Resilience to Change Climate

The Project’s Main Objective is to ensure that practical action is initiated and future action planned by Island, Atoll and Provincial stakeholders and in particular by island women, to strengthen community resilience to Climate Change in 5 islands in Baa Atoll, in the North Province by June 2012.

This program will be delivered over a period of 2 years commencing 1st May 2010 and finishing no later than 30th April 2012. The project focuses on five islands, Kudarilkilu, Kamadhoo, Kilhahdoo, Dharavandhoo and Maalhos in Baa Atoll.

Objective 1: Live & Learn will work towards ensuring that all Island, Atoll and Provincial Stakeholders understand the causes and aware of the local consequences of Climate Change in 5 islands in Baa Atoll and strategies available to strengthen community resilience to Climate Change in the North Province by June 2012.
Objective 2: The second Objective of the Project is to ensure that Climate Change resilient conservation farming practices are introduced / extended to five islands in the Baa Atoll supported by product and market diversification improving local access to foods and household incomes by June 2012.
Objective 3: The Project’s third Objective is to contribute to strengthening the role of IWDC in promoting community resilience to Climate Change in 05 Islands in Baa Atoll by January 2012.

Based on the identified priorities from the assessments for each selected island L&L has planned to deliver trainings on Climate Change, conservation farming, nutritional information and marketing techniques on each island (using the toolkits developed under this project on Climate Change, conservation gardening and nutrition and marketing techniques) A train the trainer approach will be utilized to impart the trainings by Live & Learn in three main areas.  The first Training of Trainers programme will seek to train 15 local resource persons (from the farmers groups, the IWDC, from IDC, from the AO) in conservation agriculture which will include organic agriculture, organic home gardening, inter cropping, water management and conservation techniques, soil improvement and organic pesticides. The second Training of Trainer’s Activity will focus on agricultural product and market diversification, covering a wide range of themes including new crops, local and regional marketing and transportation, market information systems, forward linkages to resorts and agro-tourism.  Finally, inputs from the Household Nutritional Survey will be used for the Training of Trainers on promoting improved household nutrition. An island ecosystem vulnerability and community resilience to Climate Change Seminar will be conducted; one at the Atoll Level in Baa Atoll, and one at the Province Level in the Northern Province. Staff from the EPA and the AEC will provide technical assistance to Live & Learn to conduct the Atoll and Provincial level awareness programmes.

The responses from all the five communities of Baa Atoll showed that they had an understanding of the Climate Change issue however lacked the knowledge and know how on how to act upon at the individual household and community level.  They also have a low level of awareness about Climate Change and its impacts on the corals reefs and the ground water lens. The underlying understanding of the carrying capacity of communities based on the availability of unsaline ground water especially in specific areas of the island is also a strong social/environmental link that may facilitate an entry point for action. The simple connection, such as the link between the natural environment and the benefits of preserving the fruit trees and promoting farming activities and livelihoods, shows some understanding of the inter-relationships in the environment. These are points of knowledge that can be developed and linked with other environmental management considerations.

Attitude assessment: In all the communities all the respondents recognize that climate change and sea level rise is an issue on the island, and most of them have the understanding that ‘climate change awareness will change people’s behaviour’. There is a reasonable level of awareness about climate change and its impact on marine life. All the respondents show appreciation of preserving the natural habitat near the beach as a buffer zone and protecting the marine environment.