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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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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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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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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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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

areas

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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• 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?