of a participatory process facilitated by Instituto de Montaña and led by the authorities and the community's livestock department (committee). As part of this process, visual materials (maps and infographics) have been developed to graphically represent the proposed management plan and rotation of livestock among the different sectors of the communal farm. These visual materials are exhibited in the community premises so that the community members can follow up on the plan and the agreements and commitments made by all.

  • Participatory approach to decision-making and planning.
  • Interest and commitment of the local population.
  • Relationship of trust between the community and the implementing institutions.
  • Availability and commitment of the authorities in charge, such as the boards of directors and specialized committees.
  • Traditional knowledge of the local population and technical knowledge of external experts.
  • Participation of the Nor Yauyos-Cochas Landscape Reserve (NYCLR) team.
  • Working on community strengthening and organization is a process that takes time but is essential to achieve long-term results.

  • The project needs to be flexible enough to modify plans in the face of unexpected situations. This also contributes to building trust.

  • In the face of the initial distrust towards external institutions, the permanent presence of Instituto de Montaña's field staff and their involvement in the community's day-to-day life was important.

Ecosystem-based Adaptation and Climate-Smart Agricultural Measures

The five EbA/CSA measures were the fundamental building block that ensured the project's success.

 

They were selected because of their familiarity to, and suitability for, local people.

 

The measures helped project participants adapt their farming practices to climate change while improving and diversifying their livelihoods.

* Participatory intervention selection with farmers and expert staff

* Supportive local extension and rural-development agencies

* Frequent and regular support by expert staff and farmer-to-farmer approaches

* Familiarity with the intervention increases the likelihood of adoption

* Farmers preferred to modify their farming systems with the enhanced knowledge from the project rather than completely change all at once

Building capacity of local partners

Building capacity of local partners was an important part of the project to enable achievement of results.

 

Capacity was built through online training and informal discussions.

 

Without capable partners, no field activities would have been implemented during the COVID-19 travel restrictions.

* Capacity building of key local stakeholders included in project design

* Availability of smartphones, computers and network

* Expert trainers available and able to flexibly adapt to online training

* While most stakeholders prefer in-person capacity-building events, responses to the online training was extremely positivea and could be built into future projects to reduce costs and increase flexibility of delivery options