Rockefeller convening presentation by Makerere's Prof. Kyamanywa

1. CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND
AFRICAN AGRICULTURE GRANTEE CONVENING
24-25 February 2011
Project Name: Strengthening
East African Resilience
and Climate Change Adaptation Capacity through
Training, Research and Policy Interventions
Grantee : Makerere University- College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences (CAES)
Presenter : Samuel Kyamanywa & Patrick Okori
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2. Brief Background of the Institution
• Makerere University has changed to a Collegiate type of
administrative structure with 8 Colleges ’s. CAES is one
of the largest Science teaching Units at the University
(offering B.Sc., MSc and PhD degrees)
• CAES has:-3 schools, 8 departments, 2 Research
Institutes, multiple research and community engagement
programmes through the MUARIK and Continuing
Agriculture Education Centre (CAEC), and over 2400
students.
• The College of Agriculture and Environmental Science is
poised to address areas such as climate change
adaptation across curricular, research, and policy
development activities and to develop scientists of the
future to address new issue areas.
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3. Brief Background of the Institution
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
School of Agricultural School of Forestry, Environmental School of Food Technology,
Sciences & Geographical Sciences Nutrition & Bioengineering
Dept. Dept. of Department Department of MUARIK
Dept. of Dept of Geog., Dept of Department of Food MUBFS
Extension Agribusines Agricultur of Forestry, Environmental Geo-Informatics
Agricultural and Technology and Nutrition
and s & Natural al Tourism and Management & Climatic
Innovation Resource Productio Biodiversity Sciences Forestry
studies Economics n Managemen Engineering
t
Food Technology and
Centre for Climate and Business Incubation
CAEC Agricultural Policy
Analysis Centre Water resources Centre
Geographic and
Biodiversity information
Centre
Rangeland Resources
Centre
Centre for Waste
management
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4. Your other projects/programs on climate change
adaptation
• Enhancing Production Systems Adaptation To Climate
Change For Increased Crop /Livestock Productivity
– Catchment-Based Integrated Soil Fertility and Water
Management for Increased Crop Production
– Vulnerability and impact of climate change on livestock
productivity and food security in the rangeland pastoral
communities
– Develop ecologically adapted crop management strategies
for pests and diseases for increased crop productivity.
– Improve agricultural productivity through enhanced water
availability and utilization
• Enhancing Food Security through Improved Seed Systems of
Appropriate Varieties of Cassava, Potato and Sweetpotato
Resilient to Climate Change in Eastern Africa.
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5. Objectives of the Rockefeller Foundation Grant
a. Form an Advisory Climate Change Panel, with resident Senior
Advisor, in order to focus climate change adaptation activities related to
agriculture to ensure effective, interdisciplinary research and
participation across Makerere University
b. Review curricula to include climate science and climate change
adaptation issues.,
c. Undertake critical research on climate change adaptation within the
framework of a competitive grant scheme in order to generate
knowledge and technologies on adaptation in forestry, agrometeorology,
climate science, arable agriculture and livestock production, and natural
resources management.
d. Create a regional community of practice on climate change adaptation
in agriculture to increase knowledge-sharing and collaboration on
capacity development, research, and policy engagement
e. Engage collaboratively on policy issues related to climate change
adaptation
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6. Key Activities Related to the Grant
Objective 1: Form an Advisory Climate Change Panel
• Select committee from across and outside of University
to advise, guide and oversee project activities at
Makerere University.
• Hire programme administrator to support climate
change adaptation activities across Makerere
University.
• Select programme coordinator from within Makerere
University to manage day-to-day activities of the
initiative (50%) and facilitate transfer of knowledge
from Senior Advisor.
• Hire climate change expert to serve as Senior Advisor
to the Faculty of Agriculture, resident at Makerere
University Research Institute at Kabanyolo (MUARIK).
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7. Key Activities Related to the Grant
Objective 2: Review curricula
– Develop and upgrade curricula to build capacity for
the management and undertaking of research on
climatic change adaptation within Uganda’s National
Agricultural Agenda.
Objective 3: Undertake critical research
– Create a data base of on-going climate change
adaptation research at Makerere University.
– Understand available resources and funding sources.
– Create competitive grant scheme for agriculture
climate adaptation research at Makerere University.
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8. Key Activities Related to the Grant
Objective 4: Create a regional community of practice
– Review of existing networks,
– Identification of potential collaborators and discussion of plans for
regional community of practice with Makerere University
– Develop social networking tool, build community and create
processes for use.
Objective 5: Engage collaboratively on policy issues
– Development of clear communications strategy on climate change
– Train scientists and researchers on how to interact and communicate
with government officials
– Conduct roundtable discussions with officials and jointly with
regional networks,
– Writing of policy briefs and memos jointly created with regional
networks, signed off by Climate Change Advisors, to influence
current / new policies.
– Present to select parliament committees with regional networks.
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9. Highlight on the Progress to date
Objective 1: Form an Advisory Climate Change Panel
•Project Advisory body:
– A committee of 17 members has been established.( School of- Agric.
Sciences, School of Environ. Geog. and Climatic Sciences; Directorate
of Res.& Graduate Studies; Parliament of Uganda Climate change
Colloquium; NARO , RuForum Min. of Water and Environ, and
MAAIF). 4 meetings held
•Project Management:
– A project co-ordinator Dr. Okori appointed to manage the project on
daily basis
– Project management office established.
– Project Administrator, Ms. Ruth Najuma Hired
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10. Highlight on the Progress to date
Objective 1: Form an Advisory Climate Change Panel
• Recruitment of Climate change Expert:
– In the design of the project, the climate change Expert was to
play a a pivotal role in overseeing Curriculum review and
development, support research, and support policy dialogue. Un
fortunately we faced a challenges in recruiting the expert.
– The technical and advisory committee decided to constitute a
team of local experts (climate change expert committee) to
undertake the work that was supposed to be done by the expert.
– The climate change expert committee is composed of three
experts from Ministry of Water and Environment, Department of
Geography Geo-informatics and Climate Sciences, and NARO
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11. Highlight on the Progress to date
Objective 2 : Review curricula
• Curriculum review team is in process and Report due July 1st .
Objective 3: Climate Change and Adaptation Research
•Competitive Grants: The TAC recieved 14 proposals. 5 proposals were selected
for funding
– Strengthening Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience among Small
Holders Farmers. PI Dr. Vicent Muwanika Dept of Environmental
Management.
– Screening for Forages for Drought and Reseeding ability for feed and
adaptation to climate change in Drylands inhabited by Agro Pastoral
Communities. PI Prof E.N Sabiiti, Dept of Agricultural Production
– Improving Integrated Production and Pest Management of rice for Climate
change Adaptations in Uganda. PI Dr. Bosco Bua – Kyambogo University.
– Adapting Agricultural Production to Climate Change in Kabale Highland
region. PI Dr. Lwasa Shuaib- Dept Geographic, Geo-informatics and
Climatic science
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12. Highlight on the Progress to date
Objective 4: Create a regional community of practice
• Compiling data base of on going Climate change activities in the country.
• In partnership with PAMOJA Media we are developing social networking
technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing of best practices
amongst climate change adaptation students, researchers, practitioners, and
officials
• Some members trained on use of online communication.
Objective 5: : Engage collaboratively on policy
• Signed a memorandum of understanding with Food, Agricultural and Natural
Resource Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN)
• Establishing a data base of institutions and individuals to be engaged in policy
dialogue.
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13. Key Challenges
• Employing the climate change expert
• Getting institutions and individuals to share information on what they
are doing
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14. Next steps
Objective 2.0
• Complete Curriculum review by 31st July 2011
• Mainstream climate change issues in some of the running academic
programs.
• New Undergraduate and M.Sc. programs ( outputs of the review
process) to be submitted to University Senate by October 2011.
• Development and review of teaching materials and lesson plans for
M.Sc. Program by February 2012
• Start implementing M.Sc. Program by 1st August 2012.
• Identifying funding opportunities for new M. Sc. program.
Objective 3.0
• The Walker institute to backstop the research teams to strengthen
research methodology in the ongoing
• Monitor and evaluate the on going research projects.
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15. Next steps
• Objective 4.0
• Organise workshops to identify collaborators, partners and institutions
and discuss plans for regional community of practice with Makerere
University
– Responsibilities and expectations for each partner based on
similar, existing collaborations. ()
• Complete development of social networking tool,
• Build community of practice and create processes for its use by 2011
(May 2011 and December 2011)
• Establish criteria for evaluating performance of community of practice
for continued relevance and effectiveness (end of April 2012),
• Climate Change Adaptation Conference to bring together regional
community of practice with regional and international experts,
practitioners, and Universities (October –November 2012):
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16. Next steps
Objective 5.0
• Develop clear communications strategy on climate change to
understand:
– Whether and when to engage in policy development
– How to engage in policy issues
– Which topics to address (July 2011)
• Scientists and researchers trained on how to interact and
communicate with government officials (April-May 2011)
• Production of policy briefs and memos jointly created with regional
networks, signed off by Climate Change expert committee , to
influence current / new policies. (December 2011)
• Attendance at and presentation to select parliament committees.
• These activities are to be implemented in partnership with FANRPAN
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