Newsletter II, June 2020
“Adaptation to climate change in sub-Saharan African humanitarian situations” project, implemented by WFP (Climate & Disaster Risk Reduction Programmes Unit) with UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UNICEF, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA)
The two-year International Climate Initiative-funded project (IKI) started implementation in September 2018 and aims to strengthen the capacity for climate adaptation of displaced populations and vulnerable communities in Burundi, Sudan and Chad.
Despite some challenges in implementation caused by political unrest in Sudan, and the current coronavirus crisis, the project is on track to achieve many of its targets.
Output I — Climate Risk Analyses & Adaptation Options
In each of the three countries, a climate-risk and vulnerability analysis is underway, while in Sudan, a groundwater-resources assessment is being conducted.
Climate Vulnerability Assessment in Burundi
Within the framework of the project, the UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit is conducting climate vulnerability assessments in target humanitarian displacement hotspots which will inform adaptation solutions. The assessments are based on indicators designed to help an understanding of observed trends related to the effects of climate change by analysing long-term time series of physical and human geography variables and their implications for humanitarian programming.
Output II — No regrets strategy
Implementation of activities on the ground has been ongoing in Sudan and Burundi, where the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have supplied 48,500 households with energy-saving stoves.
Schools are also supported by the project: 30 have been provided with clean cookstoves; 30 classrooms receive electricity from solar panels.
In refugee camps, an additional 60 solar panels were installed.
Through restoration activities, 1,920 hectares of land deforested due to firewood collection has been recovered, with more than 3 million trees planted.
No Regrets Strategy in Sudan’s White Nile Region: Tree Planting and Improved Cookstoves
Women in the White Nile State of Sudan are actively taking part in environmental protection, through tree-planting for reforestation under the project. This will help improve air quality, conserving water, preserving soil, and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The women also explain that they feel they will not have to worry for their safety and protection, once they plant trees and have a forest nearby, as this will stop the hardship that they and their daughters endure on a daily basis — making long journeys to fetch firewood, exposing them to sexual harassment, exploitation or other violence.
The women benefit from the fuel-efficient cookstoves for household use. These save time that can be spent on other livelihood productive initiatives.
The stoves avoid cooking on a traditional three-stone fire that exposes them to toxic smoke emissions which can lead to serious respiratory and other health hazards.
This is especially relevant given unprecedented coronavirus challenges, as the toxic effects of the traditional way of cooking will very likely make them more vulnerable to the virus. Producing and selling these stoves, with support from UNHCR and WFP, will also help generate income for the families selling them in the refugee camps.
Output III — Outreach & Sharing Lessons
Information on climate change impacts and options for adaptation disseminated to 96,119 people in Burundi and Sudan.
Training of WASH (water, hygiene and sanitation) sector partners in Sudan on Integrated Water Resource Management to enhance the Adaptation to Climate Change in Sub-Saharan African Humanitarian Situations.
The five states of Darfur region in Sudan were selected for the establishment and updating of a climate change-sensitive, government-led geo-referenced groundwater map, and management and monitoring system in the selected groundwater vulnerable areas.
As part of the project, UNICEF supported a three-day training course on Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) for WASH sector partners in Sudan in Genina town (West Darfur) in October 2019. The training was attended by 33 participants representing the WASH sector in the five Darfur states and the Federal water institutions (GWWD).
The course aimed to build the capacity of the water managers, engineers and stakeholders, and foster understanding of climate change in terms of its impacts on water-related development and management. It further aimed to identify IWRM approaches and climate change adaptation strategies and actions which need to be progressively introduced in their respective institutions and organizations.
Despite the coronavirus crisis, implementing partners will continue efforts in the remainder of the project, to support institutions, displaced people and vulnerable communities in target countries, to strengthen capacity for climate adaptation.
Resources
Here you can access the IKI website page about the project.
See here the first which was published in June 2019.
Here you can access the project page on the WFP website.
