1st Edition

A Field Guide to Community Based Adaptation

By Tim Magee Copyright 2013
    248 Pages 48 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    248 Pages 48 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    The world's poor will be the most critically affected by a changing climate—and yet their current plight isn't improving rapidly enough to fulfill the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. If experienced development organizations are finding it difficult to solve decades-old development problems, how will they additionally solve new challenges driven by climate change? This book illustrates how including community members in project design and co-management leads to long-lasting, successful achievement of development and adaptation goals.

    This field guide provides a system of building block activities for staff on the ground to use in developing and implementing successful adaptation to climate change projects that can be co-managed and sustained by communities. Based on years of use in 129 different countries, the techniques illustrated in this field guide use a step-by-step progression to lead readers through problem assessment, project design, implementation, and community take over. The book equips development staff with all the tools and techniques they need to improve current project effectiveness, to introduce community based adaptation into organizational programming and to generate new projects. The techniques provided can be applied to broad range of challenges, from agriculture and soil and water challenges, to health concerns, flood defences and market development. The book is supported by a user-friendly website updated by the author, where readers can download online resources for each chapter which they can tailor to their own specific projects.

    This practical guide is accessible to all levels of development staff and practitioners, as well as to students of development and environmental studies.

    Introduction  Part 1: Local Context  1. Community: Local Need  2. Community: Local Climate Knowledge  3. Climate: Scientific Climate Information  4. Challenge: Local Context  Part 2: Design  5. Solution: Adaptation Activities  6. Project: Management & Funding Tools  Part 3: Sustainable Implementation  7. Launch: Partnering with the Community  8. Sustainability: Capacity Building for Community Takeover  9. Impact: Milestones into the Future  Part 4: Tools and Field Guides  10. Tools and Field Guides  Part 5: Resources

    Biography

    Tim Magee is the Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Development, Inc., and is based in Guatemala. He has provided online instruction on community-centered, sustainable development to practitioners from 380 organizations in 129 countries.

    Howard White is the Executive Director of the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie). He is also Adjunct Professor at the Alfred Deakin Research Institute, Deakin University, Co-Chair of the Campbell Collaboration International Development Coordinating Group and Managing Editor of the Journal of Development Studies and the Journal of Development Effectiveness.

    'Tim Magee, and his colleagues at CSDi, are to be commended for producing a book which should change the way development is practiced, and so directly contribute to the improvement of millions of lives around the world.' – Howard White, Executive Director, 3ie, USA

    'A fascinating and informative guide to a subject of growing international importance. Tim Magee skilfully explains ways to combine external expertise and local perspectives on adaptation to climate change. This useful book should be read by development practitioners as well as students of climate change policy and international development.' – Tim Forsyth, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

    'This is a most-awaited book for development practitioners who are increasingly confronted with the challenge of addressing climate risks in designing and implementing programmes and projects. This book will help them to do just that in a way that places the interest of communities at the heart of the process.' – Kareff Rafisura, Climate Risk Management Practitioner, Ghana

    'This book provides an insightful and comprehensive field guide to community-based adaptation. Magee brings together an impressive range of tools, resources and case examples in a clear and systematic step-by-step guide, while ensuring that the concerns of local people are kept at the centre of the analysis. This book is a timely and welcome addition to the literature, and will be useful to experienced practitioners as well as newcomers to CBA.' Lars Otto Naes, Institute of Development Studies, UK