7th Adaptation Futures international conference (AF2023)

The ways in which pastoralists are impacted by climate change, and the support they need to adapt, remain marginal issues in climate policies and programming – despite these communities’ important contribution to regional food security and livelihoods. Similarly, while there is increasing understanding of the importance of transboundary climate risks, there is little discussion of how to handle these issues in practice.

SPARC researchers will be leading two sessions at the upcoming 7th Adaptation Futures international conference:

• Thursday 5 October, 08:30-10:00 A Reality Check on Pastoralist Livelihoods in East Africa: Exploring opportunities to support adaptation in the Horn of Africa. (Session 101, Africa Pavilion) Around 20 million men and women pastoralists in the Horn of Africa depend on healthy rangelands for their livestock. Climate-related hazards, combined with existing conflicts, are leading to deep insecurity for pastoralists, particularly women. This session will draw on SPARC’s field work with pastoralist groups in Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan to present the current state of pastoralist livelihoods in these areas. It will review research gaps and opportunities for supporting context-relevant adaptation action. Relevant questions include: what are pastoralists doing to adapt to the current drought in East Africa? How are the combined challenges if high food/commodity prices and climate impacts being managed? What urgent action is required to support the humanitarian response and future adaptation in the region?
• Thursday 5 October, 16:00-17:30 Adapting to Transboundary Climate Risks: Regional Perspectives and Actions. (Session 124, Cities & Habitat) Climate risks do not respect national borders, and momentum is now building to investigate not only with transboundary climate risks (TCRs), but also how adaptation or mitigation actions taken in one country can create risks to food security, trade and economic sectors in another. This knowledge exchange session explores the implications of TCRs for adaptation planning, and the role that regional organisations can play in strengthening cooperation on adaptation and managing cross-border and cascading climate risks through regional adaptation plans.

For more information, and to download a programme, see the Adaptation Futures website.