Local Innovation and Experimentation as an Entry Point to Climate Change Adaptation (LINEX CCA)

Over the last few years, large amounts of funds are being made available to national governments to work on adaptation to climate change. These funds are not having the desired impact in supporting climate change adaptation because little attention is being paid to the actual problems, needs and solutions – especially the interests and capabilities – of the smallholder farmers and other poor producers in these countries.

In this context, this project is adding the concept of starting the climate change adaptation process by looking at the more positive side of things: by recognising what adaptive mechanisms local people have already come up with and by building on these. This will contribute to understanding the role of enhancing local capacity as a means to deal with climate change, as an entry point towards developing “innovative adaptive communities”. It has already been identified through the exploratory studies in Ethiopia, Niger and Nepal that rural communities, on their own initiatives, have developed several innovations to respond to the erratic precipitation (flood and drought) and increased temperature. Documentation of such innovations and capacity building of the rural innovators to interact with other holders of relevant knowledge in joint innovation, a process known as participatory innovation development (PID) will enhance the climate change adaptation.