workshop on dialogue between research and policy makers on...

COMMISSION DE LA CEDEAO

Accelerating ECOWAP/CAADP implementation

Workshop on dialogue between research and policy makers on climate change adaptation in West Africa, in the context of the ECOWAS Forum on Climate-smart

agriculture (CSA)

30 and 31 May 2014 in Lomé (Togo)

Statement of conclusions and recommendations

With the technical support of:

And financial and logistical support from:

Atelier de dialogue entre la recherche et les décideurs politiques sur l’AIC dans la perspective du Forum CEDEAO sur l’AIC

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I. Introduction

1. At the ECOWAS invitation, the workshop on the dialogue between research and policymakers

on adaptation to climate change in West Africa in the context of the ECOWAS Forum on climate-

smart agriculture (CSA) was held in Lome, Togolese Republic,

2. The meeting was attended by: representatives of ECOWAS, CORAF/WECARD, ENDA Energie,

AfricaInteract; NAIP Focal Points from ECOWAS Member States, Chad and Mauritania; civil

society organisations (POSCAO, WAWA); socio-professional organisations (RBM, ROPPA); Hub

Rural representatives; consultants and resource persons. The full list of participants is attached

to this statement of conclusions and recommendations.

II. Objectives and expected results

3. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the state of the dialogue between researchers and

policymakers in the formulation of policies on climate change adaptation in West Africa and, in

the context of the ECOWAS Forum on CSA, discuss the state of progress of country and regional

communications intended to feed the ECOWAS regional framework on CSA.

4. The results expected were:

Stakeholders have reviewed the interactions between research and policies in the field

of climate change adaptation, and associated gaps;

Recommendations for actions in terms of research and public policies have been made

and heard by policymakers, and networking opportunities between researchers and

policymakers have been seized;

Three summaries are officially launched;

The content and status of country and regional communications for the ECOWAS Forum

on CSA have been presented and discussed, and a roadmap for their finalization is

adopted.

5. The agenda of the meeting is in attachment.

III. Opening ceremony

6. The opening ceremony of the meeting registered five speeches.

7. Speaking first, Dr. Yamar Mbodj, HUB RURAL Executive Director and facilitator of the meeting,

first welcomed participants. He then recalled the background of the process that led to this

meeting, i.e., climate-smart agriculture in West Africa and the ECOWAS forthcoming Forum on

this subject to define the regional framework for intervention.


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8. Speaking in second position, Prof. Claude ADANDEDJAN, CORAF/WECARD Scientific

Committee Chairman, conveyed to participants the greetings of the CORAF/WECARD Executive

Director, Dr. Harold Roy-Macauley. He expressed his interest in taking part in this important

meeting on an issue at the heart of CORAF/WECARD interventions, namely the dialogue

between researchers and policymakers on climate change adaptation in West Africa. He made

reference to the climate change strategy that CORAF/WECARD adopted recently to guide its

interventions in the region.

9. Dr. Aliou Diouf, ENDA Energie representative, focused on actions his institution is deploying in

the field of climate change to enhance the resilience capacity of the populations in general and

farmers in particular. He expressed his desire to make available to the region the many years of

experience ENDA Energie now enjoys in this area. He finally congratulated CORAF/WECARD for

kindly involving ENDA Energie in this initiative. Mr. Diouf also thanked HUB RURAL and

ECOWAS for their sense of collaboration that ensured the success of the workshop.

10. The last but one speaker, Mr. Alain Sy TRAORE, Acting Director of the ECOWAS Department

of Agriculture and Rural Development, relayed the regrets of the ECOWAS Commissioner in

charge of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources, Dr. Lapodini Marc

ATOUGA, who was unable to attend this meeting due to last minute constraints. He then

thanked the participants and congratulated CORAF/WECARD, ENDA Energie and HUB RURAL

for their frank collaboration in the organisation of the regional Forum.

11. Officially opening the proceedings of the meeting, Mr. Noël BATAKA, Secretary General of the

MAEP of the Togolese Republic expressed the regrets of Colonel Ouro-Koura AGADAZI, Minister

of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries who cannot grace by his presence this important meeting.

He then focused on the multiple manifestations of climate change in West Africa, amongst which

floods, drought, disruption of agricultural calendars, etc. He finally stressed the importance of

knowledge generation to allow policymakers to facilitate the adoption of appropriate and

informed strategies for adaptation to climate change and variability. Finally, he wished a

pleasant stay in Togo to participants, before declaring open the deliberations of the meeting.

IV. Conduct of presentations

Presentation of the meeting and adoption of the agenda

12. HUB RURAL, through their Climate Change and Food Security Expert, Dr. Marwan LADKI,

first presented the background for the meeting. ECOWAS, with support from CORAF/WECARD

and Hub Rural and many other regional players, has initiated a process to provide a coordinated

regional response to climate challenges facing the West African agriculture. The key regional

institutions active in climate-smart agriculture (CSA), gathered at the regional consultation

organised by ECOWAS in Abidjan, in November 2013, officially decided to hold the Forum of

national and regional CSA stakeholders in West Africa. It seems therefore necessary to

strengthen the link between research and policy in this regard, by mobilising the AfricaInteract

platform for dialogue between researchers and policymakers under the technical coordination


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of CORAF/WECARD, as part of the scientific preparation of the upcoming Forum on CSA,

facilitated by Hub Rural on behalf of ECOWAS.

13. He then presented the objectives, expected results and draft agenda of the meeting. The

agenda was adopted without amendment by the meeting participants.

Presentation of the AfricaInteract project

14. The AfricaIteract Project Coordinator, Dr. Abdulai Jalloh, then presented the project in more

detail. AfricaInteract is a project financed by IDRC and coordinated in West and Central Africa

by CORAF/WECARD in collaboration with its partners (FARA, ASARECA, FANRPAN, COMIFAC,

and ENDA Énergie). It seeks to provide an appropriate forum for understanding the interactions

between a wide range of stakeholders involved in the field of climate change adaptation (CSOs,

private sector, POs, research, policymakers, TFPs).

15. The Africainteract project achievements were then highlighted with regard to climate change

adaptation in the field of agriculture and natural resource management. The presentation

focused on the role of dialogue between researchers and policymakers in the formulation and

coping strategies to the effects of climate change. To achieve this, the project is working with

organisations in every region of the continent to relay for the dissemination of information and

promote dialogue between researchers and policymakers.

Presentation and discussion of thematic overviews on climate change

adaptation in urban, health and agricultural sectors

16. The AfricaInteract project has just conducted a series of three overviews of convincing

scientific findings and policies on adaptation to climate change in the i) urban, ii) health and iii)

agricultural sectors, from multiple sources (peer reviews, dissertations, gray literature, ...) and

how they influence the West African policies on climate change adaptation in these areas.

17. Each of these three topics formed the subject matter of a presentation under the report

prepared and launched during this workshop, by the consultants responsible for producing the

thematic reports.

18. These communications indicate the level of research and knowledge in these sectors facing

climate challenges and the state of interactions between researchers and policymakers

associated with them. They make a number of recommendations in this regard.


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19. The discussions that followed the presentations raised the need for greater involvement of

the regional institutions and stakeholders in the inventory of knowledge on climate change and

the consideration of ongoing experiences at the state level.

Presentation and discussion on the ECOWAS Forum on CSA and country

communications to feed the future regional framework for intervention on

CSA presented at the Forum

20. Following the introductory communications, the Climate Change and Food Security Expert of

HUB RURAL, Dr. Marwan LADKI, went back on the following points respectively:

i) The context, issues, objectives, expected results, stakeholders and the preparatory

process of the regional forum on climate-smart agriculture;

ii) The place given to countries to express their needs and requests for support to

integrate CSA into their NAIP at the Forum, and the link that will be made with the

ECOWAS regional framework for intervention on CSA being developed;

iii) Terms of reference (+ addendum) of country communications for the ECOWAS

Forum on CSA intended to give an overview/ diagnosis of the CSA situation in their

country and to express these same needs and requests for support;

iv) The validation process of country communications and the representativeness of

participants in national validation workshops with regard to the inclusion of non-

state actors and women's organisations.

21. Special emphasis has been placed, during this presentation, on all levels where gender issues

would be considered and integrated into the process and its deliverables, namely in the

overviews, country communications, presentations by scientific organisations, a specific panel

on gender and in the ECOWAS framework for action on CSA.

22. The ensuing discussions helped clarify some misunderstandings regarding the TORs

amongst those countries that are less advanced in the preparation of their national

communication. The recall of expectations vis-à-vis national communications was then followed

by the presentation of preliminary draft communications by those countries present at the

meeting (14 out of 17).

Presentation and discussion of national summaries relating to the country

communications at the ECOWAS Forum on CSA

23. Fourteen countries have presented the content of their communication to the Forum,

namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger,

Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Chad and Togo.


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24. Of these fourteen countries, 12 are at the stage of development of draft communications (a

second draft for some of them) and two at the stage of starting the preparation process (Côte

d’Ivoire and Cape Verde). Cape Verde and Côte d’Ivoire made an oral presentation of activities

underway in their country. These presentations focused on the general characteristics of the

countries, took stock of ongoing programmes and practical arrangements implemented to

expedite the drafting of the national synthesis.

25. The remaining three countries (the Gambia, Nigeria, and Ghana) were excused, as they could

not take part in the meeting. The Gambia has already sent two successive draft communications.

Nigeria and Ghana have shown no progress in this process.

26. All countries that have sent draft communications have benefited from detailed comments

from HUB RURAL. HUB RURAL said they are available to all countries to assist them in

completing their communication.

27. ECOWAS, meanwhile, recalled that communications not finalized in time for the Forum will

not be considered in the documents relating to the Forum (booklets, introductory notes. etc.).

28. While some communications have been the subject of a national validation workshop, the

majority of them are not yet at this stage.

29. Each presentation was preceded by the presentation of the rules of conduct of their

preparation process by the responsible NAIP Focal Point.

.

30. Each presentation was the subject of detailed comments on both the substance and the form

from the HUB RURAL representatives, followed by discussions with the audience on the

dimensions that need strengthening or initiatives to be considered in the context of the

communication.

Presentation and discussion of regional syntheses for the scientific

preparation of the ECOWAS Forum on CSA

30. For lack of time, this sequence of the workshop was rescheduled for the following day (1

June 2014), as part of a day devoted to the presentation and discussion of the draft regional

syntheses for the scientific preparation of the Forum. It was discussed at a restricted meeting

between officials of HUB RURAL and the consultants responsible for drafting the national

summaries.

V. Conclusions and recommendations

34. Participants noted the importance of the meeting as an information sharing and awareness-

raising platform for climate change stakeholders. The results of the syntheses of research on


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knowledge regarding the manifestation of climate change, impacts observed and noted have

strengthened the knowledge of participants.

35. Participants also appreciated how knowledge can contribute to foster dialogue between

researchers and policymakers to enhance the resilience of vulnerable populations to climate

change.

36. At the end of the meeting, the main recommendations are as follows:

37. To the States:

(i) Include in their PPT a specific slide on gender, to take stock of the gender

consideration in sector programmes relating to CSA and clarify the needs and

requests for support in this connection.

(ii) Alleviate the PPTs to make them more legible and respect the allocated 10 minutes

presentation;

(iii) Maintain the written communications in the format of 15 pages maximum, and not

include an introduction or a conclusion in the communication;

(iv) Strengthen the coordination between Agriculture, Livestock, Fishery and Forestry in

strategies to cope with climate change and variability;

(v) Ensure synergy of interventions with regional priorities to facilitate the conditions of

their internalization by stakeholders and sustainability of the strategies and actions.

38.To Hub Rural:

(i) Ensure that financial resources dedicated to the production of country communications

are transferred to countries:

(ii) Suggest, in the future, a PPT frame to the attention of the countries allowing tthem to

more easily synthesize information on their communication.


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VI. Updated roadmap

39. At the end of the deliberations, participants agreed on the following roadmap for the

finalization of country and regional communications to the ECOWAS Forum on CSA. The week

selected for the Forum is that of 10 to14 November 2014

,

Stages Activities Timeline

1 Finalization of draft country communications, plus the 2 PP synthesis and power point presentation

End of June

2 National validation workshop of country communications , plus national synthesis and Power Point presentation

Mid-July

3 Finalization and translation of the regional synthesis

End of August

4 Finalization of all Forum papers

End of September

5 Holding of the Forum

Week from 10 to

14 November

2014

VII. Closing ceremony

40. Four speeches marked the closing ceremony

41. The CORAF/WECARD Scientific Committee Chairman, Prof. Claude ADANDEDJAN, first of all

congratulated the participants for the quality of the work well done in so short a time. He said he

had no doubt as to the achievement of the Forum’s objectives. He recalled that only a good policy

can help define appropriate strategies and means to fight against the effects of climate change.

He finally thanked ECOWAS, HUB RURAL and ENDA Energie for their efforts in the region to

better take climate change into account in development policies and strategies, particularly in

the agricultural sector. He invited each participant to plant a tree to materialize his contribution

to the mitigation of the effects of climate change.

42. The representative of ENDA Energie, Dr. Aliou Diouf, thanked all participants for their

contribution to the success of the meeting. He then focused on the importance of dialogue

between researchers and policymakers in the fight against the effects of climate change. In this

regard, the Lomé meeting should be considered an important milestone in structuring this

dialogue, to the extent that it has laid the foundations in preparation for the ECOWAS Forum on

CSA.

43.The ECOWAS Acting Director of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Alain Sy Traore,,

thanked all participants for their efforts during the two working days. He stressed the challenges


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of the Forum, before urging the States to work to improve the quality of their communications to

ensure a resounding success to the Forum.

44. Officially closing the workshop, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture,

Livestock and Fisheries of the Togolese Republic, Mr. Noël BATAKA first thanked participants for

the quality of the work well done. He congratulated the NAIP Focal Points for their diligence in

the preparation of the communications and urged them to continue in that vein to ensure full

success to the Forum. Before wishing them a safe journey back to their countries, he invited the

participants to the tree planting ceremony that the Government of the Togolese Republic is

organizing on June 1.


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Annex 1: Agenda of the meeting

Day 1: Friday 30 May 2014 The Researchers / policy makers dialogue around climate change adaptation in West Africa + Presentation and discussion of draft country communications for the ECOWAS Forum on

CSA

Time Item Key speakers

9h-9h20 Welcome remarks

• Dr. Yamar Mbodj, Hub Rural • Dr. Aliou Diouf, ENDA Energie • Dr. Harold Roy-Macauley, CORAF/WECARD • Mr. Alain Sy Traore, ECOWAS Agriculture and Rural Development Director

9h20-9h30 Roundtable self-introduction by participants • Participants

9h30-10h30

Presentation and official launch of the three summary reports

(AfricaInteract)

• Dr. Harold Roy-Macauley, CORAF/WECARD • Dr. Abdulai Jalloh, CORAF/WECARD • Dr. Aliou Diouf, ENDA Energie

10h30-11h Group photo / Coffee-tea break

11h-13h Discussions on the state of interactions between research and

policy in the field of climate change adaptation, and associated

gaps.

• Dr. Yamar Mbodj, Hub Rural (Facilitator)

13h-14h Lunch break

14h-16h Discussion and formulation of recommendations for action in

terms of research and public policies to the attention of policy

makers, and identification of opportunities for networking

between researchers and policy makers

• Dr. Yamar Mbodj, Hub Rural (Facilitator)

16h-16h30 Coffee-tea break

16h30-17h30

Discussions (continued) • Dr. Yamar Mbodj, Hub Rural (Facilitator)

17h30-18h Wrap-up of messages and recommendations • Dr. Yamar Mbodj, Hub Rural (Facilitator)

Day 2: Saturday 31 May 2014 Presentation and discussion of draft national and regional communications for the

ECOWAS CSA Forum

Time Item Key speakers


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9h-9h30 Update on the status of the Country communications

preparation and validation processes

• Dr. Marwan Ladki, Hub Rural

9h30-11h Presentation and discussion of draft country communications s • NAIP National Focal Points


11h30-13h Presentations and discussions (continued) • NAIP National Focal Points

13h-14h Lunch break

14h-14h30 Update on the status of the Regional Communications

preparation and validation processes

• Dr. Marwan Ladki, Hub Rural

14h30-16h Presentation and discussion of draft regional communications • Consultants


16h30-17h30

Discussions (continued) • Consultants

17h30-18h Development and adoption of the roadmap for the finalization

of national and regional communications

• Dr. Yamar Mbodj, Hub Rural

18h Closing remarks

• Dr. Harold Roy-Macauley, CORAF/WECARD • Dr. Aliou Diouf, ENDA Energie • Mr. Alain Traore, ECOWAS Agriculture and Rural Development Director


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Annex 2: List of participants N° FULL NAMES INSTITUTIONS EMAIL TEL/ADRESSES

1 Sohinto David Cosinus Conseils [email protected] 22997441741

2 Adelina Vicente Ministére au

development

[email protected]

r 2382615716

3 DeroeA.Weeks Ministry of

Agriculture Liberia [email protected] 2,31887E+11

4 Khadija Abdelkader

Ministère de

l’Agriculture et de

l’environnement

TCHAD

[email protected]

r 23566293269

5 SokhnaMbaye DIOP SP/MAER Sénégal Soxna [email protected] +221 776512043

6 Soumala AUGUSTINE SPCPSA Burkina

Faso [email protected] 22650318461

7 Boucary Abdou Razac CT/HCSN Point

focal NIGER [email protected] 22796976326

8 SanniMaruf NACETEM/OAU

ILE IFE Nigeria [email protected] 2,34806E+12

9 Nguessan Koffi

Rodrigue

Directeur de la

modernisation

Ministère de

l’agriculture

[email protected]

22507732550

10 22520223235

11 Sbetoenonmon Abel Poscao Benin [email protected] 22965750065

12 Adandedjan Claude CST/CORAF

Chairman BENIN [email protected] 22995854493

13 Aliou DIOUF Enda Energie [email protected] +221 77 5457068

14 YamarMbodj Hub Rural [email protected] +221 33 869 96 40

15 LadkiMarwar

Hub rural/expert

changement

climatique

[email protected] +221 77 375 56 76

16 Tiecoura Coulibaly

CPS/SDR-Mali [email protected] 2237638787

17 Point focal PNIA

18 Michael Thomas Benya

SIERRA LEONE

agricultural

researchinstitute(SL

ARI)

[email protected] 23276672099

19 Abdul Conteh(Dr) Sierra Leone

AgricRes Freetown [email protected] 23279501135

20 Prince M.A.Kamara

NAIP Focal point

min of Afric

Freetown Sierra



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21 Leone


22 Joao Anibal PEREIRA Min.Agriculture [email protected] 22890015752

23 Lawin Emmanuel

Université

d’Abomey

Calavi/BENIN


24 Diarra TALL AFAO/WAWA [email protected] 2,21775E+11

25 Dr Baba Sy Mauritanie [email protected] 22247761133

26

TenakahSalame

Suppléant Point

Focal

[email protected] 2,2997E+10 27 PNIA-Benin

28 Ministère Agr.El et

pêche

29 Soule Bio GOURA Hub rural [email protected] 22997188136

30 MbeneDieye Faye

Coraf Dakar

Gestionnaire

Programme

Politiques, Marchés

Commerce

[email protected] 2,21339E+11

31 Kuiseu Julienne Coraf/Wecard

Programme Assistant [email protected] 2,21339E+11

32 Jean Parfait Dako Directeur national

agriculture Mali [email protected] 22366727681

33 AbdulaiJalloh Coraf/Wecard [email protected] 2,21777E+11

34 Jacques André Ndione Centre de suivi

écologique [email protected] 2,21777E+11

35 Saliou Gueye Ndoye Consultant Togo [email protected] 22892814940

36

MaguetteKaire CILSS/AGRHYMET [email protected]

22792255978

37 BP 11011 Niamey

Niger

38 AlaiPyaabalo

Ministre de

l’agriculture, de

l’élevage et de la

pêche /LOME-

TOGO

[email protected] 90713913/22549184

39 Kouakanou

Bonaventure

Consultant Cabinet

Cosinus Conseil

Bonaventure.kouakano@yah

oo.fr

22995400676/22997

012598

40 Houssou Moise Consultant Cabinet

Cosinus Conseil [email protected]

22995057079/22997

644761


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41 Conde Lanciné Point focal AIC

Guinée [email protected] 1,000118229

42 Moglo Koffi MAEP/TOGO [email protected] 90141043

43 Amadou Mactar Konaté PASANAO/ARAA [email protected] 22898987818

44 Tezike MAEP/Togo Lomé [email protected] 2,289E+10

45 Madadzi

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