Funder/client: Department for International Development (DFID), UK and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Government agency (SIDA)
Partners: National Governments, Continental Institutions, Regional Institutions, Parliamentary Forums, Civil Society Organisations, Funders
The Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) main goals are to reduce poverty and improve the lives of people in the region by driving economic development in a peaceful and cooperative political environment. Unfortunately, climate change in the region is threatening valuable, long-term progress towards these goals. A concrete example is that infrastructure such as roads are vulnerable to extreme weather events like flooding and extreme heat.
The SADC nations’ shared vulnerability is also a valuable opportunity to strengthen cooperation and integrate climate change into long-term development plans, ensuring sustainable development in the region.
The Regional Climate Change Programme (RCCP) was commissioned to enable transboundary adaptation to climate change and to ensure fair and inclusive access to climate funding in Southern Africa.
OneWorld established the financial, social, environmental and economic impacts of climate change in the region and produced an integrated, transboundary programme to enable the region to respond to the challenges of climate change more effectively.
Activities focused on strengthening adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change across the region, particularly in water, agriculture, human health and energy.
The feasibility study established the demand for a regional climate change programme in Southern Africa. Applying a ground-breaking methodology – which has become a benchmark – a scientific climate risk and vulnerability assessment identified the most vulnerable areas of the region. Stakeholders such as government, business, civil society and vulnerable groups like women and youth, came together to engage with the evidence and validate scientific findings, which included, for example, a transboundary water study.
In the design phase, OneWorld analysed the region’s needs and designed appropriate interventions while expanding stakeholder engagement to inform the programme design.
A wide range of institutions, programmes and initiatives were surveyed resulting in a more in-depth understanding of existing climate change interventions and likely areas of collaboration. The design phase was completed in January 2009.
The implementation phase, from early 2009, developed platforms, tools, datasets, maps and publications for addressing climate change resilience in the region in collaboration with stakeholders, and strengthened institutional capacity to use and adapt these.
Improving the region’s access to outside climate funding and strengthening Africa’s voice in international climate negotiations were key programme activities; training workshops were carried out with institutions, trainers and climate negotiators for the development of successful climate finance proposals.
OneWorld also successfully mainstreamed climate concerns into Zambia’s 6th National Development Plan (water chapter) and into national sector plans in South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, Angola. OneWorld also ensured the integration of climate change into the region’s water agenda, through the annual SADC multi-stakeholder water dialogues.
PUBLICATIONS – FRAMING AND DISSEMINATING CLIMATE KNOWLEDGE
As part the programme, OneWorld published a wide range of reports, policy and research briefs and Negotiator’s Indexes, some of which are still in use today. OneWorld also designed and maintained a knowledge-sharing platform to make these valuable resources as widely accessible as possible.
Negotiators Index
- The Green Climate Fund (GCF): Key Elements
- Form and Functions of the Adaptation Committee
- Adaptation Work Programmes
- Outcomes of COP17 and CMP7: Key Elements
Research Briefs
- What is global warming? Series 1, Brief 1
- Why does global warming cause climate change? Series 1, Brief 2
- Global climate change and the water cycle. Series 1, Brief 3
- Water scarcity may stoke conflict in SADC, say scientists
- Impacts of climate change and variability on urban areas in Southern Africa
- The RCCP Approach to Climate Change Adaptation. Series 3, Brief 24
- The RCCP Explained. Series 3 Brief 25
- Carbon finance and Trading. Series 5, Brief 3
- Climate change adaptation: an integrated approach. Research Brief 1
- Climate change risk and vulnerability mapping. Research Brief 2
- Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Research Brief 3
- Transboundary water resources in southern Africa. Research Brief 4
- Climate change and African food crops. Research Brief 5
- Climate change impacts and adaptation: food security. Research Brief 6
- Climate change and barriers to regional food trade. Research Brief 7
- Climate change impacts and adaptation: human health. Research Brief 8
- Climate change impacts and adaptation: urban centres. Research Brief 10
- Gender- and age-responsive adaptation in southern Africa. Research Brief 11
- Improving access to climate change funds in southern Africa. Research Brief 12
- Rainfall and temperature projections for southern Africa. Research Brief 13
Policy Briefs
- Climate change, agriculture and food security in southern Africa: The need for policy alignment. Policy Brief No. 1
- Visioning Climate Finance Institutions: National Implementing Entities (NIEs) as a basis for strengthened governance structures. Policy Brief No. 2
- Africa’s water: Driver of conflict or source of cooperation? Policy Brief No. 3
- Gender- and age-responsive adaptation to climate change in southern Africa: The case for inclusive policy. Policy Brief No. 4
Knowledge For Adaptation Series
- Climate Risk and Vulnerability Mapping in Southern Africa: Status quo (2008) and future (2050). KFA2
- Climate change and the Millenium Development Goals: case studies for southern Africa. Synthesis report. KFA3
- Transboundary Water: Climate change and development impacts on Southern African water resources: A synthesis. KFA4
- Hunger and climate change: an analysis of key variables in southern Africa. KFA5
- Health and climate change: key linkages in southern Africa. KFA6
- Energy resources and climate change: key transboundary vulnerabilities for southern Africa. KFA7
- Cities and climate change: urban vulnerability and resilience in southern Africa. KFA8
- Payment for ecosystem services: a climate change adaptation strategy for southern Africa. KFA9
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