Climate change adaptation in agriculture & natural resource management Impressions from the 2015 course in Uganda

Impressions from the 2015 course in Uganda



From 2-13 February 2015 The Centre for Development Innovation (Wageningen UR) and the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala organised for the fifth time their climate change adaptation course. Participants came from Africa and Asia, in total from 15 countries.  

One of the first actions was that the participants had to present themselves in a poster session in which they explained their work and the challenges they face in relation to climate change.



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During the course there was quite some group work in order to apply and test newly obtained knowledge and insights.


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There was time dedicated for field work. The fields work area was quite near the equator, but water had to be transported by children in order to water the crops.


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Farmers explained how they deal with a changing climate and changing environment.


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Farmers try to adapt to climate change an spread their risk. This women, for example, rears both traditional and improved varieties of goat and chicken. 


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Have a look at how participant Joyce Vihenda Engoke from Kenya appreciates the work of this lady farmer. (video on the right)

The participants also actively participated in the organisation of a seminar, for which they prepared several recommendations. These were presented to the Makerere University community and interested people from outside. On the last they the participants presented the  result of their group work. See for example the strategy, proposed by participants, for an area in Nigeria.



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They also presented to their peers their personal action plan for the coming 6-9 months in which they explained how they will try to integrate the newly obtained knowledge in their work.

 For this course programme the following three objectives are mentioned:

  • Participants of this course will have full understanding of climate change adaptation concepts.
  • They are able to effectively and meaningfully contribute to the debate on climate change adaptation, either in the policy process and/or in providing knowledge to the policy process.
  • They will strengthen their positions in these processes on the basis of newly acquired concepts, skills and methodologies.

 

During the final evaluation the participants scored for the completion of these objectives.


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The rate of completion of the objectives was above 70% with a mean around 85%. This was considered satisfactory by both participants and course coordinators.

We asked several participants what they learned in the course. See the testimony of journalist Christopher Bendana from Uganda and bank official Patrick Jasper from India.



Arend Jan van Bodegom, course coordinator


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