Nairobi - Most countries in Africa are making efforts to highlight the impacts of climate on agriculture. However, despite these efforts, gaps and disconnects still exist between climate change impacts and adaptation efforts. The gaps include absence of plans and policies that incorporate climate change issues, education on climate change among communities, and information on outreach programmes.  Moreover, institutional frameworks for action, drought resistant crop varieties, small holder water harvesting and supply strategies, as well as strategies for alleviating poverty that makes people less resilient to climate variability are also lacking.

Mrs Estherine Fotabong, the NEPAD Agency’s Director of Programme, called for transformative adaptation to climate change at the 2^nd Africa Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance Forum in Nairobi, Kenya.

“In order to catalyse better adaptation and cope with the impacts of climate change, the various stakeholders such as governments, NGOs and civil society, and private sector should work together with communities proactively. Communities should be fully capacitated in the various areas of crop management, community mobilisation and empowerment, disaster preparedness and have access to robust technologies and information such as new crop varieties that are drought and disease tolerant,” Mrs Fotabong said. Inclusive transformation

In a statement on behalf of Dr Evans Kidero, the Governor of Nairobi City Council, it was revealed that Nairobi makes a profound contribution to urban food consumption in Kenya, if not in the whole of east Africa. Therefore, urban farming is highly promoted for sustainably increasing agricultural productivity.

The government of Germany representative, Ms Julia Kronberg, elaborated on the importance of policy frameworks for addressing the adverse effects of climate change on the African continent. 

Also speaking at the forum during a media briefing, Dr Abebe Haile Gabriel, FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa, maintained that countries’ need support in their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), through which the plight of climate smart agriculture came to the fore for many of the countries in Africa.

The plight of smallholder farmers was also brought to the fore with a call to promote climate smart agriculture success stories and award them opportunities to sustainably adopt climate smart practices.  Mrs Fotabong stressed that knowledge-sharing is therefore key in agriculture and rural transformation, through which indigenous knowledge should not be ignored.

The first day of the Africa Climate Smart Alliance Forum, attended by over 250 participants, concluded with a note to all stakeholders to ensure that communities have greater ability to cope and adapt to climate change and extreme weather events and thus achieve rural livelihoods and food security. 

 Source: NEPAD