Communitybased adaptation Communicating climate change Solomon Islands Government

Community-based adaptation & Communicating climate change Solomon Islands Government

Outline • Localising vulnerability assessments – from regional to local knowledge • Community-based adaptation • Communicating climate change • Community capacity and participation

The Challenge Exposure Sensitivity Potential impact Adaptive capacity Vulnerability ?

Community-based adaptation • Resources are often limited • Multi-sector (e. g. fisheries, agriculture, forestry) Use existing knowledge and information • Scaling down from regional to community level • Long-term community capacity Pathway from assessment to action

Existing knowledge and information • Main food sources and livelihood activities • Important community assets & values • Links between climate and activities • Past response to change (e. g. natural disasters) • Current environmental & social issues • Future issues (e. g. climate change, access to markets)

Assessment to action Community knowledge key activities assets & values Existing information climate resource condition Drivers of change current issues climate change Future vision range of options desirable Community adaptation actions review & revise

Building resilient futures Torres Strait October 2012 A participatory approach for determining adaptation actions and considerations for their implementation

Pathway to Adaptation Scoping Planning implementation (i) Fishing & farming livelihoods: (i) key issues (ii) drivers of change Best adaptations to employ (ii) Social, economic or environmental triggers to start implementing

Current climate How do current trends in temperature and rainfall affect fishing and farming activities? Source: S. Park (WFC)

Future: options & vision

Community knowledge key activities assets & values Existing information climate resource condition Drivers of change current issues climate change Future vision range of options desirable Community adaptation actions review & revise

Communicating climate change • Raise awareness of climate change to assist with decision-making & planning • Understand climate change issues and concepts before talking to others • Community needs to understand support adaptation activities • Link to local culture, environment and social context (e. g. high dependence on fish for food) • Find ways to include climate change into existing initiatives (e. g. EAFM) • Build on people’s knowledge and experiences

Communication tools • Workshops – village, schools, youth and women’s groups, council meetings • Videos – awareness programs, target difference ages, language groups • Media – Newspaper, TV, radio • Information sheets & posters • Interactive activities – poster competitions, open days, school quizzes, radio talk shows KEEP MESSAGES SIMPLE

Communicating: posters/notices

Communicating: books

Lobster life cycle Communicating: present

Communicating: the future

Community participation

Challenges • Communicating complex concepts in simple language • Building local capacity and maintaining motivation • Working with remote communities • Self governance takes longer but often more effective than regulation

Conclusions • Incorporate traditional knowledge into adaptation strategies • Work across scales (local, national, regional) and sectors (fisheries, forestry, agriculture) • Largely participatory; building local capacity • Rapid and action-orientated Local knowledge provides relevance

Thank you j. johnson@c 2 o. net. au