CBA Namibia has been closely working together and created a synthesis network with other GEF projects include Country Pilot Partnership for Integrated Sustainable Land Management (CPP-ISLM) as well as Africa Adapt-Namibia.
Onamulunga Combined School, the school has joined the CBA programme in February 2011 merging theory and practical knwolwdge on climate change and adaptation. The school is practising the following adaptation strategies with grade 9 & 10 pupils: soil improvement methods, conservation tillage, fish farming, orchards and fertiliser trees.
AAP-NAM
Capacity - Building Component
Social mobilization of the community members of the self help group scheme and task team of cluster coordinator have formed up arleady. The Cluster coordinators are being gathered quarterly for workshops sessions.It is normal planned to dispose them with relevant trainings skills that they normal transfer and exchange to their communities. Field exposure trips or cross learnings are also being conducted and facilitated to the communities, intended for them to explore and learn adpatation mechanism which other heterogeneous communities implemented. Subsequently, the technical trainings are also provided to the communities by different specialists on the areas such as agroforestry, beekeeping, introduce new crpos and seeeds, on site farming and climate change adaptation awareness. Similarity, the paricipatory monitoring and evaluation training was also conducted to the cluster coordinators during the workshop session. It is planned clearly that workshops for that nature will be provided on the continous period.
Project sustainability
Some components of this project is seeking carbon funding but only after it has proven that the project indeed reduced carbon emissions via different means. The fuel efficient stove initiative has proven to that effect and are now in the process of seeking start up capitol towards establishing the sustainability link via carbon trading.
Planning non gef grant
The CBA project has started receive high considerations from various stakeholders. Environmental Investment Fund awarded grants for scaling up of Enzy energy efficiency stove to people live in City of Windhoek informal settlements. The Government Republic of Namibia is also giving special attention of mainstreaming the best lesson learned of CBA into it's ministerial strategic planning activities and policy framework. Furthermore, the CLUSA International Agency funded the upscaling of CBA which is also currently implementing the projects of conservation agriculture.
Policy Impact
The involvement of refional governement is significant. Honourable Phillemon Ndjambula a Member of Parliament and councilor of Olukonda constituency plays a major role on the implementation of CBA project. He attended at climate change adaptation training at England last year, and addressed the house in National Councilor the energy efficiency stove to get implemented in Namibia to lessen deforestation, and enable people to adapt during the times of flood crisis. However he participated in VRA of CBA in Olukonda constituency. Ohangwena Regional Governor Mr. Usko Nghaamwa has participated in the VRA of CBA in Engela village. Honourable Frieda F councilor of Kapako constituency a member of Parliament has donated a land to CBA project groups in Siya village.Kavango Regional Councilor appoint two surbordinate officers to attend trainings for self help group, to enable them to train communities self help group scheme in Kavango region.
Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
The participation of the indigeneuos people has been ever at positive magnitude.The project was conceptualized based on community feedback from participatory consultation that involve the attendance of the project stakeholder's such as communuties members and their leaders, CBOs, NGOs, local and regional development committtees that was held between July - August 2009. up to date there is a proactive participation of government officials and communities to the workshops as well as at meeting sessions.
Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
The project aims to improve community livelihood situations and environment Foods security has improved compared previous periods, as a results of the best (CONTILL) agriculture farming ripper method that introduced as a pilot phase. Currently, community has managed to diversify their dry land crops to improved seeds and multiple varities surplus such as maizes and sunflowers that can generate income. Surprisingly, the Siya CBA communities project sold portion of their maize harvest to local business and earned N$ 750-00 within three hours. However the project intends to plant (agroforestry) orchard and fertilizer trees that enhance the food security and restore ecological status. other adaptative sustainable livelihood mechanism the project implemented, it has introduced the energy efficiency stove in combination with general reforestation. It creates income opportunities to the communities and retains the environmental ecosystem.
Planning gef grant
There is a new initiative launched for scaling up some components of this project - this will be the conservation agriculture initiative - capitalizing and involving also on the conservation tillage. The UNDP CO is leading this process.
Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
Through the awareness and knowledge sharing concept communication and sharing strategies that is being curently explored, communities can exchange experiences and adopt working models locallly, nationally and internationally. The initiatives of agroforestry, energy efficiency stove also plays a major significant role of combating land degradation, increasing ecosystem resilience and climate change adaptation. The climate change adaptation information toolkit trainings will also conducted to the communities to facilitate and equip them with relevant adaptative skills. Communities have participated in sensitization meetings and are aware of the importance of the ipmact of climate change, and for water and soil conservation.
Project Results
Looking at FOOD security - The interest from the CBA participants for vegetable production through controlled soil improvement and micro drip irrigation is very high and people are now more than ever very eager to learn new methods and think in creative ways on how to solve access to water by water harvesting or apply for land through the Traditional Authorities close to rivers and as such also addressing water security!
Skills levels of more than 700 households with regard to vegetable farming has increased. Most Namibians are used to farming rain fed crops, thus irrigation is a new way of farming. However, trainings of ToTs in combination with support from agriculture extension officers have produced very good results. All cluster coordinator (CCs) and groups, including Onamulunga Combined school, is producing vegetables for household food security as well as income generation. The Oonte OVC Organisation is producing vegetables to include in the lunch programme for 420 neighboring orphaned and vulnerable children 3 times per week. The micro drip irrigation systems clearly reduce participants? vulnerability to CC impacts on food security and livelihoods. The Namibian manufacturer of the micro drip systems has now developed a commercial unit including 800 poly bags and more sophisticated control of irrigation using new drippers that deliver the water straight to the plants? roots thus saving even more on water. This unit is suitable for CBA SHGs that desire to expand on vegetable production for food security and incomes.
The CONTILL conservation agriculture method as CBA strategy reducing vulnerability to CC impacts on food insecurity and livelihoods is now being up-scaled through farmer-to-farmer learning in the form of the creation of and support to farmers field schools. The conclusion drawn from the devastating floods is that a strong emphasis on farm planning management (i.e. identify low and high grounds on smallholder farms and group plots and adapt crops and farming methods to each area) is a vital component of farmers field schools in order to create the best condition for adaptation.
On-farm seed multiplication and introducing wild leafy vegetables currently under CC threat into farming systems (domestication) would be desirable alongside that of farming new and improved crops.
In addition, savings and group lending/investments should also form a component as the need for rural CONTILL land preparation services, milling services, cooking oil extraction and so forth increases with the number of farmers increasing their yields. In an up-scaled CBA situation local and national marketing and distribution need to be addressed as farmers in the rural areas are currently outside the marketing networks for dry land crops as well as fresh produce.
