Pockets of Hope, Pockets of Power. Exploring the potential of benefit-sharing mechanisms to reduce water conflicts in the Coello watershed

Watersheds are patchy landscapes, hard to understand and deal with. Previous scholarship investigated various institutional arrangements to tackle classical problems related to the overuse, misuse and mismanagement of water resources. While studies eloquently identified conditions under which individuals cooperate and avoid a “tragedy of the commons” scenario, they hardly scrutinized the role of power in designing and maintaining these arrangements. Using an analytical model inspired by political ecology and new institutionalism thinking, this study suggests a more subtle and profound analysis of how watershed arrangements have the potential to affect power dynamics and thus address water conflicts. By means of a case study in the Coello watershed, Colombia, and through qualitative empirical data, the research reveals how power is embedded and shifted in watershed interactions. It also explores how landscapes of power are redefined with the creation of benefit-sharing mechanisms (BSMs), as new institutional arrangements. The study further demonstrates that this theoretically-triangulated approach offers a more holistic understanding of biophysical and social systems such as watersheds, an invaluable point of departure for designing appropriate answers for current environmental, social and economic challenges

Measurement and reporting of climate-smart agriculture: technical guidance for a countrycentric process

Given the extent of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) initiatives at project, national, regional and global levels, there is increasing interest in tracking progress in implementing CSA at national level. CSA is also expected to contribute to higher-level goals (e.g., the Paris Agreement, Africa Union’s Vision 25x25, and the Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs], etc.). Measurement and reporting of climate-smart agriculture (MR of CSA) provides intelligence on necessary the status, effectiveness, efficiency and impacts of interventions, which is critical for meeting stakeholders’ diverse management and reporting needs. In this paper, we build the case for a stakeholder-driven, country-centric framework for MR of CSA, which aims to increase coordination and coherence across stakeholders’ MR activities, while also aligning national reporting with reporting on international commitments. We present practical guidance on how to develop an integrated MR framework, drawing on findings from a multi-country assessment of needs, opportunities and capacities for national MR of CSA. The content of a unified MR framework is determined by stakeholders’ activities (how they promote CSA), needs (why MR is useful to them) and current capacities to conduct periodic monitoring, evaluation and reporting (how ready are institutions, staff and finances). Our analysis found that explicit demand for integration of data systems and active engagement of stakeholders throughout the entire process are key ingredients for building a MR system that is relevant, useful and acted upon. Based on these lessons, we identify a seven-step framework for stakeholders to develop a comprehensive information system for MR of progress in implementing CSA

Is adaptation tracking on track? Lessons from 53 African countries

Presentation to AICCRA ISC meeting, 2 December 202

Aligned monitoring and reporting frameworks for climate and development: expectations v. reality

Presentation at COP26 side event on "Transparency in Agriculture: Can we align country adaptation reporting efforts under the Paris Agreement (PA) and Agenda 2030?" Commonwealth Secretariat COP26 Pavilion Side Event 12th November. Recording available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWrfma8PSc

Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate-Smart Agriculture Investments. Methodology and Approach

Presentation for teams developing climate-smart agricutlure investment plan

Review of adaptation indicators in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) in Africa

Presentation for the AGNES Climate Leadership Training, 05.08.202

The ‘CSA Papers’: Call for Book Chapter Proposals

The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), in collaboration with the CGIAR Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) invites scientists and development actors to submit applications for publication of book chapter in an open-access book investigating obstacles to scaling up climate-smart agriculture (CSA), The CSA Papers

The CSA Papers: Critical investigations to support climate-smart agriculture development. An effort to analyze, publish, and present previously unreleased data on CSA

The CSA Papers aim to generate critical insights into five key areas of CSA based on unpublished scientific information. Contributors of Papers will participate in a writeshop, be provided honoraria, and be eligible for travel grants to showcase their work

Measuring adaptation progress across scales and time frames

Presentation on metrics for agriculture adaptation for the Agriculture Committee of the International Platfom for Adaptation Metrics (IPAM