OneWorld, with Habitat INFO, was commissioned to conduct two projects: a baseline climate Risk and Vulnerability (R&V) assessment, and development of a Landscape Vulnerability Decision Support Framework.

These projects fell under the Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development in Northern and Southern Zambia (TRALARD-Zam) project, under the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR). TRALARD-Zam aimed to strengthen the adaptive capacity of rural communities in Zambia, to better respond to climate variability and longer-term impacts of climate change.

The project team developed a GIS-based vulnerability model, centred around the key vulnerabilities of water resources, land use, forestry and agriculture. This allowed the team to identify vulnerability hotspots at district level, relevant to the socio-economic and ecological context of the region.

These outputs fed into the development of a decision-support framework. Using the model, stakeholders were able to identify and prioritise policy and adaptation options to reduce climate vulnerability.

The decision support framework was designed to support policy-makers and planners in identifying landscape-level investments to decrease climate change vulnerability, while building local and national capacity to respond to climate change.

Validation of the vulnerability assessment and decision support framework through participatory analysis workshops was essential to ensure stakeholder buy-in and the incorporation of local knowledge.

PUBLICATION

Landscape Vulnerability Decision Support Framework (2017)