Climate Risk Management in Finnish Development Cooperation - Gaia

Chapter 3 presents a strategic overview of the national framework with regards to climate
vulnerability and adaptation priorities. It also presents on-going activities by international
partners to strengthen adaptive capacity in Ethiopia.
This initial climate screening focused on selected Finnish development cooperation projects
in the water sector, as presented in chapter 4. It provides a preliminary review of risk that
might be posed to the projects due to climate change or variability and how these risks have
been taken into account during project planning. It also reports whether the projects have
the potential to contribute to livelihoods improvements (be it natural, physical, financial,
human and/or social resources) 14 that simultaneously can strengthen the climate adaptive
capacity of local communities.
The key findings of the study and conclusions, with priority areas for follow-up measures are
presented in chapter 5.
The study has been conducted by the experts of Gaia Consulting Ltd in May-August 2009.
The project included a preparatory phase during which the approach, target country and
sector was identified with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland; desk study during which
extensive volumes of literature was studied; mission to Addis Ababa which included tens of
meetings with relevant national and international partners as well as discussions with
representatives of the selected development cooperation projects, and a final reporting
phase. 15
14 The following definitions for livelihoods assets are used: i) Natural resources: the natural resource stock upon
which people rely both directly (i.e. for income or medicine) or indirectly (i.e. flood control, protection from
storms), ii) Physical resources: the basic infrastructure and productive capital for transport, buildings, water
management, energy and communications, iii) Financial resources: the stocks and flows of money that allow
people to achieve their livelihood objectives, iv) Human resources: the skills, knowledge, capacity and good
health important to the pursuit of livelihoods, and v) Social resources: the formal and informal social
relationships and institutions from which people draw in pursuit of their livelihoods. See e.g. CRiSTAL:
Community-based Risk Screening – Adaptation and Livelihoods
15 Assessment team: Mikko Halonen, Pasi Rinne, Jussi Nikula and Alina Pathan. During a field mission in June 2009
several key stakeholders were met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (see Annex IV). Due to time constraints key regional
and local level project stakeholders (project coordinators and team leaders for selected development projects in
the water sector) on the regional level were consulted on the phone.
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