S. Building sustainable and resilient ecological food systems
using ecosystem-based adaptation in agriculture-dominated
landscapes in Sub Saharan Africa
UNEP in collaboration with FAO and IFAD ($633,000)
Background
1. Healthy, well-functioning ecosystems enhance natural resilience to the
adverse impacts of climate change and reduce the vulnerability of people. Ecosystembased Adaptation (EbA) is the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of
an overall adaptation strategy to help people and communities adapt to the negative
effects of climate change at local, national, regional and global levels. EbA
provides many benefits to communities, including food security (from fisheries to
agro forestry), sustainable water management, and livelihood diversification
(through increasing resource-use options). There is evidence that EbA actions can
provide the right framework for catalyzing transformative change on a larger scale.
2. This project will focus on creating ecosystem-based adaptations that
enhance food security. EbA actions have many sustainable approaches to enhancing
food security, such as buffer strips, on-site water conservation, use of native species,
change in cropping systems, landscape-scale management, protection of water
resources and the incorporation of local knowledge into agro ecological production
systems. They can also be quickly implemented with local capacity, have short
turnover periods, and could potentially stimulate spontaneous replication while shifting
farming towards sustainable production systems. By implementing a number of these
approaches in a series of demonstrations in target countries, the project will generate
evidence and data about EbA which will help fill capacity deficits and provide
information that will help in policy making processes. Local and national
institutions will be contracted to implement these demonstrations, with oversight of
the relevant national ministry. By involving a variety of actors, this approach will
ensure interactive development of the capacity and skill sets of the project team on
site. This flexibility allows self-starters to get into action, and others to grow
organically. This allows for the diversification of the intervention, which builds
resilience in the national adaptation strategy and the realizations of multiple
activities on national priorities for adaptation and food security.
3. Workshops and advisory missions will be used to pass the information
gained from demonstrations to policy-makers and relevant stakeholders.
Stakeholders will include actors responsible for ecosystem-based adaptation on the
ground, including Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), private sector actors
and local governments. Research and academic institutions will also be targeted in
an effort to ensure that the knowledge gained as a result of this project is
incorporated into ongoing research and that scientific gains are made accessible to
policy-makers and EbA stakeholders. Hence through this project the science will
inform the action and the action will help inform the science and policy. The data
gathered from the demonstration action will inform scientific gaps and also help
inform policy actions. Potential target countries are Togo, Uganda, Mozambique
and Burkina Faso.
4. This project will build on successful experiences from UNEP-led EbA
and food security projects, such as the use of agro-forestry, conservation agriculture
and integrated nutrient management, and establishment of woodlots as land
management practices in Uganda. The project will also build on UNEP’s long
standing and valued reputation for providing global leadership, encouraging
partnerships and convening the body of knowledge on the ecosystem management
approach applied to cultivated land, forest, dry lands and mountain biomes. The
project will be complemented by a robust upscaling strategy, which complements
and builds upon other related actions such as the IFAD Adaptation for Smallholder
Agriculture Programme (ASAP). UNEP expects that partners and donors will
provide further in-kind and financial support to ongoing implementation.
Objective of the Organization: To build ecological resilience of
food systems and enhance food security through Ecosystem-based
Adaptation (EbA) approaches in selected countries in Sub Saharan
Africa
Relationship to the strategic framework for the period 20142015 and the Millennium Development Goals: UNEP
subprogramme 1 (Climate change), and subprogramme 3
(Ecosystem management); Millennium Development Goals 1 and
7.
Summary budget
(Thousands of United States dollars)
General temporary
assistance
Consultants
Travel
Contractual services
Operating expenses
Workshops/training
Total
Expected accomplishments of the Secretariat Indicators of achievement
15.0
48.5
28.0
448.5
9.0
84.0
633.0
(EA1) Bridge the science-policy gap that
currently exists through evidence gathered from
demonstration of EbA approaches for food
security
(EA2) Strengthened government capacities to
integrate EbA approaches into national food
security policies and plans in four target
countries
(IA1.1)
Number of national reports using
EbA approaches
(EA3) EBA for food security lessons learnt
disseminated to a wider African audience
(IA3.1)
Four national governments
incorporating EbA approaches into food security
plans
(IA2.1)
Positive feedback on
usefulness/effectiveness of EbA demonstrated
approaches in enhancing food security in four
target countries. This will be verified through
interviews of stakeholders and national experts
involved in project activities
Main activities
5. The main activities of the project will include:
(A1.1) Test EbA approaches and draw lessons from existing cases that
contribute to increasing food productivity in four target countries;
(A1.2) Integrate EbA into national and sub national food security policy plans;
(A2.1) Organize advisory missions for national and sub national institutions to
help governments in the four target countries to finalize EbA based national and
sub national food security policy plans;
(A2.2) Organize national workshops for food security and adaptation actors in
the four target countries to draw lessons learnt and formulating them to inform
policy development and planning;
(A3.1) Organize regional workshop to disseminate the lessons learned to a
wider audience in the countries and the region.
Detailed budget (US dollars)
General Temporary Assistance
 Temporary Assistance to assist in administrative matters and
backstopping of limited substantive tasks during the implementation of
the project, in support of activities A1.1 A1.2 and A2.2, A3 (20 work
months x $750 per work month) = $15,000
15 000
Consultants
International consultants
 For preparing and implementing workshops and participatory reviews of
integrated food security adaptation practices in support of activities A1.2,
A2.1, A2.2 (10 work months x $1,750 per months = $17,500) +
(consultants’ travel = $10,000) = $27,500
National consultants
 For preparing and implementing workshops and participatory reviews of
integrated food security adaptation in support of activities A1.2, A2.1,
A2.2, A3.1 (12 work months x $1,250 per months = $$15,000) +
(consultants’ travel = $6,000) = $21,000
48 500
Travel of staff
United Nations staff members from implementing entity
 For organizing and participation in, training workshops; participatory
reviews of integrated assessments and other relevant activities, in support
of activities A1.1, A1.2, A2.1, A2.2 ($2,000 average mission cost x 12
missions) = $24,000
Staff from other United Nations entities
 For participation in national participatory reviews of integrated
assessments and other relevant activities in support of activities A2.1,
A2.2. Additional monitoring and evaluation will be provided by F ood and
Agriculture Organization offices and relevant ministries in target
countries as well as United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
staff in the area for other projects ($2,000 average mission cost x 2
missions) = $4,000
28 000
Contractual Services
 Demonstrations and Pilot testing in four countries in support of activities
A1.1 and A1.2, (Contractual services with a national institutions (local
government, national governments) NGOs, Research institutions, and
academic institutions. These institutions will demonstrate how
Ecosystems Based Adaptation (EBA) for food security can be conducted
with technical backstopping from UNEP. As you will see the examples of
EBA illustrated in the background they need demonstration activities
hence the reason for the 2/3 use of funds for the 4 countries
(Demonstration of EBA for food security $112,125 per country x 4) =
$448,500
448 500
Workshops
National workshops
 Inception workshop for explaining what this project is all about and the
approach to be used in its implementation, EBA for climate change and
food security review workshop to review how the demonstration actions
are conducted and the impacts they are having, experience sharing
workshops to share the lessons learnt through this project and policy
dialogues workshops for policy makers in each of the target countries to
integrate EBA into national and sub national food security policy plans ,
84 000
in support of activities A1.2, A2.1, A2.2 ($200 per participant x 25
participants x 2 workshops/country x 4 countries) = $40,000
Regional workshop
 One regional workshop to disseminate the lessons learned to a wider
audience in the countries and the region in support of activity A3. 1
($2.000 per participant x 22 participants) = $44,000
Operating Expenses
Communication:
in support of activity A1.1
Total
.
9 000
633 000