The Role of Sustainable Land Management for Climate ... - CAADP

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countries, including national poverty reduction strategies, rural development strategies,
agricultural and environmental strategies, among others. Although references are often made to
particular strategy documents or policies in national level plans on climate change adaptation or
combating land degradation, actual integration of these plans with government strategies,
financial planning and budgetary processes is usually less clear. Thus, the level of actual
commitment of governments to supporting these plans, in terms of financial and human
resources, often remains ambiguous. TerrAfrica and NEPAD/CAADP are seeking to address
this shortcoming through the process of developing CSIFs. Development of broad programmatic
rather than project approaches to promote SLM under the CSIF’s by TerrAfrica and
NEPAD/CAADP will help to facilitate integration of SLM activities with the broader strategies
of governments. TerrAfrica is also supporting analytical work to estimate public expenditures on
SLM activities in several countries, information which will support the process of CSIF
development.
4.3.6. Expand investments in technical, organizational and human capacity relevant to climate
and SLM issues
As noted in many of the NAPs, NAPAs, and other documents, inadequate scientific, technical,
organizational and human capacity is a major constraint to implementation of strategies and
plans to mitigate and adapt to climate change and combat land degradation. A high level of
scientific and technical capacity is required to identify the nature and extent of climate change
and vulnerability and land degradation in particular contexts; diagnose the main causes; prescribe
and implement options to address these problems; and monitor, evaluate and synthesize lessons
from these experiences. Achieving such capacity will require substantial investments in national
agricultural research systems (NARS), investments that have been lacking in recent decades but
which African governments have committed to increasing within the framework of NEPAD.
Donor governments and multilateral organizations are also increasingly recognizing the need to
increase their investments in these systems, as articulated by the World Bank in its 2008 World
Development Report.
Probably even more important than development of scientific and technical capacity is
investment in development of organizational and human capacity at all levels. Government
organizations that are responsible for implementing action plans related to climate and land
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