Description

The 'Development of a Sustainable Livelihood Action Plan for West African Coastal Protected Areas in the Context of Climate Change’ project was funded by the MAVA Foundation and executed by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and ENDA Energie. The overall goal of the project was to enhance livelihoods and increase socio-ecological resilience in West African coastal protected areas to the negative effects of climate change. ENDA Energie led the implementation of the project activities in West Africa (Senegal and Gambia)

Major issue

Availability of an appropriate and practical methodology for assessing vulnerability and planning community-based adaptation to the negative effects of climate change 

Goals

There were two specific objectives 1. To assess social vulnerability to climate change of natural-resource-dependent human populations living in and around Marine Protected Areas (MPA), and 2. Build the capacity of protected area managers and communities living in and around MPAs to use this information for adaptation measures.

Expected results

1. The implementation of the project activities led to the production of a participatory action research manual with an appropriate and practical methodology for the regional context. 

 

2. The project developed capacities of a team of local research facilitators in Gambia and Senegal on participatory action research tools for undertaking vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning. 

 

3. The implementation of this project also led to the development of adaptation actions in the 2 MPAs following their vulnerability assessments to the impacts of extreme climate-related events. 

 

4. The project also supported community members to implement some planned community adaptation actions in the pilot zones. Some of these initiatives were beekeeping, mangrove and tree planting in the Gambia. Community gardening and provision of improved cook-stoves were the activities initiated in Senegal. 

 

5. The project leaders also produced a guide on Monitoring and Evaluation (M and E) to be used for the project activities implemented in each MPA. Based on this guide, the MPA management members within the 2 pilot areas were equipped with M and E skills through a training session.