CCAA Learning ForumCCAA Learning Forum 08‐12 March, 2010, Windsor Golf 

and Country Club,Nairobi, KenyaNairobi, Kenya

Integrating Indigenous Knowledge in Climate Risk Management in Support of Community Based Adaptationof Community Based Adaptation

BackgroundBackground• Climate is closely linked to sustainability ofto sustainability of community livelihoods and lives

• Extreme climate variabilities such as floods and droughtsfloods and droughts often have far reaching environmental, health and socio‐economic impacts in many developing countriesdeveloping countries

•There are tools for

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•There are tools for monitoring climate•The Modern‐day  0

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provide forecasts sometimes with lead times of over three months

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months•However, there have been complaints from the users, particularly on interpretation of the pproducts

•IK have developed techniques and 

fstrategies for forecasting, and managing climate g gvariability•This forecasting depends ondepends on observation of the natural environmentenvironment including:

FloraFaunaStars

The ProjectThe Project

• However there is still a gap in reducingHowever, there is still a gap in reducing vulnerability in communities despite availability of good modern‐day science and IKavailability of good modern day science and IK forecasts

• There is a realization that merging the two• There is a realization that merging the two sources of information may lead to better climate risk management and hence promoteclimate risk management and hence promote poverty reduction and sustainable development

The Specific ObjectivesThe Specific Objectives

• Demystify Nganyi community IK and developDemystify Nganyi community IK and develop sustainable framework for integrating IK and western climate risk sciencewestern climate risk science

• Gender Analysis – roles of men and women in access control and management of naturalaccess, control and management of natural resources including climate risk management

• Develop and improve the packaging andDevelop and improve the packaging and communication of IK integrated seasonal climate forecastsclimate forecasts.

• Investigate the potential impacts of future climate changes on the IK systemsclimate changes on the IK systems

• Develop curriculum that can be used to I IK d i di i kIntegrate IK and western science disaster risk reduction

Project TeamProject Team

• Due to the multidisciplinary nature of climateDue to the multidisciplinary nature of climate change, the project team is also multidisciplinarymultidisciplinary– NGANYI core group and community

ICPAC– ICPAC

– KMD

KIPI– KIPI

– NMK (Kisumu)

GLUK– GLUK

DemystificationDemystification

• Property rights ‐ KIPI

• The TWO knowledge bases sharing information– Indigenousg

– Botany

– ZoologyZoology

– Cosmology

• Papers and a book on Nganyi history• Papers and a book on Nganyi history

Integrated forecastsIntegrated forecasts

Interpretation of ForecastsInterpretation of Forecasts

• Incorporating govtIncorporating govt officers from different sectors wedifferent sectors, we were able to deliver the message inthe message in practical, usable terms – not so muchterms  not so much meteorological terms!terms!

DisseminationDissemination

• The advisories arrivedThe advisories arrived at during the integrated forecasts were translated into the local (Luhya) language

• Brochures

• Radio interviews

• Community meetings 

Other ActivitiesOther Activities

• Climate scenarios developed for 2030 2050 &Climate scenarios developed for 2030, 2050 & 2080 using Precis

• The development of integrated Disaster• The development of integrated Disaster Management curriculum

D ft d d– Draft modern‐day

– Draft IK curriculum

d– Integrated

– To be presented to GLUK senate for approval

ChallengesChallenges

• Adaptation is strongly linked to developmentAdaptation is strongly linked to development– Project was purely for information provision

Acting on the information depends on the– Acting on the information depends on the capacity of the community

• Poverty is a major problemPoverty is a major problem

• Even with the incorporation of the Industrial Property Institute as partners release ofProperty Institute as partners, release of information is still restricted