Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 01/2012

Preparing for the Future? Understanding the influence of development interventions on adaptive capacity at local level in Ethiopia

Eva Ludi, Kindie Tesfaye, Simon Levine

October 2011

Oxfam Publishing

Abstract

Ethiopia is currently ranked 11th of 233 countries and other political jurisdictions in terms of its vulnerability to physical climate impacts, and 9th in terms of overall vulnerability, which is physical impacts adjusted for coping ability (CGD, 2011). Yet little is known about its people’s adaptive capacity at individual and community level, or how existing interventions influence a community’s ability to adapt. Recognising the complex relationship between climate and development, research conducted by the Africa Climate Change Resilience Alliance (ACCRA) seeks to explore how development interventions impact on adaptive capacity at the local level in Ethiopia, Uganda and Mozambique. It does so using the Local Adaptive Capacity framework (LAC), depicting adaptive capacity as composed of five interrelated characteristics, namely: the assets base; knowledge and information; institutions and entitlement; innovation; and flexible forward-looking governance. Primary and secondary data was gathered from three research sites in three Ethiopian Regions, namely Ander Kello in Afar Region, Kase-hija in Oromia Region and Wokin in Amhara Region. This report is a synthesis of the key findings.