Focusing the climate lens

Living Lands staff recently attended a training course on how to Integrate Climate Change Adaptation into Development Corporation. The course was organized by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) – the German Technical Cooperation. It was held in White River, Mpumalanga province.

The aim of the course was to enhance capacity among development actors and to support institutions in successfully implementing the OECD Guidance and taking action on climate change adaptation. The main approaches to integrating adaptation outlined in the Guidance are applying a “climate lens” and the “four-step approach”. These tools assist in determining the systems vulnerability to climate change, identifying adaptation options and selecting the most feasible scenario. The teachings provided an introduction to the theory and practical starting points of adaptation to the effects of climate change.

“We were provided with methodologies and tools of how to organize a process of integrating climate change adaptation into development cooperation at different levels, including at project level” said Odirilwe Selomane from Living Lands. “Such practical information is very useful to our work in the Baviaanskloof region and beyond.”

During this course, various tools and processes were demonstrated and applied in the many interactive practical exercises carried out across the three and a half days. Trainees included people from governments, NGOs, GTZ and Mpumalanga tourism representatives. The trainees were from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, and Germany. Special thanks go to Barbara Fröde-Thierfelder and Udo Hoeggel for facilitating the course and a big thanks to Michael Glueck for the invitation…and last but not least to GTZ for developing the valuable course.