The CBAA project is carrying out climate change adaptation pilot projects at community level in eight African countries (Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa), the first six of which are Least Developed Countries.

It is being led by the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) in Kenya, and funded by the IDRC/DFID Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) programme.

The selection of community-based adaptation as a learning-by-doing research approach originated from discussions amongst the partner institutions. Through collaboration with relevant stakeholders (particularly meteorological services), communities have been selected using the LOCATE methodology, which specifically targets groups most vulnerable to climate change. In project design, special consideration is being given to women, who are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Participatory and consultative approaches are being adopted and a learning-by-doing approach applied to reduce vulnerability to climate change at the community level through the application of adaptation knowledge, experience and technologies generated by this project.

The project is identifying ways of communicating climate information to poor and vulnerable communities, and from communities to other stakeholders. Capacity building and support is being given to NGOs and communities through training to facilitate integration of climate change into their plans and activities. The intermediary NGOs will work with, and support the implementation of community level activities geared towards climate change adaptation. The project will generate information on community-based climate change adaptation; disseminate these to inform other stakeholders including researchers, NGOs, national and international policy and decision makers etc. Through the project, greater awareness on climate change will be created. NGOs, local communities and researchers will be empowered to integrate, carry out, and generate information on climate change adaptation.

IIED is providing technical advice and support to this work.  For more information about the project, please visit the ACTS website.