Rockefeller convening presentation by KARI's Dr. Jane Wamuongo

1. CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND
AFRICAN AGRICULTURE GRANTEE CONVENING
24-25 February 2011
Project Name: Mainstreaming Climate Change
Adaptation at KARI
Grantee : Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI)
Presenter: Dr. Jane Wamuongo
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2. Brief Background of the Institution
• The Kenya Agricultural Research Institute is the premier national
agricultural research organization with the legal mandate to carry out
research in fields of agriculture and veterinary sciences.
• KARI undertakes research on food crops, horticultural and industrial
crops, livestock production & health, range management, natural
resource management, and socio-economics & biometry.
• KARI mission is to contribute to increased productivity,
commercialization and competitiveness of th agricultural sector
through generation and promotion of knowledge, information and
technologies that respond to clients’ demands and opportunities.
• KARI manages 22 main centres and 14 sub-centres strategically
spread throughout the country to cater for different agro-ecological
zones and socio-economic systems
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3. Your other projects/programs on climate change
adaptation
Perceptions and adaptation strategies to Climate Change in
semi-arid Kenya
– Aim is to assess knowledge of climate change shocks, vulnerability, current
adaptation measures and most needed developments to adapt to climate
change
• Water Efficient Maize for Africa
– Using biotechnology-mediated plant breeding techniques to select maize
varieties, which are able to use water efficiently and thrive in drought
conditions
• Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa
– using conventional plant breeding methods to identify niche specific maize
varieties that are tolerant to drought, and are targeted to the semi-arid lands
(ASALs) where drought is endemic
• Kenya Arid and Semi Arid Lands projects (KASAL)
– conduct research towards the development and dissemination of coping
strategies for the arid and semi arid areas of Kenya
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4. Your other projects/programs on climate
change adaptation
• Up-scaling and promotion of suitable integrated soil fertility and
water management strategies for increasing productivity in the
ASALs of Kenya using farmer field schools
• Integrated technologies for drought mitigation and increasing
smallholder sorghum productivity
• Introduction and evaluation of biofuel crops as alternative sources of
energy and income generation
• Early Warning and Contingency Plans for Resource Management
during Crisis Situations in Pastoral Areas of East and Central Africa
• Climate variability and adaptive strategies for livestock feeding in
agro-pastoral systems in drylands of Kenya
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5. Objectives of the Rockefeller Foundation Grant
• Develop a new climate change focal point
– increase the opportunity for and incidence of collaborative work
– develop capacity of researchers in technical climate change
adaptation topics
• Increase awareness of climate change issues and concerns
internally and externally
– to contribute to and facilitate knowledge development and
information sharing
• Coordinate and direct funding for climate change adaptation
research in order to mainstream climate change efforts across
KARI
• Engage external partners and stakeholders on relevant issue
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6. Key Activities Related to the Grant
• Obj. 1: Develop new Climate Change focal directorate
– Activity 1.1: Set up an organization structure
– Activity 1.2: Set up the CCU
– Activity 1.3: Publicize the programme internally
– Activity 1.4: Launch the programme
• Obj. 2: Increase awareness of climate change issues
and concerns internally and externally
– Activity 2.1: Understand and publicize available
climate change resources
– Activity 2.2: Publicize project results
– Activity 2.3: Engage with external partners
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7. Key Activities Related to the Grant
• Obj. 3: Coordinate and direct funding for climate
change adaptation research in order to mainstream
climate change efforts across KARI
– Activity 3.1: Understand ongoing climate change
efforts (in KARI)
– Activity 3.2: Determine KARI climate change agenda
– Activity 3.3: Influence climate change research
• Obj. 4: Engage with external stakeholders
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8. Highlight on the Progress to date
• Appointed a Environment Research Coordinator
• Launched of the Climate Change Unit
• Recruited a Climate Vulnerability and Adaptation Expert
• Appointed a Technical Advisory Group (TAG)
• Appointed 7 regional climate change adaptation
representatives to represent 7 major agricultural zones
along the KARI mandates
• Documented and catalogued information on climate
change conducted within KARI (800 records including
published and grey literature)
• Floated an Expression of Interest for concepts to all KARI
centers and 41 concepts received. Evaluation of the
concepts is ongoing.
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9. Highlight on the Progress to date
• Two posters presented at the International Conference on
Biodiversity, Land Use and Climate Change; one journal
article was produced in the Journal of Agricultural Science
and Technology
• Climate change papers presented at the 12th KARI Biannual
conference (Oct 2010)
• Participated in international meeting on climate change
(Netherlands & Cancun)
• Assessed the status of all weather stations (automatic and
mechanical) in KARI.
•identified constraints to optimal collection, provision and
utilization of agro-meteorological data and service
• Research fund – 15 concepts being processed for implementation
• Partnered with Pamoja Media to train about 9 KARI staff on online
communication and platform (social networks)
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10. Key Challenges
• Delays in commencing implementation of the
project
• Departure of key members of staff of the CCU
(Coordinator, CC Expert)
• Lack of climate experts in climate science
• Delays in procurement of equipment due to
cumbersome procurement procedures
• Inadequacy of funds for climate change
adaptation research
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11. Lessons Learnt
• Setting up the CCU & creating awareness has
led to great demand for sustained funding but
also opened opportunities for extra funding
• KARI was already doing a lot of work in
adaptation but it was not mainstreamed
• Having a CCU has opened up other
opportunities for collaboration with other sectors
involved in climate change activities
• Networking (regional) can help in drawing
synergies and avoid duplication of efforts
• Climate change research will require long term
funding commitment to sustain activities
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12. Emerging Opportunities for Collaboration
• Additional opportunities from developments
partners (proposal to IDRC).
• Collaboration with other initiatives such as WIND
(Weather Information for Development) that
facilitates wide coverage and validation of agro-
meteorological data.
• Enhanced collaboration with KMD to use
weather stations in a more effective manner
• Inclusion and partnering in the country climate
change agenda (climate change secretariat)
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13. Next steps
• Revise the MoU between KARI and KMD to make it
more effective and mutually beneficial.
• Finalize review of proposals for the KARI Climate
Change Research Fund
• Develop user-friendly knowledge management
system (climate change dedicated database),
integrated with current KARI data system (hire
contractor)
• Continue to communicate programme results e.g.,
through publications, newsletters, emails, to internal
and external stakeholders
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14. • Compile and review existing government policies
related to agriculture and climate change
• Rehabilitate some weather stations and train data
recorders (in collaboration with KMD)
• Replace the CC Expert (if possible)
• Explore for more collaborative avenues.
• Request for an extension?
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