CJRF Director Heather McGray attended the 11th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation (CBA11) in Kampala, Uganda. This year's conference highlighted the benefits and challenges of using natural resources and ecosystems as part of adaptation work. CBA11 featured plenary and parallel interactive sessions, hands-on learning opportunities, group discussions, high-level speaker panels, video competitions, poster presentations and more. CJRF is pleased to have acted as a sponsor of CBA11
In keeping with CJRF’s focus on youth, our grant helped CBA11’s organizing partners facilitate links between CBA11 and the CBA11 Youth Conference at Makerere University. CJRF Director Heather McGray led a session entitled: “Youth, Climate, and Livelihoods: Bringing Innovation to CBA Youth Engagement, and Youth-driven Innovation to CBA Practice.” The session included presentations by Prof. Clara Decent Atuhaire, Mbarara University of Science and Technology; Dr. Tehut Tesfaye, CEO, Ethiopia Climate Innovation Center; Ms. Daphne Stella Nansambu, International Water Management Institute; and Mr. Edwin Muhumuza, Youth Go Green Uganda.
The CJRF session examined how to involve youth as active agents of change in community-based adaptation, through the following questions:
How can CBA programs engage youth in ways that help to realize their aspirations?
How can youth help to bring innovation and entrepreneurial spirit into the climate-sensitive sectors central to CBA and EBA?
What market opportunities are on the horizon for youth interested in adaptation?
How can capacity building practices evolve to support youth to integrate climate resilience into their livelihoods?
The session sought to answer these questions by making use of an innovative, walk-and-talk format, through which audience members were encouraged to move around, meet new people, and reflect on the contributions of each of the panelists.
A programme (PDF) can be downloaded showing details of each session and the speakers. You can find complete coverage of CBA11 here.