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CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND

AFRICAN AGRICULTURE GRANTEE CONVENING

24-25 February 2011

Project Name: Building Adaptation Capacities for Climate

Change in Kenya Through Participatory Research, Training

and Outreach Actions (CAPro)

Grantee : Egerton University

Presenter : Francis Lelo

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Brief Background of the Institution

• Egerton University was started as an Agricultural College

in 1939

• The institution became a fully fledged University in 1987,

and has continued to be a centre of excellence in

Agricultural training, Research and Outreach.

• The University offers diverse programmes in 8 faculties

including Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Arts,

Science, Environmental Studies, Engineering, and Health

Sciences.

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• The main campus is located in Nakuru County, on the

Eastern slopes of Mau forest in the Rift Valley Province of

Kenya.

• It has three University Colleges, namely Kisii, Chuka and

Laikipia with a combined student population exceeding

16,000 and academic staff of over 500.

Brief Background of the Institution

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• Previous/ ongoing collaborative research

– PAPPA (Policy Analysis for Participatory Poverty

Alleviation),

– SUMAWA (Sustainable Management of Watersheds)

– CMAAE (Collaborative Masters in Agriculture and Applied

Economics) &

– AICM (Agricultural Information and Communication

Management).

• The university hosted an international stakeholders’

conference on climate change adaptation in Africa from

24th to 28th May 2010 under the theme: Pastoralism and

Climate Change Adaptation in Africa

(http://ccaa.iccamnet.org/index.html).

Brief Background of the Institution

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• Egerton University is also renowned for its expertise in

participatory research approaches, with more than 20

years experience working with communities in Eastern

and Central Africa

Brief Background of the Institution

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CAPro Objectives

1. To evaluate indigenous/traditional climate change

mitigating and adaptation strategies currently used by

diverse Kenyan farming and pastoral communities, with

a view of identifying the best bets.

2. To evaluate emerging climate change adaptation

technologies with a view of identifying those that are

appropriate to the farmers’ circumstances

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CAPro Objectives

3. To build capacity on climate change adaptation strategies

among extension providers, agro-dealers, and farmers

4. To strengthen community outreach actions on climate

change adaptation strategies

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• Team Meetings

- Five meetings on July 15, September 15 and December

8, 2010, Jan 10 (with Peter and Roger) and Jan 24, 2011

in addition to regular email and telephone

communications.

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• Preliminary visits to all five study sites

– Nakuru -Kajiado -Mbeere,

– Kilifi & - Bungoma

Key Activities Related to the Grant

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– General geographical description of the area

– Organizations dealing with climate change research/ agenda. These included governmental, NGO, CBOs their contact information and activities.

– National and regional centers dealing with climate change in Ministry of Environment,Office of the Prime Minister

– Availability of weather information

Key Activities Related to the Grant

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– Empirical data generated in the district on climate

adaptation e.g. research/project reports, policy briefs,

– Availability of climate information and service

providers

– Possible venues for inception meetings

– Possible locations for field demonstrations to be based

in different AEZs within the districts.

Key Activities Related to the Grant

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• Selection of MSc students’

Four students – 2 females and 2 males

• One –day workshop to induct selected MSc students

held on December 22, 2010

• Desktop review of climate change activities and

information in the region and beyond has been done

• Equipments

Vehicle, laptops, LCD, GPS and other materials ordered

Key Activities Related to the Grant

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Highlight on the Progress to date

• Activities for quarter 1 and 2 have all been started and

most of them are ongoing

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Early Findings (optional)

• Communities have varied perceptions about climate

change

• The issue of climate change has become topical

• Rainfall fluctuations are regarded as “climate change”

• Climate data may be available but is scattered

• Some old institutions had weather stations but most of

them have been abandoned and are in state of disrepair

•

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Next steps

• Comprehensive sampling protocols to be used in all five

districts, including questionnaire design

• Stakeholder / climate change awareness meetings in all

five districts

• Access to climatological data –both rainfall and

temperature

• Availing climate change to end users – how to package

the information gathered.

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Key Challenges

• Scattered sites - logistical problems

• Integrating Faculty regulations into CAPro objectives and deadlines

• Procurement procedures time consuming

• Hiking of prices between ordering and delivery

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Lessons Learnt

• Preliminary visits indicate that there is little empirical data

in the districts and the current project(s) will contribute

towards filling this gap

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Emerging Opportunities for Collaboration

Initiated discussions with Walker Institute (UK) for

possible establishment of similar Centre in Egerton

University