Local | PANORAMA

Social-business model approach

Visit to rooftop farm

GIZ

The project established two Rooftop Farming Hubs, a community-based social business model locally embedded to support a rooftop farming ecosystem and grow a community of practice in the field of urban agriculture. This is based on the study of different markets, produce, farming techniques, marketing plans, as well as a co-financing arrangements between the community and the RTF Hubs in the two targeted areas. The aim is not just educating and training the local residents of the targeted areas about RTF, but also creating a platform through which the residents can collaborate, exchange experiences, network, form support and learn how to sustain and expand their income generating urban agriculture projects.

As a technical hub, beneficiaries are equipped with the necessary skills and tools to establish and maintain their rooftop farms sensitive to socio-economic conditions and provide on-going technical knowledge and assistance.

As a social hub, linkages between targeted beneficiaries are enhanced to exchange knowledge about RTF, consolidate learning experiences, as well as support positive interaction and community cohesion

As an economic hub, access to local markets is facilitated through a market plan that aims to market through awareness raising on organic urban farming.

Readiness of a local NGO or institution to host a RTF Hub as one of its core functions. The "Hub Enablers" have received extensive training on technical and practical rooftop farming skills, TOT, project management, marketing, feasibility, and awarness raising. They were then trained on the job through the recruitment of community beneficaries who joined the rooftop farmers network, the installation of their rooftop farms, support throughout the farming seasons, and support in market linkages.

Remote monitoring should be applied through the implementation process to help address any issues arising with the growth of plants.
Creating incentive activities for the beneficiaries would give an advantage to the success of the project to encourage higher interaction from the beneficiaries’ side;
Nets should be installed to protect the crops from external attacks from birds and flying insects;
More focus on trouble shooting problems during cultivation should be made during trainings.

Entirety

Local

Rooftop farming methodology & technique

Watering a rooftop vegetable patch

GIZ

A hydroponic technology system was set up on the rooftops. The model consists of 3–4 water beds, directly attached to on each rooftop. They are made of wooden frames, plastic sheets, foam panels and cups filled with peat moss and pyralite substrate. The 15-cm deep water is supplied by a water pipe through an electricity connection from downstairs and maintained by a water pump and water filter. As an alternative, the project installed boxes filled with soil, having the advantage that no electricity is needed for water circulation. The biggest challenges for the rooftop farmers were irregular water supply and electricity cuts, as well as the hot summer temperatures which negatively impacted the growth of the plants.

The choice of which crop to grow heavily relied on the feasibility and market study; finding the right balance between a crop that has a high demand in the market and used most by the people, a crop that yields high returns to strengthen income generating opportunities, and a crop that can withstand environmental and climatic conditions of the area.

Monitoring: A monitoring system should gather data on e.g. food production, income, farming activities, economic costs/benefits, etc. Measurements should be conducted in order to assess the actual microclimatic impact. Technical setup: The hydroponic model is relatively cheap and thus affordable. However, other factors (maintenance, water and electricity consumption, usage of organic waste and grey water, impact on microclimate conditions) should be considered for upscaling. Other technical options aside from the hydroponic system should be explored. Remaining technical bottlenecks have to be tackled by on-site experimentation. Impact: the microclimate rooftops should be protected from direct solar radiation, enhance cooling-off through evaporation and enable a higher effect by spatial clustering and a bigger implementation area.

Implementation

Local

Combining approaches: EbA and new technologies

The experimentation with nopal is not the only type of experiments being undertaken in the reserve. Working under CONANP leadership, students and teachers from a local high school (CBTa-22) are adapting an innovative bio-digestor, to convert nopal into high-grade fodder for the cattle and milk industries outside the reserve. The goal is to replace the water-guzzling alfafa-based fodder with nopal-based fodder to reduce the water demand pressure on the wetlands from sources outside the PA, as well as within it. The building block demonstrates the potential that reserves have to act as agents of adaptation beyond their own boundaries. The design of the bio-digestor was made by Universidad Autónoma de Chapingo; the CBTa-22 students are experimenting with it and a mix of urea and nopal needed to increase the quality of the fodder. The nopal needed for the bio-digestor has come from the experimental sites set up as part of Building Block II. First results of the bio-digestor created a sludge that was unpalatable for the cattle. Since then, they have been working on combining the sludge with other types of fodder, and on developing pellets more palatable to the cows.

a) CONANP as a facilitator and promotor of the bio-digestor experiment;

b) Alliance formation between government, producers and technical colleges and universities;

c) Local producers who are willing to provide cattle as tasters for the fodder produced by the bio-digestor;

d) Teachers and student driving forward the research and experimentation over a number of years (six years, to date)

e) Good technical understanding of bio-digestor development.

a) Experimental, technical innovations require a commitment of resources. Being able to make alliances with a technical college can provide the necessary resources to maintain the innovation process over time;

b) CONANP as an intermediary between the bio-digestor developers and the cattle producers, is invaluable especially when volunteer producers are needed to provide cattle that will test out the fodder.

c) This building block demonstrates that PA staff can be a key agent of adaptation outside its own boundaries, so as to reduce pressures on itself.

d) In the specific case of Cuatrociénegas, it is a salutary lesson for other PAs that the area is investing its own resources (as well as that of the local college CBTa-22) to come up with innovative solutions for fodder production and water demand management (experimented on within its own boundaries), for adoption by businesses outside its boundaries.

Implementation

Local

Experimenting new methods, ideas, and approaches in limited area

It is crucial to experiment with new management ideas in a controlled manner, to ensure that adaptation measures will work as expected, and replicate them. In the context of integrated water demand management, and with the objective of adapting to climate change by supporting local producers to shift from alfafa production to that of nopal for human consumption and cattle fodder purposes, CONANP has set up a six hectare experimental site to a) find out how well such an adaptation might work out in practice for the producers (and their cattle), and b) to use the site as a demonstration of how a successful adaptation to this production strategy can work for other producers in the PA. If the experimental area is successful, it will be easier to spread this adaptation measures among other producers and areas of the PA. The experimental site can provide reliable scientific guidance and the data needed to support adaptation decisions, in times when lack of knowledge and change aversion can prevent the implementation of this type of adaptation measures.

a) Local producers who are willing to be forerunners and modify their practices in an experimental trial;

b) Willingness of the PA’s staff to invest (time, money and effort) on innovative, but potentially unsuccessful, experimentation;

c) Technical understanding of materials needed to create the growing tunnels under which the nopal grows;

d) Monitoring and evaluation to assess the experiment, and to be able to make technical adaptations where necessary.

a) High quality technical support to producers is essential in order to reduce the slope of the learning curve for the local producers;

b) Many lessons have been learned with respect to the technical aspects related to the use of materials for tunnels. Special mobile growing tunnels have now been developed to respond to changes in weather conditions related to temperature and winds, and to allow producers to move or remove the tunnels when necessary;

c) Communicating the results of the experiment is very important to promote producers’ buy-in. A critical mass of convinced producers is needed to open up commercially viable markets for new products (i.e. nopal for cattle fodder & human consumption);

d) Calculating risks and forming strategic alliances (producers, government and non-state actors) are crucial factors for a successful implementation.

Implementation

Local

Integrated Water Demand Management

Water demand reduction has occurred through: a) identifying and removing invasive, water-guzzling tree and reed species (such as carrizo, pinabete, and the pino salado); b) removal of some irrigation channels; and c) the setting up of a monitoring system for water quantity and quality in the Protected Area. A further major contribution is represented by the efforts to encourage the adaptation of agricultural and cattle-raising practices, centered around migrating from alfafa production to nopal. The nopal needs a tenth of the water that alfafa requires to grow, and can be used for human consumption, and as a substitute for cattle fodder.

a) Knowledge and data on water use by different components of the socio-ecological system in the protected area;

b) monitoring systems;

c) awareness-raising about the importance of preserving the ecosystem for maintaining community benefits;

d) economic and human resources to be able to carry out the labor-intensive rehabilitation work;

e) innovation-friendly local producers who are willing to be the first ones to modify their practices.

a) The restoration of the wetlands has been and continues to be a race against time. Restoration efforts seeming to be always one step behind the socio-economic pressures that are causing the continued water extraction.

b) The challenges of restoring water levels in the wetlands are not only economic and physical, but also social and psychological in nature. Much work also has to be focused on convincing producers to adapt practices in the face of lack of knowledge and change aversion.

c) Without accurate scientific guidance and data on water consumption, it is not possible to carry out effective integrated water demand management.

d) It is very important that all governmental actors working in and around the PA work together and synergistically.

e) Future work should focus on developing an alliance of government actors to reduce the socio-economic pressures on water extraction in the reserve

Implementation

Local

Climate-change adapted plants - Olive ssp.

Farmer exposure visit to olive orchard

GIZ

The promotion of drought-resistant and climate change-adapted plants, such as olive trees, contributes to increasing the resilience of the local communities. The area in Swat is suitable for olive growing: wild olives grow here in cemeteries, which are biodiversity hotspots thanks to their protection over centuries. Olive trees can be planted on marginal lands; they bear fruit after 4-5 years of plantation and generate income by providing the source product for olive oil. Pakistan is highly dependent on the import of edible oils. The establishment of small processing plants for the production of olive oil can contribute considerably to the supply of edible oils. The project provided 3000 high-quality olive tree seedlings to farmers in Swat, organized training on grafting and budding, and arranged an exposure visit for olive farmers to an olive-producing community for direct exchange with successful olive farmers.

• Exposure visits were important to inform future olive farmers on the importance of olive products through value addition by displaying various olive by-products (dried leaves and olive seed powder for medical treatments). • Support of the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) Mingora was crucial to further improve the olive value chain in Swat through different trainings of the farmers. • The farmers should have access to markets for the products; otherwise they get discouraged.

• For promotion of biodiversity conservation to support local communities in climate change adaptation, different tools such as training, workshops, exposure visits to promising communities and institutions, use of print and electronic media etc., have to be used continuously, taking into account local culture and norms. • The species should be selected according to the local climate and consumer preferences but importantly the species should not be exotic to distort the local biodiversity or increase species uniformity.

Implementation

Local

Community-based implementation of EbA measures

Triangle of Cooperation (LCS = Local Subsidy Contract)

GIZ

Adaptation measures were implemented via a multi-stakeholder process involving communities, government institutions and the project. This innovative mechanism for demand-driven and integrated planning and implementation of field measures was termed ‘Triangle of Cooperation’ (see graphic). The BKP project funded adaptation measures through local subsidy contracts (LSC) with the community, which had to form a village organisation registered with the Social Welfare Department, and open a bank account. To receive support, the community had to enter into an agreement (memorandum of understanding, MoU) with the concerned government department to specify their roles and responsibilities. While the community was responsible for the implementation of the adaptation measures, the involved government department provided training and oversight.

• Strengthening village-based organisations for appropriate involvement of women considering local norms / traditions • Formalizing cooperation between the community and the supporting institution (government, NGO, development project) • Practical demonstrations • Monitoring and evaluation involving the local communities • Capacity building of the community to ensure the successful completion of activities as well as to carryout out follow up activities beyond the project’s support

For further promotion of biodiversity conservation to support local communities in climate change adaptation, the different tools introduced by the project, such as training, workshops, exposure visits to promising communities and institutions, use of print and electronic media etc., have to be used continuously, taking into account local culture and norms. In general, the government allocates only a meagre amount of funds for the green sector. In cases, the budget allocated is more for the staff salaries than for the field level activities. Sufficient budgetary allocations to the green sector for biodiversity friendly adaptation measures should therefore be guaranteed by the government, to replicate the best adaptation measures on a needs-basis. For sustainability the responsible government agencies should support the local communities in future activities

Entirety

Local

Vulnerability assessments for integrated bottom-up planning

Orientation of government staff on the concept and approaches of biodiversity conservation and tools & techniques for climate sensitive vulnerability assessment

GIZ

The project developed and applied a tool for the assessment of vulnerabilities of communities and ecosystems towards the impacts of climate change. The aim was to ensure that the measures implemented reflect the priorities of the community and, at the same time, consider the local climate. After orientations on general climate change vulnerabilities in Pakistan, the vulnerability assessments (VAs) were implemented by teams of agricultural and forestry experts from various government departments, along with project staff. The teams applied different Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques, including key informant discussions, focus group discussions (FGDs), village resource mapping, transect walks, and field observations. Information was collected on general village issues as well as on main natural hazards and their impacts. Based on the vulnerability assessment and consultations with the pilot communities, a set of adaptation measures were identified. The communities have been fully involved in all steps.

• A consulting firm was contracted for backstopping and support to district teams. • The assessment was based on an existing methodology (GIZ’s Vulnerability Sourcebook. • An orientation workshop for key stakeholders followed by training for District staff was organized to share the VA approach and to enhance capacities of key stakeholders and discuss data needs/ sources. • Community awareness, mobilization and involvement • Active participation of the government line agencies (departments)

• Local-level VAs are an important tool for integrated bottom-up planning. They help to identify socially-acceptable and biodiversity friendly measures that support adaption to climate change. The government should consider making VAs mandatory so that values and services of biodiversity can be safeguarded. • Gender aspects of the VAs should be worked out according to the local customs and traditions to allow women participation in the assessments. This is particularly important when women are involved in managing the natural resources. • The assessment proved very helpful for the local communities as well as the line agencies to understand the scale and type of their vulnerabilities with regard to climate change. The realization paved the way for effective implementation of the climate change adaptation measures. • The PRA tools can vary from one community to another, so judicious thought is necessary when selecting the tools. The tools should be context and culture sensitive.

Planning phase

Local

Hussain, S.S. (2014) Vulnerability Assessments in Swat and Chitral Districts

GIZ (2014) The Vulnerability Sourcebook

Integrating climate information into local planning

Ecological Drawing exercise - Impacts of climate change on livelihoods

GIZ

Villager presents results of ecological drawing exercise

GIZ

Seasonal (based on seasons defined by the communities according to predominant livelihood strategies with the help of an ecological calendar) and annual temperature and precipitation projections for the near future were developed for specific sites, namely Bash Kaiyndy/ Naryn District in Kyrgyzstan and two villages in the Bartang Valley of the Tajikistan Pamir region. Two time slices were developed to represent 30-year averages - 2020s (2011-2040) and 2050s (2041-2070) - and change factors were calculated relative to 1980-2005 modeled base periods. Presenting the projections as a range most accurately represents possible future climate conditions for decision-makers and planners applying a risk-based approach to climate change adaptation and resiliency. To consider inherent uncertainties in climate models, scenarios for future vulnerabilities are discussed and selected together with the community. Derived from the scenarios, climate change related threats complete the picture of the situation analysis, and future vulnerabilities can be prioritized through rating of conventional and climate change related threats.

Kyrgyz villages have weather station data to support baseline information. Future absolute values could be estimated.
Ecological calendar exercise conducted with local communities to define distribution of seasons according to predominant livelihood strategies
Strong exchange between climate scientist and local implementing partners and community
Strong facilitation skills when communicating future scenarios to the community

Building the bridge between science and local development by integrating local perception into the projection modelling and through participatory scenario planning with the community has been very successful.
When introducing the idea of climate change during workshops, there might be a danger to present climate change as the cause of all environmental problems. Careful explanation and definition of climate change is essential.
Adapting climate projections for the specific audience (e.g. government officials, local villagers) is crucial.
Pre-workshops / discussions with various informants familiar with the project area and local villagers yielded useful information and a more complete picture of the ecological and economic context of the assessment.
Workshops are generally not a productive forum for technical debates about the validity of climate projections and statistics. It is helpful to focus on communicating climate impacts and hazards, rather than technicalities.

Implementation

Monitoring

Documentation and dissemination of results

Local

Subnational

National

Participatory Vulnerability Assessments as a basis for EbA planning

Ecological Drawing to map the village

Shaun Martin

This stage of the process aims at assessing information on conventional (non-climatic) vulnerabilities of people and ecosystems. Surveys in four villages in Kyrgyzstan’s Naryn province and Tajikistan’s West-Pamiri Bartang Valley addressed the following issues:

• Ecosystem services used by the local population and their spatial and temporal distribution

• Availability of ecosystem services, ecosystem health and function, and perceived changes

• Vulnerability of livelihoods and the link to the status and availability of ecosystem services

• Perception of climate change and its effects on the availability of ecosystem services

• Assessment of legal / institutional / administrative/ technical and information deficits relevant for EbA in the area

The field work started with village workshops to introduce the project, identify key stakeholders as well as interests and needs of village residents. Information was collected by means of interview with residents and key informants, group discussions, field surveys (village walks, mapping, sampling) and participatory resource mapping. To assess overall vulnerability, the availability of ecosystem services and their contribution to local livelihoods is comparatively ranked.

• Detailed scoping (Step 1) before the assessment: choosing the community, (pre)identifying livelihood strategies, ecosystem services and the respective ecosystems

• Participatory approach involving villagers and key informants

• Conducting village workshops in a simple language (beyond project terminology)

• A stand-alone VA conducted by external experts should be avoided. Most of the information necessary for further planning cannot be retrieved from reports only.

• The developed EbA method comprises a full-fledged vulnerability assessment: Step 1-4 (scoping and identification of conventional threats), Step 5 (climate perspective), Step 6 (threat prioritization) and Step 7 (summarize situation).

• Identifying vulnerabilities of people is rather straightforward. However, identifying the vulnerabilities of relevant ecosystems and making sure that nature itself is able to adapt poses a challenge due to lack of data and time constraints.

• Social disparities make climate vulnerability a socially driven vulnerability of livelihood. An unequal access to water will increase the social vulnerability of livelihood. An EbA strategy will have to address a socially compensating access to the resource.

• Scoping: an extension of the project zone in order to cover the complete life cycle (e.g. summer pasture) of the target population is important.

Implementation

Local