Burundi Climate Change Adaptation & Sustainable Energy Project

General

The impacts of climate change on agriculture and surrounding ecosystems are projected to result in serious socio-economic implications for the 456,640 people living in Rutana Province. Economic models suggest that Burundi could lose over 2% of its GDP each year due to climate change related losses by 2030, and an even greater proportion thereafter.  Drought scenarios show significant monetary losses for Burundi from crop loss and damage on yearly basis.  Smallholders will be the most affected group due to their lack of assets to buffer shocks and limited access to the information, new technologies, finance, and government services needed to undertake adaptive actions. In response to these climate change threats, integrated adaptation measures are needed to enhance the resilience of the landscape in Rutana Province, which will sustain the agricultural production and enable sustainable growth of the region in a manner that reduces poverty, increases resilience, and achieves food security. The project’s objective is to lead to a paradigm shift in land management practices from reliance on landscapes that are degraded, fragile and unable to sustain livelihoods. The intervention will restore ecosystem function and build community resilience to enhance livelihoods, food, and water security of the most vulnerable rural population. The project outcomes that will result in the achievement of this objective are:  Outcome 1: Strengthened awareness of climate threats and risk-reduction processes; Outcome 2:  Strengthened adaptive capacity for FFPO’s and reduced exposure to climate risks. Outcome 3. CSO are strengthened to advocate for international, regional national CC commitments implementation In order to achieve the three objectives, the project will pursue an integrated resilience approach that is adaptive and able to support transformation and innovative processes. The project’s Theory of Change shows how degraded and climate sensitive landscapes will be transformed by adaptive land management practices and technologies to build resilience of agro-ecological systems and livelihoods.