News

Climate change adaptation: CAMP Alatoo experience

18.09.2012

The Public Foundation ‘CAMP Alatoo” has been actively engaged in capacity building work for Central Asian communities for increasing their resilience and adaptation to changing climate. Below we provide some highlights for climate change adaptation related activities undertaken in the region:

September 2011- August 2012: Jointly with the Swiss National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) and Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, САМР Alatoo implemented the demo project ' Water user group capacity building on Climate Change Risk Management in Sokuluk watershed’ (). The research findings are released and applicable to decision making by local community. With participation of local community, solutions as water and soil conservation technologies have been developed and demonstrated. The training module ‘Learning for sustainability’ (L4S) on Climate change adaptation that was developed by CAMP Alatoo has been adapted and applied for raising awareness on water related issues in seven administrative territories. Following the trainings, three small-scale adaptation practices have been introduced: irrigation system rehabilitation, irrigation of the cultivated reserve pasture, and regulated access for basin rehabilitation in Novo-Tritskaya area. The outputs of the project presented during the international conference ‘Research for development’ in August, 2012 in Bern, Switzerland.

April, 2012: Training Workshop was organized in Turkmenistan under the САМР Alatoo implemented project titled ‘Capacity building on Adaptation to Climate Change through Sustainable Resource Management and prevention from natural hazards in Central Asia’. Jointly with the GIZ experts, country tailored training modules were developed for each of the Central Asian republics. Initially, the workshops have been served as refresher trainings for the central and local government staff including the Emergency ministry, Water and agriculture ministry, weather forecast agencies, as well as for research institutions, consultancy agencies and NGOs. The trainees acquired systematized knowledge on climate change impacts, causes and possible adaptation approaches. They were trained on formulating the programs responding to capacity needs of local communities and integration of these programs into adaptation strategies at local, national and regional levels.

September 2012:

-The project aimed at developing climate risk assessment methodology is underway for Central Asian countries. The project is being implemented jointly with the Climate and Development Knowledge Network and will contribute to addressing the data gap on climate change.

In Kyrgyzstan, under the UNDP project ‘Local level climate risk assessment’, the working group involved in risk assessment at the pilot sites of Suusamyr valley has been formed under the lead of САМР Alatoo.

-Usharal City, Kazakhstan: In Kazakhstan, CAMP Alatoo training on integrated approach for management of trans-boundary water resource was conducted for decision makers, NGOs and farmers. The training activity was undertaken under the UNDP managed project ‘Supporting integrated water resource management and trans-boundary dialogues in Central Asia’.

-Internal capacity building training for CAMP Alatoo staff was conducted from 13 to 15 September, 2012. The representatives of partner organizations, namely from Public Foundation MSDSP, Agha Khan Foundation, and representatives from the GIZ regional program on sustainable use of natural resources, took part in the workshop. During the workshop the participants exchanged their experiences on best adaptation practices.