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This resource is an overview of the CCARDESA Training Package on Climate Change. It summaries the training package.

Presentation intended to develop discussion around Communities of Practice in the SADC Region and SADC Member States.

Review of some of the issues and barriers to information exchange in SADC and SADC Member States.

An overview of the revised CCARDESA ICKM System, including revisions to the ICKM Strategy, Manual and approach. It also includes an introduction to the new CCARDESA website and newsletter and monitoring and evaluation component.

An introduction to the GIZ-ACCRA Programme.

An overview of the history and mandate of the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA).

Presentation delivered at the AFAAS Conference

Drought is the single greatest climate risk faced by most farmers in Eastern and Southern Africa. In discussions of climate risk, it is crucial to distinguish between meteorological drought (lower-than-average annual or seasonal rainfall) and agricultural drought (insufficient water at critical stages of crop growth). Global climate change models do a poor job predicting either type of drought (or flooding), and there appears to be little relationship between drought and rising levels of greenhouse gases. Drought and flooding are more closely correlated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, which appear to predate global warming.

This information brief highlights key findings in the Vuna report “Agricultural Drought and Climate Smart Agriculture”

Agricultural production in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) is broadly characterised by high climate risks. Rainfall is variable in timing, amount, and intensity. Both drought and flooding are common. These challenges are magnified by the fact that the majority of farmers in this region face severe poverty, resource constraints, and food insecurity. More than 90% of these farmers are dependent on rainfed production. The rise in global greenhouse gases appears to be increasing these climate risks.

This paper briefly summarises available information on current climate risks in ESA, and then shows how these risks are expected to worsen by the middle and end of the century. It discusses the implications of these changing risks for agricultural investment and for prioritising the pursuit of more climate smart agricultural systems. A key theme underlying this discussion is that a better understanding of, and response to, current climate risks will provide a strong foundation for improving resilience to climate change in the future.