ACIAR project planning workshop - Hyderabad Introduction to workshop and scoping study

Christian Roth

10th February 2009

Climate Adaptation Flagship

Programme

Session 1: Introduction and context of workshop09:30 – 09:40 Introductions – Dr Raji Reddy09:40 – 10:00 Welcome and opening – Vice Chancellor ANGRAU10:00 – 10:15 ACIAR scoping study on adaptation to climate change – Dr Christian Roth

Session 2: Review of ongoing work relevant to on-farm climate adaptation10:30 – 11:00 Assessing the feasibility of farmers managing climate related crop production risk in Andhra

Pradesh, India – Dr Zvi Hochman and Dr Raji Reddy11:00 – 11:30 Research approaches to on-farm climate adaptation being undertaken by CRIDA – Dr

Venkateshwarlu / Dr GSSN Rao11:30 – 12:00 How the APFAMGS approach can be linked to on-farm climate adaptation – Dr KAS Mani12:00 – 12:30 Structured group discussion – facilitator Dr Christian Roth

Session 3: Testing the SRL framework to assess adaptive capacity13:15 – 13:30 Overview of CSIRO’s approach using the SRL – Dr Christian Roth13:30 – 14:15 Structured group discussion – facilitator Dr Zvi Hochman14:15 – 14:45 Implementing a pilot SRL/adaptive capacity survey as part of the ongoing ACIAR project: roles,

timelines, resources – facilitator Dr Raji Reddy

Session 4: Research strategy for a project on farmer based adaptation to climate change15:00 – 15:15 Overview of a proposed research strategy – Dr Christian Roth15:15 – 16:00 Structured group discussion – facilitator Dr KAS Mani

Session 5: Wrap up 16:00 – 16:15 Closing remarks – Dr Venkateshwarlu16:15 – 16:30 Vote of thanks – Dr Srinivas

Workshop objectives

• To review selected ongoing work by Australian and Indian collaborators in seasonal climate forecasting and its applicability for adaptation to climate change

• To obtain an overview of approaches being taken by NGOs to build adaptive capacity with farmers

• To discuss options to implement a pilot study on assessing farmers’ capacity to adapt to climate change using the SRL

• To use the above as input to developing the outline of a possible future ACIAR project on climate adaptation

Terms of Reference of Scoping Study

1. Assess the constraints and opportunities to farm level climate adaptation, including contextualisation of the policy environment and drivers of change

2. Assess critical gaps in a range of farming systems models (APSIM, IAT) in their ability to adequately capture biophysical and socio-economic dimensions of rice-based cropping systems and mixed crop-livestock systems

3. Develop a framework to assess impacts of adaptation to climate change

4. Develop a full proposal to ACIAR for a 4.5 year R&D program on ‘Providing tools and crop/livestock production options to help farmers in rainfed farming systems adapt to climate change’

Deliverables and timelines

• A preliminary R&D proposal circulated to the key stakeholders in the four partner countries in early March 2009 and submitted to ACIAR by the 31st March 2009.

• Delivery of a series of planning, training and awareness raising workshops with key stakeholders and prospective collaborators in all four partner countries during May and June 2009.

• A full proposal and detailed budget following planning workshops in all four partner countries prepared and submitted to ACIAR by the 30th June 2009.

• Documented protocols for data acquisition and stakeholder and end-user engagement, and a documented climate adaptation impact assessment framework, finalised by the 15th September 2009

• A final report primarily synthesising the results from TOR 1, 2 & 3 in a format suitable for publication as an electronically downloadable PDF file. This report will be prepared and submitted to ACIAR by the 30th September 2009

Scoping study project planning workshop - Session 1

1. Constraints and opportunities to climate adaptation

• Collation of partner country priorities and policies in relation to climate change adaptation.

• Collation of active and planned Government and donor funded programs to support climate change adaptation and identification of linkages to Australian climate adaptation programs.

• Identification and brief characterisation of drivers of change in rural systems and analysis of key constraints to uptake of new technology by farmers.

• Collation of an overview of comparative strengths and weaknesses of agricultural extension systems in the potentially-targeted project areas (public sector extension services, farmer associations, agricultural universities, NGOs) with special emphasis on rainfed areas.

• Evaluation of the extent and efficacy of current agro-meteorological services in each partner country.

• Determine opportunities for capacity building in climate adaptation.

Scoping study project planning workshop - Session 1

2. Gaps in farming systems models

• Identification of key biophysical and socio-economic data sources and possible data constraints to effectively employing the likely suite of modelling tools to analyse adaptation scenarios

• Specification of modules that need to be developed for APSIM (e.g. a more robust rice module; paddy soil module)

Scoping study project planning workshop - Session 1

3. Framework to assess impacts of adaptation

• Design of benchmarking and socio-economic survey methodologies suitable to engage with end-users in a participatory approach and that will underpin the above framework

• Preliminary testing of the framework in India and Bangladesh