Climate Change Adaptation Stories

This booklet, published by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), is a collection of first-hand accounts about how communities in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Senegal are adapting to climate change and formulating strategies to reduce their social, economic, and cultural vulnerability. The case studies explore organisational dynamics in local communities, access to and management of water resources, changes in the method of livestock management, diversification of agricultural production, and water and soil conservation measures. Through the first-hand personal accounts, the stories are designed to share and capitalise on the knowledge and experience communities have accumulated during prolonged periods of drought and desertification. The publishers say that the participatory approach reinforces the notion of collective action for sustainable development. Along with sharing knowledge, the story collection is also intended to inspire African decision-makers and researchers to support the adaptation process.
According to IDRC, the adaptations described in this publication demonstrate the difficulty, in the Sahelian environment especially, of distinguishing between climate variations and climate change. They also reveal communities' notion of adaptation, which must consider social, economic, and environmental dimensions, and show that an integrated approach must be based on the communities' essential needs. The booklet was published as part of the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) research and capacity development programme, jointly funded by IDRC and the Department for International Development (DFID).
The publication includes the following chapters:

• Surviving one drop at a time
• When the future lies in fodder reserves
• Kourty and its water bank
• The Finkolo forest
• Organising for adaptation to climate change
• An experience in perpetual adaptation
• So far and yet so near
• Hatching a new source of income