CBA9 courting the needs of the vulnerable through Climate Change Adaptation

By Milcah Rajula and Bob Aston

The 9th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation (CBA9): Measuring and enhancing effective adaptation which took place at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya in April 27th- 30th, 2015 called on world leaders to address the needs of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people in this year’s key environment and development summits.

With the convergence of more than 400 participants drawn from diverse professional sectors globally: governments, civil society, scientific community, international and non- governmental organizations, they came together to discuss and share best practices on how to measure and enhance effective adaptation to climate variability and change for the poorest and most vulnerable communities.

The core participation and hosting of the event was done in collaboration with the Government of Kenya, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS).

Photo by Cgiarclimate_EA

The conference included a myriad of activities: high-level speaker panels; twenty four sessions; Participatory analysis of films; fun adaptation finance night; learning through games; interactive workshops. Pre-conference field trips had also been pre-organized to allow delegates to explore at first-hand issues related to CBA.

The CBA9 conference ended with lessons learned and the Nairobi Declaration being presented. The declaration stated the importance of addressing the needs and interests of the poorest and most vulnerable in international agreements on sustainable development, development finance and climate change.

CBA9 noted that it is the responsibility of developed countries to support the adaptation efforts of poor and vulnerable groups. To this end, there is need for governments to promote approaches to climate change adaptation that build the capacity of local actors. The engagement of vulnerable groups should be included in the process of developing goals, strategies for implementation, indicators and evaluative frameworks for adaptation.

CBA9 also reiterated the importance of securing additional, adequate and transparent adaptation financing, especially for community-level adaptation efforts. Global agreements should make an effort in increasing and accelerating finance for adaptation in poor and vulnerable communities and establish transparent mechanisms for monitoring adaptation finance.

Governments should prioritize the needs and interests of the poorest and most vulnerable in their national adaptation planning processes and provide clear, timely and accurate reporting on the extent to which adaptation finance reaches vulnerable groups.

Fatuma Hussein, Board member addressing participants. Photo by Adaptation Fund

World leaders will meet this year to draft agreements on Sustainable Development Goals, Financing for Development and Climate Change under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

CBA9 urged leaders to ensure that these agreements reflect the needs, feasibility and interests of the poorest and most vulnerable. Local, regional and national governments will need to incorporate the principles of inclusiveness, community leadership and environmental sustainability into their entire plans hence effective climate change adaptation vis à vis long term financial commitment and accountability.  

IIED and partners: BCAS, created the CBA conferences to highlight that effective adaptation to climate change starts with the local actors being at the community level. Past CBA conferences have focused on scaling up best practices, ensuring a scientific basis to action, communicating and mainstreaming CBA and ensuring adaptation funding trickles to community level.

After the many days of engrossing deliberations and participatory sessions, the conference ended on a good note with set resolutions being that the national and local actors have to play a major roles in ensuring that the different targets are active participators: private sector to engage in co-investment mechanisms; the youth; poor and vulnerable; and community levels being engaged fully for maximum climate adaptation outcomes.

CBA10 shall be held in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, next year.

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