Community-Based Adaptation (CBA) implies a multi-stakeholders action, innovation and a process of social learning for adaptive livelihoods. Within this framework, communication plays a key role to facilitate knowledge sharing, participation and to enhance rural institutions capacities to assist small farmers to face climate change challenges. CBA requires communication methods and tools to deal in an integrated manner with climate change issues, in order to: • involve communities through participation and dialogue; • discover with farmers appropriate technologies, livelihood options and sound economic practices; • share knowledge through improved advisory services, such as Farmer and Climate Field Schools, demonstrations, field days etc. Communication for Development (ComDev) is an approach promoted by FAO and other development agencies. It is central to CBA as it combines participatory communication methods and processes with a variety of media and tools, ranging from rural radio to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The FAO’s Communication for Sustainable Development Initiative (CSDI) is documenting and sharing good practices on the use of communication for CBA and it is piloting out strategies and services in selected pilot areas, namely: Congo, Jamaica, Bangladesh and Bolivia. These initiatives and other ongoing efforts and experiences will be shared and assessed in a working session at the conference come up with a common framework on communication for CBA.

1. Seeking Livelihood Adaptation through
Communication for Development
Mario Acunzo
Communication for Development Officer
Natural Resources Department
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

2. CBA focuses on enabling vulnerable groups and communities to enhance
their own adaptive capacity, and increase their resilience to climate
change
It requires multi-stakeholders action, innovation and a process of social
learning for adaptive livelihoods.
CBA involves multiple pathways and a combination of immediate, medium
and long-term measures “knowledge intensive”
.
Knowledge and communication:
assets in Community Based Adaptation (CBA)

3. Improved knowledge, information sharing, and people’s participation
for concerted action are key assets towards adaptation
Communication is a key in these processes for sound CBA and therefore it
has to be considered since the beginning
Communication for Development (ComDev) is a participatory approach
that integrates the use of communication strategies, media and processes to
enable people and institutions to share knowledge and information and to
reach a consensus towards a common action
Communication: a key to CBA

4. • Technology innovation/adaptation
• Community based NRM
• Disaster risk management
• Livelihood adaptation
• Environmental/local governance
 Rural Communication Strategies & Systems
Communication experiences relevant to CBA

5. TECA - Proven technologies for small holders
Virtual Extension and Research Communication Network (VERCON) -
Bhutan, Costa Rica
Rural Communication Systems: FarmNet (Namibia), RADCON (Egypt), RKN
(Uganda), IC4NRM (Bolivia)
Communication systems relevant to CBA

6. Lessons learnt
Focus on social processes rather than on media
Building on existing knowledge and communication systems
Ensure equitable access to knowledge and information
Promote local contents
Use realistic technologies
Ensure financial sustainability
Enhancing local communication capacities

7. ComDev methodologies

8. Towards a Communication approach in CBA
‘’Livelihood adaptation to climate variability and change in drought-prone areas of Bangladesh’’, FAO 2006
The livelihood adaptation framework

9. A working definition
The systematic design and use of participatory communication processes,
strategies and media to share knowledge and information among all
stakeholders in a particular agro-ecological context in order to enhance
peoples’ resilience and livelihood options to cope with climate change
Communication approach to livelihood adaptation

10. ComDev strategies can foster CBA by:
 facilitating equitable access to knowledge and information
 enhance learning and action => co-creation of knowledge
 promoting peoples’ participation in CBA
 improving linkages between research, extension, advisory services and
farmers for technology adaptation
 enhancing community based adaptation processes
 bridging the “information glocal divide” reducing the gap between global
environmental systems, local knowledge and communities
Role of ComDev in CBA

11. Key principles: enhancing local knowledge and
communication processes

12. Key principles: fostering Dialogue and Mediation

13. Key principles: Convergence and appropriation of technologies

14. • Integrate ComDev approaches and strategies in CBA
• Document best practices and showcase results
• Assess options for new ComDev services for CBA
• Build capacities in ComDev
• Support communities of practices and partnerships
• Communication for Sustainable Development Initiative
Challenges

15. Thank you
Mario.Acunzo@fao.org