Blog Investing in Climate-Resilient Communities
The population in arid and semi-arid land still grapples with intensified food insecurity, attributed to elevated and heightened vulnerability to shocks and hazards, notably those associated with weather variability. These factors have exacerbated transboundary conflicts such as those in Uganda's Turkana and Karamoja regions that have been impacted by several factors including inadequate natural resources, territorial disputes, and shared resources.
By Esther Nzuki, Benson Kenduiywo, Telvin Denje and Victor Korir
People have been affected by seasonal patterns of drought and famine, and seasonal movements of armed pastoralists and livestock across the border. Enhancing climate resilience and developing a resource-sharing agreement (RSA) is crucial for the sustainability of these communities. According to a report by reliefweb, the situation is compounded by challenges associated with population increase and the spread of land uses that are incompatible with livestock production, which exerts pressure on the rangelands leading to overgrazing, depletion of the surface water table and degradation of rangeland resources, which undermine pastoral and agropastoral livelihoods.
The county government of Turkana has taken the lead in working with the Government of Uganda and the Karamoja leadership to develop a RSA that will result in peace between the two communities and also as a solution to the migration of the communities in search of pasture and water. On May 28th, 2024, the Alliance - in collaboration with the African Group of Negotiators Experts Support (AGNES) - pledged to offer support in the RSA to enhance resilience and food security and empower vulnerable communities in Kenya focusing on Baringo, Kilifi, Narok, Turkana, and West Pokot counties. These counties have been classified as having a stressed or crisis level of food insecurity based on the integrated food security phase classification (IPC).
This partnership complements the work of the CGIAR Climate Resilience Initiative ClimBeR, which focuses on enhancing the climate adaptability and resilience of food, water, and land systems in low and middle-income countries. This is achieved by reducing risks, strengthening climate security, providing technical support to policymakers, and facilitating ‘governance for resilience at all levels. AGNES, on the other hand, provides scientific expertise and evidence to inform a common African position in climate change negotiations. AGNES seeks to facilitate the exchange of ideas between experts and negotiators at the international level, especially within the framework of the UNFCCC. They utilize scientific evidence as a major tool that can be employed to inform the unified common African position on matters of climate change.
Benson Kenduiywo
Research SpecialistAlliance-AGNES Backstopping Support
The Alliance and AGNES did a vulnerability assessment to identify counties that are most at risk of the effects of climate change, and this led their focus to 5 counties pf Baringo, Kilifi, Narok, Turkana, and West Pokot. All these are cross-border counties, with Turkana being the most vulnerable. The team looked at the vulnerability of livestock, the impact of climate change on food security, and ways in which human security can be achieved.
The Alliance plans to map the distribution of resources in Turkana and monitor their changes over time, as there have been different trajectories of climate change. They noted that due to climate change, the grass and shrublands have become dominant, whereas there has been an increase in tree cover. Also, the weather patterns are threatening to change with low rainfall that could also lead to an increase in temperature to 1 degree celsius in the near future. The findings also showed there is an increase in cross-border conflicts within the Turkana border that is spilling over to the Uganda side. Notably, the increase in cropland vegetation in Uganda means that the Karamoja of Uganda may need to embrace agriculture in addition to the livestock keeping. This may result in more conflicts considering that Turkana is still vulnerable to climatic shocks and stress.
As a result, the Alliance and AGNES will offer backstopping support to Turkana county to ensure that RSA will be sustainable. To ensure that sustainable agriculture and climate-resilient practices are implemented within the county, they work to improve access to climate information and risk preparedness, strengthening the capacity of local SMEs and cooperatives to access finance, promoting and increasing access to improved crop varieties and livestock breeds, and finally value addition through enhancing post-harvest management and storage. Using CGIAR’s accreditation to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), they are developing a project proposal to bring climate finance as an instrument to resolving transboundary climate change risks and guaranteeing climate security.
Telvin Denje (far left) and Benson Kenduiywo (second left) from AGNES and Alliance consecutively pitch their ideas to H.E Dr. John Erus, Deputy Governor of Turkana County. Photo credit: Alliance
In return, the Deputy Governor emphasized the importance of stakeholder engagement in building climate resilience:
“A regional engagement framework is what we envisioned as a county government. We need mechanisms for collaboration, such as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) facilitated through our county attorney. We greatly appreciate the critical role of research in informing interventions and data-driven decision-making.” - Dr John Erus, Deputy Governor of Turkana County
The County Secretary highlighted the importance of the initiative as a pivotal entry point for addressing climate change. He suggested the need for the Alliance and AGNES to involve other relevant ministries, such as the Livestock Department, to ensure a comprehensive and well-coordinated approach:
“A resource-sharing agreement should be designed to provide sustainable solutions, ensuring that the people of Turkana can continue to live and thrive in their land.” - Peter Eripete, Turkana County Secretary
Strategies for Approaching Resource Sharing Agreement
Building on the momentum from the inaugural visit on May 28, 2024, a follow-up consultation workshop on climate adaptation and vulnerability sought to navigate the complexities of resource management and conflict resolution. The workshop aimed to develop comprehensive strategies for approaching the RSA, focusing on the perspectives of county experts in Turkana County. They employed a participatory approach, engaging stakeholders in discussions to identify challenges, opportunities, previous successes, and failures of developed RSA in the region.
The engagement highlighted the importance of incorporating scientific data, local knowledge, and stakeholder feedback to ensure the RSA's sustainability and effectiveness. The importance of including informal governance issues in the RSA framework was highlighted in addition to considering county reports and grey literature to develop a comprehensive scientific analysis for the RSA. Incorporating a socioeconomic perspective in developing scientific approaches was deemed to be necessary to inform the RSA effectively.
The Alliance-AGNES team follow-up stakeholder consultation workshop on climate adaptation and vulnerability in Turkana County
Insights to inform RSA
The discussions informed the necessity of involving local communities in the governance of resource sharing to ensure the RSA reflects local realities and needs, and to ensure there are legal agreements that are recognized and respected by all bordering countries. In addition, there is a need to design resilient projects that strengthen community capacity across borders, incorporating socio-cultural components to complement spatial data, and to identify and involve all relevant actors, including local peace-building directorates and cross-border community representatives, to ensure comprehensive and inclusive resource management.
The insights and recommendations gathered will ensure the RSA is scientifically sound, locally relevant, and capable of addressing the complex challenges of resource management in a changing climate. The next course of action will further refine the agreement and ensure its successful implementation, ultimately contributing to peace and resilience in the region. These discussions and outcomes are crucial for making the RSA not just a legal document but a practical tool for sustainable resource management and conflict resolution across the borders of Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, & Ethiopia.
