Seeking Livelihood Adaptation through Communication for Development
Mario AcunzoCommunication for Development Officer
Natural Resources DepartmentFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
CBA focuses on enabling vulnerable groups and communities to enhance their own adaptive capacity, and increase their resilience to climate change
It requires multi-stakeholders action, innovation and a process of social learning for adaptive livelihoods.
CBA involves multiple pathways and a combination of immediate, medium and long-term measures “knowledge intensive”
.
Knowledge and communication: assets in Community Based Adaptation (CBA)
Improved knowledge, information sharing, and people’s participation for concerted action are key assets towards adaptation
Communication is a key in these processes for sound CBA and therefore it has to be considered since the beginning
Communication for Development (ComDev) is a participatory approach that integrates the use of communication strategies, media and processes to enable people and institutions to share knowledge and information and to reach a consensus towards a common action
Communication: a key to CBA
• Technology innovation/adaptation
• Community based NRM
• Disaster risk management
• Livelihood adaptation
• Environmental/local governance
Rural Communication Strategies & Systems
Communication experiences relevant to CBA
TECA - Proven technologies for small holders
Virtual Extension and Research Communication Network (VERCON) - Bhutan, Costa Rica
Rural Communication Systems: FarmNet (Namibia), RADCON (Egypt), RKN (Uganda), IC4NRM (Bolivia)
Communication systems relevant to CBA
Lessons learnt
Focus on social processes rather than on media
Building on existing knowledge and communication systems
Ensure equitable access to knowledge and information
Promote local contents
Use realistic technologies
Ensure financial sustainability
Enhancing local communication capacities
ComDev methodologies
Towards a Communication approach in CBA
‘’Livelihood adaptation to climate variability and change in drought-prone areas of Bangladesh’’, FAO 2006
The livelihood adaptation framework
A working definition
The systematic design and use of participatory communication processes, strategies and media to share knowledge and information among all stakeholders in a particular agro-ecological context in order to enhance peoples’ resilience and livelihood options to cope with climate change
Communication approach to livelihood adaptation
ComDev strategies can foster CBA by:
facilitating equitable access to knowledge and information
enhance learning and action => co-creation of knowledge
promoting peoples’ participation in CBA
improving linkages between research, extension, advisory services and farmers for technology adaptation
enhancing community based adaptation processes
bridging the “information glocal divide” reducing the gap between global environmental systems, local knowledge and communities
Role of ComDev in CBA
Key principles: enhancing local knowledge and communication processes
Key principles: fostering Dialogue and Mediation
Key principles: Convergence and appropriation of technologies
• Integrate ComDev approaches and strategies in CBA• Document best practices and showcase results• Assess options for new ComDev services for CBA• Build capacities in ComDev• Support communities of practices and partnerships
• Communication for Sustainable Development Initiative
Challenges
