The objective of the third CS4RRA webinar is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the issues, solutions and needs related to climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land use management in West Africa, helping all stakeholders develop effective strategies to meet the challenges of climate change and land use change in the region. This third webinar will cover a range of topics to address the complex challenges and opportunities.
The three plenary keynotes will cover the following topics:
- Importance of sustainable land use management: Explaining the importance of sustainable land use management, highlighting how it can help mitigate and adapt to climate change while preserving ecosystems and biodiversity, in both coastal, urban or rural areas.
- Principles of climate-smart agriculture: Present the fundamental principles of climate-smart agriculture, involving (agro)forestry and livestock, including adaptation, mitigation and resilience strategies. Emphasize the importance of balancing food security, soil restoration and environmental sustainability.
- Policy and regulatory frameworks: Analyze existing policies and regulations related to climate-smart agriculture and land-use management in African countries. Identify gaps and potential areas for improvement.
These presentations will highlight the importance of gender-sensitive approaches and social inclusion in agricultural and land-use projects, as these aspects are essential for sustainable development. These presentations will be followed by two parallel sessions:
The first parallel session will provide a comprehensive understanding of concepts related to climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land use management, focusing on the KIC pillars (state of the art, gaps and needs in Knowledge, Innovation and Capacity building).
- Impacts of climate change on African agriculture: Discuss the specific impacts of climate change experienced by West Africa, such as changing rainfall patterns, rising temperatures and extreme weather events. Understanding these impacts is crucial to defining the need for climate- smart practices.
- Adaptive crop and livestock management: Discuss specific farming practices that can help farmers adapt to changing climatic conditions, such as drought-resistant crop varieties, pest and disease practices, crop rotation and improved livestock management.
- Agroforestry, local climate and carbon sequestration: Explore the benefits of agroforestry in sequestering carbon, improving local climate and soil fertility, and providing a sustainable source of fuelwood and timber.
- Soil health and conservation agriculture: highlighting the role of healthy soils in sustainable agriculture and how conservation agriculture techniques can reduce soil erosion, improve soil fertility and water storage, and increase crop yields.
The second parallel session will present concrete examples of successful and unsuccessful climate- smart agriculture and land-use management initiatives in different regions (showing what works and why).
- Water management: Address the challenges of water insecurity and efficient water management in agriculture. Discuss strategies such as rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation and water use efficiency.
- Technological innovations: Showcase innovative technologies, such as mobile weather forecasting apps in local languages, digital farming platforms and remote sensing, that can help farmers make informed decisions.
- Economic viability and financing: Explore financing options and economic incentives for farmers and land managers to adopt climate-smart practices. Examine the potential of carbon credits and other financial mechanisms.
- Community and stakeholder engagement: Discuss the importance of involving local communities and stakeholders in decision-making, as they are the ones directly affected by climate change and land use change.
All stakeholders will highlight the challenges and barriers to implementing climate-smart practices for sustainable land, including lack of access to resources, knowledge, infrastructure, capacity building, gender equality and social inclusion.
