How farmers are benefitting from climate change adaptation project

Emily Odera, a farmer in Siaya is amongst the several farmers in the East African Region who have benefitted from the 'Adapting to Climate Change' programme.

Her group, Weseso, which she chairs received a grant from the regional project which is implemented by the five EAC partner states of Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania.

The grant helped the group to venture into horticulture and fish cage farming. They also plant trees to conserve the environment.

Through the project, a borehole has been drilled in Kahoya Primary School which now serves the school and neighbouring villages.

“We are happy that this project has changed our lives. In the past, we would rely on rain-fed Agriculture. Now we have boreholes and we easily get water,” She said

In Kenya, apart from Siaya, the programme is also being implemented in Busia county where the project has funded the drilling of two boreholes in Osipata primary and Bukiri secondary schools.

According to Lake Victoria Basin Commission executive Secretary Dr Masinde Bwire, the UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission are supporting countries in the East African Community to reduce vulnerability to the negative effects of climate change by supporting local communities to build resilience and adapt to climate change.

"Adapting to Climate Change in Lake Victoria Basin is a project funded by the Adaptation Fund through UNEP and LVBC is the Executing Entity," Dr Masinde said.

The project began in 2018 and is expected to end this year.

The project received USD $5M grant from the Adaptation Fund according to the executive secretary.

LVBC Secretariat disbursed US$520,000 to each of the five partner states of Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania.

The project, according to the executive secretary is aimed at reducing the impact of climate change on local communities and water-dependent sectors in the EAC region.

"We do this by building the capacity of the five governments to establish a regional framework to guide adaptation actions, " Dr Masinde said.

Speaking to the Star on Tuesday, Dr Masinde noted that Ecosystem-based Adaptation is central to the project’s activities.

"This is a nature-based solution that harnesses nature and ecosystem services to build resilience to climate change," he stated.

The project's components include Improving regional management of transboundary water catchment, Climate information dissemination and decision-making, Regional approach to climate change adaptation in vulnerable Communities, Community-based approaches to climate change adaptation, and Knowledge management and learning.

According to Dr Masinde, each of the five partner countries has climate focal point ministries (National Project Teams, ) with designated national project coordinators.

He said that farmers within the East African Region are now reaping the fruits of bumper harvests courtesy of the support provided by the Adapting to Climate Change in Lake Victoria Basin Initiative.

"Various projects, which include micro irrigation systems, construction of greenhouses, and rehabilitation of boreholes to support supplementary micro irrigation are being implemented by the five EAC partner states under the programme," he said

According to the executive secretary, over 2 million people have benefited from the project within the EAC region.

In Burundi, the project is implemented in Kirundo Province and Muyinga Province through the Ministry of Water, Environment, Lands and Urban Planning.

In Uganda, it is implemented in Mubende and Masaka Districts through the Ministry of Water and Environment.

In Tanzania, it is implemented in Magu District through the Vice President’s Office while in Rwanda the Project is implemented in Kirehe District through the Ministry of Environment.

The project implementation was expected to last for a duration of 3 years, with an original completion date of June 2021, but was revised to June 2023.

"The request for a no-cost extension was granted by the AF Board due to the prolonged inception phase and COVID-19 pandemic that occasioned the delays in the execution of project activities," he said.

In Tanzania, the Project drilled boreholes that are fitted with solar-powered water pumping systems to support micro-irrigation for rice intensification and off-season crop farming during dry seasons.

This has enabled farmers in the area to produce and harvest food crops all year round thus increasing food security in the far-flung area that is prone to frequent drought episodes.

"Previously some of the farmers were using diesel-powered water pumps to do farming. Now, they have adopted new methods and are using water from the drilled solar-powered boreholes," he added.

" The farmers now plant tomatoes, green grams, Cabbages, Cucumber, Capsicum, kales, maize, chickpeas, sunflower and rice," he noted