Isiolo County Climate Change Fund (ICCCF) is a locally-managed (devolved) financial mechanism, allowing county and ward-level decision-making on investments for addressing climate change challenges. Piloted in Isiolo (2011-12) under the then Ministry of State for Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands, the mechanism was extended from 2013 to Garissa, Kitui, Makueni and Wajir counties and from 2018 is being scaled-out nation-wide by the National Drought Management Authority within the Ministry of Devolution and ASALs. Ward-level investments in Isiolo supported by the CCCFCinclude rehabilitation, fencing, sand damns, workshops, funding community radio and more.
Investment decision-making is participatory:
WAPCs are formed through a public vetting process and consensus; male and female members are selected based on integrity, dedication, knowledge of the area and commitment to report back to the community.
WAPCs identify priority investments which are submitted to the Isiolo County Planning Committee (CAPC) for review (the CAPC cannot veto proposals that meet jointly-agreed investment criteria).
Once approved, investments are opened to competitive tenders. The successful provider receives payments in phases, based on certified completion of the previous phase.
Kenya’s new constitution mandates devolved (local, bottom-up) governance and climate change mainstreaming – core CCCF principles
The engagement of the Climate Change Directorate, the Council of Governors, the National Environment Management Authority and the National Treasury in the scale-out of the CCCF mechanism are led by the National Drought Management Authority, which ensures the mechanism is being integrated into national and county-level planning
Counties are setting aside between 1 and 2% from their development budget in support of CCCF
Communities drive planning and budgeting: through the Ward Climate Change Planning Committee (WCCPC) local Communities influence budgeting and ensure implementation of high-value, sustainable investments.
CCCF anchored within and supportive of devolved (local) governance: The CCCF mechanism has led to the set-up of Ward Development Committees, and in existing CCCF pilot wards the WCCPC may be given the mandate to execute the development agenda at the county level; County Climate Change Planning Committees act as critical technical coordination units that ensure climate change activities are harmonized.
Focus on public goods: public goods investments across the counties are delivering numerous economic benefits and have strengthened the local economies, supporting livelihoods or other important services.
Inclusion: The CCCF is an inclusive mechanism, designed to include all social categories as well as technical experts, meaning critical planning structures are inclusive and investments are effective for all, including vulnerable groups like women and youth.
Developing a vision and a clear roadmap towards 100% organic
Meeting of farmers in Sikkim
Bernward Geier
When starting these policies, mainstreaming of organic and agroecological farming in the whole state was seen as a strategy to preserve the ecosystem of the state and the health of its citizens. The government was (and still is) convinced that this decision would deliver huge socioeconomic benefits, would help young people stay on the land, and would attract local and foreign sustainable tourism, while opening opportunities to reach premium organic markets.
Political commitment to support organic farming in Sikkim began in 2003. That year, the Chief Minister of Sikkim, H.E. Pawan Chamling, announced his vision for Sikkim to be India’s first organic state. In a historic declaration to the State Assembly in 2003, H.E. Chamling announced “a long awaited policy initiative of declaring Sikkim as a fully Organic State”. The 2003 declaration was accompanied by the creation of an action plan containing a variety of policy measures, including a gradual phase-out of synthetic inputs and the support for the production and use of organic fertilizers and organic seeds, coupled with capacity building for extension officers, farmers and young people.
Back in 2003, there was still no clear agreement on how to progress towards the goal of a fully organic state. To move forward with this objective, in 2004, the government came up with a working policy and in August 2010, it launched the Sikkim Organic Mission to implement the action plan and policies related to organic farming in the state, with the target of converting the entire state into an organic one by the year 2015.
The road map that clearly detailed all the measures necessary to achieve the target of becoming a fully organic state by 2015, was key, along with the setup of the Sikkim Organic Mission, to achieve the vision of Sikkim becoming the first 100% organic state in the world. The Sikkim Organic Mission – with its goal of becoming a fully organic state – is the first such far-sighted and visionary policy commitment by a state in India and indeed the world. By implementing this political strategy, Sikkim shows that it is taking all necessary measures to reverse the prevailing economic logic that favours forms of food production that fail to account for the contributions of nature. This action plan, together with its linked policies, is unique in its boldness. Remarkably, it allowed Sikkim to achieve its target of converting the entire state to organic agriculture by December 2015. This is the first time in history that a state set such an ambitious vision and also achieved it.
Despite being a small state, Sikkim’s visionary leadership is receiving extensive attention in India and appears destined to reverberate worldwide. Neighbouring countries and states show high interest in replicating and many other countries, especially in Asia, invited Sikkim to exchange its experiences.
Bhutan has already set out a new road map towards becoming a 100 per cent organic state by 2023, and now a number of Indian states are interested in following the wish of the India’s Prime Minister to see the whole of North India converting to organic agriculture. At the beginning of 2018, Uttakarand became the second Indian state to promise broader support to organic farming for its 1.6 million farmers, announcing an action plan backed by approximately EUR 189 million of federal funding for the next three years. Organic agriculture can help India to achieve its own sustainable development goals, including doubling the income of rural farmers by 2022, if more Indian states adopt Sikkim’s model of organic farming.
Political commitment was key. Sikkimese political support to organic farming in Sikkim began in 2003 and was consolidated in 2010 with the design of the Sikkim Organic Mission.
Consistency and perseverance: The goal was reached within just 12 years.
It was critical to have full political support and to design a road map that clearly detailed all the measures necessary to achieve the target of becoming a fully organic state by 2015.
