Ecosystem-based Approaches for transforming smallholder farming systems in South Africa (GCF Project Preparation Services)

The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) is developing the project Ecosystem-based Approaches (EbA) for transforming smallholder farming systems that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change in South Africa (EbA-Farm) for funding by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The EbA-Farm project seeks to adopt a participatory, action-learning approach using EbA to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers in vulnerable catchments in four provinces of South Africa.

South African smallholder farmers are impacted by the natural variability of the climate and environment, and these impacts are magnified by the effects of climate change, resulting in significant vulnerability for smallholder farmers. This is compounded by a lack of access to climate information and climate-risk-informed agricultural advisory services as well as the recent impacts of the Covid pandemic.

The EbA-Farm project seeks to address these vulnerabilities by improving resilience, through (i) providing tailored climate information and services through the development of:

1. a Multi-Hazard Early Warning System;
2. using EbA to transform smallholder farming systems to adapt to climate impacts and sustain adaptation investments; and
3. developing cross-cutting capacity to institutionally embed and upscale transformative adaptation approaches.

In the development of the EbA-Farm project, SANBI sought support for their Adaptation Policy and Resourcing Division from the GCF under their Project Preparation Facility Services for conducting all the necessary activities and providing all the deliverables that will form part of the preparation of a full GCF proposal.

OneWorld, with Oxford Policy Management Limited (OPM), is supporting SANBI in the development of the Simplified Application Process Funding Proposal. OneWorld is leading the assignment and the development of the FP including key components such as the Climate Risk Analysis (CRA), engagement with national, provincial, and site-level stakeholders through workshops and site visits, the development of selection criteria for site selection, informed by the stakeholders and the CRA, and the aspects of a GCF Funding Proposal.