This document discusses land and water management projects in 6 East African countries aimed at helping communities adapt to climate change. It provides examples of sustainable land management practices being implemented, such as agroforestry, improved cooking stoves, riverbank stabilization, and mulching. These practices help increase soil moisture, restore degraded lands, sequester carbon, and improve livelihoods. The projects also work with communities to develop participatory land management plans and build capacity on new practices through training. Preliminary lessons indicate the importance of understanding farmers' constraints, partnerships, institutional support, building on existing practices, and focusing on land and water management to increase resilience to climate impacts.

1. Adapting to Climate Change through
Land and Water Management:
ongoing experiences in East Africa
By
Sally Bunning, Janie Rioux, and Meshack Malo

2. 2 Projects in 6 Countries

3. GEF/FAO Kagera Transboundary Agro-ecosystem
Management Project
Uganda
To adopt an integrated
ecosystems approach for the
Tanzania management of land resources
 to :
Rwanda  restore degraded lands and
improve productivity
 adapt to climate change and
sequester carbon
 conserve agro-biodiversity and
promote sustainable use
Burundi  increase food security and
improve rural livelihoods
 contribute to the protection of
international waters
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4. Challenges
Natural resource base and ecosystems are facing increasing pressures :
Rapid population growth
Progressive reduction in farm sizes (BU, RW)
Unsustainable land use and management practices
Climate change and variability
Resulting in poverty, food insecurity, conflict over resources
Need for SLM and CCA within an integrated landscape approach
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5. Development of SLM catchment plans
Based on a participatory and integrated assessment of land and water
resources using the LADA local assessment method:
In each catchment
– Biophysical data: state of soil, vegetation, water, and impacts on
ecosystem services
– Socio- economic data: drivers, causes and impacts on livelihoods
capitals (financial, natural, social, human) and strategies

6. Contributions of SLM to CCA: Examples from Burundi
• Integrated watershed
management (contour
lines, fodder plants on
CL, agroforestry on
farms)
• Promotion of
agroforestry in buffer
zones to avoid
encroachment and
protect wetlands

7. Promotion of energy saving cooking stove
 96% of energy is from wood
causing deforestation
 Energy saving cooking
stoves can reduce pressures
on forest and trees
 Consumes 40 % less than
traditional 3 stones
 Saves women time for wood
collection and cooking

8. River bank stabilisation with bambos
 Bambos fix soil, sequester carbon
and provide economic value (e.g.
home furnitures)
 Project developed a bambo
production technology for plant
multiplication in tree nursery

9. Mulching for soil moisture conservation and soil organic carbon

10. Contributions of SLM to CCA: Examples from Uganda
Agroforestry on farms with mangos
Calliandra calothyrsus can grow with tolerant to dry spell
positive impact on adjacent crops:
- improves soil moisture and soil fertility High value short rotation crops such as
cabbages, spinach and carrots are grown
- Can be used for fodder during dry season
- Increases milk yields and is highly
palatable

11. Project approach for promoting adoption of SLM practices
1. Improved information base on natural resources status and trends (land
degradation, biodiversity loss), human pressures and impacts (vulnerability - food
insecurity, climate change) and responses (SLM practices in catchments)
2. Participatory land management plans developed and implemented in target
communities, and micro-catchments (to address issues of tenure, access to
resources, conflicts, etc)
3. Capacities built on improved SLM practices through FFS, exchange visits, training
materials and workshops
4. Improved land use and agro-ecosystem management practices tested and adopted
through Farmer Field School approaches and community activities in catchments
5. Market opportunities and other cost-benefit sharing mechanisms for provision of
environmental services identified, demonstrated and promoted for SLM scaling up
6. Policy discussions for SLM mainstreaming
 leading to wide adoption and
replication by farmers and herders

12. Strengthening smallholder
farmers’ capacity for
climate change adaptation
through land and water
management in Ethiopia,
Kenya and Tanzania

13. Output 1
On-the-ground climate-smart sustainable land and
water management practices are tested, supported,
and strengthened in selected watersheds.
Output 2
Technological and management packages and
practices to adapt land and water management
options to climate change are disseminated to benefit
land users, policy makers and relevant stakeholders.
Output 3
Mechanisms and options are developed and applied
for up-scaling of climate change adaptation practices.

14. Critical factors in strengthening capacities to adapt
1. Increasing soil health
2. Water harvesting/ Water-use efficiency
3. Livelihood diversification
4. Institutional collaboration/ networking and capacity building

15. Impacts
(i) Improved Food security (ii) Soil Fertility improvement
( iii) Better water management (iv) Increased resilience

16. In Kenya the drier conditions of the project areas
called for a focus on conservation agriculture and
water harvesting and water use efficiency

17. In Tanzania given the reduction of water, there
was need for a complete change in the way
rice farming was done and the selected option
was the system of Rice intensification (SRI)

18. In Ethiopia the focus is watershed
management and erosion control

19. Preliminary lessons
• Challenge not much a shortage of scientific/local
knowledge/adaptation practices, but rather a lack of understanding of
the farmers specific constrains to adoption.
• Partnership not an easy option but could determine success in CCA.
Adaptation could be more knowledge rich than technology driven.
• Institutional response: unmanaged systems that are likely to be more
vulnerable since, by definition, they lack structures to buffer effect of
climate variability.
• Build on what exists: CCA action should be anchored in what already
exists.
• Require more emphasize on land and water : can be extremely
effective but require early intervention and good planning.

20. Conclusions
Climate change adds on existing vulnerabilities such as land
degradation and food insecurity
SLM practices aiming at restoring soil health, conserving soil and
water, and increasing food production enable farmers to
become more resilient and adapt to climate variability and
changes.

21. Thank You
http://www.fao.org/nr/kagera/en/
http://www.fao.org/climatechange/en/
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