Tales of AfricaAdapt

Building the networkAfricaAdapt is a knowledge-sharing networkon adaptation to climate change in Africahosted by four partner organisations:• Environment and Development in theThird World (ENDA-TM), based inDakar, Senegal• Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa(FARA), based in Accra, Ghana• IGAD Climate Prediction andApplications Centre (ICPAC), based inNairobi, Kenya• Institute of Development Studies (IDS),based in Brighton, UKThe network aims at facilitating the flow ofknowledge on adaptation to climate changefor sustainable livelihoods among researchers,policy makers, civil-society organisations(CSOs) and communities that are vulnerableto climate variability and change across theAfrican continent.Although AfricaAdapt was formally launchedin May 2009, work on establishing thenetwork’s modalities, core partners, andstaffing had been underway for more than2 years prior to its launch. The networkwas funded under a broader programmeon Climate Change Adaptation in Africa(CCAA) through the UK’s Department forInternational Development (DFID) andCanada’s International Development ResearchCentre (IDRC).The CCAA programme was designed topromote African research through the use ofparticipatory action and research. AfricaAdaptwas conceived to work within a similar ethosof promoting African knowledge to helpAfrican communities understand and adaptto climatic changes. Early thinking around theestablishment of a knowledge-sharing networkwas largely shaped by discussions betweenIDRC and IDS. Both institutions had significantexperience in providing knowledge servicesfor development. An IDRC representative saidthat the initial thinking was:...to create a platform that wouldallow not just CCAA partners,but others engaged in researchand (more broadly) policy makersinvolved in adaptation to climatechange in Africa, to share their ideasand experiences. Simple storiesor knowledge on adaptation toclimate change can be shared withconfidence that such sharing addsvalue to their own personal learning.Meanwhile, from its years of working onadaptation to climate change, IDS had1