Dr Katharine Vincent has just returned from the second learning forum of the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) Programme. The CCAA programme is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) and International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and has been in operation since 2006. It supports a portfolio of 43 research projects across the continent carried out by African institutions, focusing on the use of participatory action research to simultaneously support adaptation to climate change and strengthen the capacity of African scientists and decision-makers to develop and implement sustainable solutions to respond to climate change.
As the evidence generated from the various projects is growing, CCAA is organising a series of learning fora, with the intention of allowing project teams to reflect on the emerging contributions of their research findings towards various topical debates within adaptation. The second learning forum, held in Dakar, Senegal, focused on the contribution that adaptation activities make to poverty reduction. Katharine was contracted to be one of two scientific editors, responsible for synthesising the empirical findings of projects relating to the mechanisms through which adaptation measures can contribute to improving the lives of the poor.
It is anticipated that the final report will be released in early 2011.