ADAPTATION LEARNING PROGRAMME, AFRICA

Recent community-level research conducted by CARE in Africa indicates that poor people are acutely aware of climate change impacts on their livelihoods. In Mozambique's Inhambane Province, for example, farmers are no longer able to predict when the rains will come, and frequently fail to grow sufficient quantities of food. Meanwhile, in Niger's Maradi Region, unreliable rains and recurring drought are undermining the essential economic viability of agro-pastoral communities. Recent catastrophic floods in northern Ghana are expected to increase in frequency and intensity over time. In each of these countries, rural communities working with CARE have identified climate-related factors as the greatest challenge to their livelihoods and prospects for escaping poverty.

To address the challenges posed by climate change, CARE is initiating the Adaptation Learning Program (ALP) for Africa. The goal of the program is to reduce the impacts of climate variability and change on vulnerable households in Sub-Saharan Africa. This will be a 5 year programme targeting 6 countries in Southern and West Africa where impacts of climate change are expected to be particularly high.

The program is designed to maximize learning and capacity development through four inter-related components, which relate to the expected outcomes of the program:

1. Best practices for community-based adaptation demonstrated in vulnerable communities in six target countries in Southern and West Africa;
   
2. CARE and partners in six target countries in Southern and West Africa have developed and applied tools and methodologies for community-based adaptation;
   
3. Policymakers in the six target countries have integrated climate change adaptation approaches into relevant policies and programs; and
   
4. Program results have contributed to the global knowledge base on community-based adaptation.