ADAPTING TO A
CHANGING CLIMATE

Training Guidei© Conservation International 2013
The materials included in this manual and accompanying toolkit may be reproduced for use in training activities
offered by non-profit organizations or other not for profit indigenous peoples organizations or community groups
at no cost to participants. The materials may not be used in training events or activities offered for profit. Materials
and images supplied as part of the toolkit cannot be used for purposes other than as training aids without thewritten permission of Conservation International..
ISBN # 978-1-934151-61-7

Cover photo: Mangroves at Baie D’Ambodi-Vahibe, Madagascar © CI/ photo by Sterling Zumbrunn
The illustrations in the products were done by Olman Bolaños and Luis Enrique Gutiérrez of Parábolas, O.L., San
José, Costa Rica. Additional illustrations courtesy of Corporación Educativa para el Desarrollo Costarricense,
Sociedad Civil (CEDECO) and Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE).
The graphic design and layout of all toolkit components was done by Regina Harlig.

Citation: Conservation International, Social Policy and Practice Department, 2013. Adapting to a Changing
Climate: A Community Manual.
Available online: conservation.org/adaptation_ToT

For more information contact:
Regina Harlig
Senior Manager, Capacity Building and Knowledge Management
Social Policy and PracticeConservation International
01-703-341-2400
rharlig@conservation.org

Conservation International is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 with program offices and partners in over
30 countries. CI’s mission: “Building upon a strong foundation of science, partnership and field demonstration,
CI empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature, our global biodiversity, for the well-beingof humanity.” In 2003, CI established the Indigenous and Traditional Peoples Program to strengthen ourcommitments to indigenous and traditional peoples and support their vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

iiADAPTING TO A
CHANGING CLIMATE
Training Guide
Luis Barquin
Susan Stone
Regina Harlig
Terry Hills

iii

This document is part of a package of tools created to support the development of skilled local trainers on thebasics of climate change adaptation. Other components include the Training of Trainers Course Manual and theTraining Toolkit. A team of writers and designers contributed to the authorship of the products, supported byreviewers and editors, who are credited in the acknowledgment. The principal authors and contributors are:
Adapting to a Changing Climate: A Community Manual Hannah Campbell, Terry Hills, Susan Stone, Mario
Chacón León, Regina Harlig, Radhika Dave
Adapting to a Changing Climate: Training Guide

Luis Barquin, Susan Stone, Regina Harlig, Terry Hills

Adapting to a Changing Climate toolkit

Regina Harlig, Hannah Campbell, Terry Hills, Luis
Barquin, Susan Stone

About the team:Hannah Campbell is the former Director for Climate Adaptation Policy and Practice at Conservation International where she
led CI’s work on international climate change adaptation negotiations at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) and climate change adaptation capacity building. Her background includes paleoclimate research in Antarctica with
Rice University, marine resource management education with the School for Field Studies, managing the Regional Integrated
Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program and providing technical support to the US engagement in the UNFCCC in the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Program Office.
Terry Hills is an advisor on climate change for Conservation International in the Asia-Pacific region. . The main focus of
his work is providing technical support and building the capacity of field staff and partners on climate change adaptation,
which has involved the joint preparation of vulnerability assessments with local organizations and academic institutions, thedelivery of training programs and the preparation and implementation of climate change adaptation plans. Terry contributed
to developing the climate change adaption program of the Australian Aid Agency (AusAID). His background and experience
also include environmental engineering and social science.
Susan Stone is the Senior Director of the Social Policy and Practice Department at Conservation International. Susan began her
career at CI in 2000 working in Guyana on conservation enterprise development, participatory methodologies for community
resource use mapping, and the integration of indigenous knowledge into establishing protected areas. Susan now focuses oncommunity engagement and training and on developing courses for local stakeholder audiences, including indigenous peoples
and other local communities on climate mitigation, adaptation and stakeholder engagement. She holds a Masters Degree inInternational and Intercultural Management.
Luis Barquin Valle is the Director of Social Practice and Accountability in the Social Policy and Practice Department at
Conservation International. Luis began his career with CI working in CI-Guatemala on climate change and supporting indigenousorganizations engaged in REDD+. Luis holds a Masters Degree in Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Luis focuses on
implementing the Training of Trainers methodology for capacity building for local communities and developing accountability
tools and methods for assessing, planning and monitoring stakeholder engagement in natural resources management.
Regina Harlig is the Senior Manager of Capacity Building and Knowledge Management in CI’s Social Policy and PracticeDepartment. She started working on the “Climate Change and the Role of Forests” Training of Trainers toolkit while she wasat CI-Guyana as a Peace Corps volunteer. She has a degree in graphic arts and policy studies.
Mario Chacón León is from Costa Rica and holds a Masters Degree in Tropical Forest Management andConservation of Biodiversity. He has worked as a staff researcher at the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher
Education Center (CATIE) on topics related to forest, agroforestry and ecosystem services. He is a training andcapacity building manager for CI’s Climate Change Initiative.
Radhika Dave is the former Senior Manager, Climate Adaptation Science and Practice at CI’s Global Change
and Ecosystem Services Department in the Science and Knowledge Division. She is currently pursuing a PhD on
environmental governance and flows of ecosystem services at the University of Southampton.

iv

Table of Contents

List of Figures										List of Acronyms 									Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction									
viii

vii
viii

Session 1. Understanding ecosystems and the services they provide for human well-being
Part 1.What is the relationship between people and nature?					Part 2. What are ecosystems and what services do they provide?				
Part 3. What are the impacts affecting ecosystem services? 			
		Part 4. What are some approaches and tools for managing ecosystems?			
Important Things to Remember 								Key Terms to Remember 									

1
2
2
3
4
8
8

Session 2. Understanding The Basics Of Climate And Climate Change				Part 1. How is the Earth Formed? 								Part 2. What is Weather and What is Climate? 						Part 3. What is Climate Change and How Do We Know it is Happening?			
Part 4. How Does Nature Regulate Climate?							Part 5. How do Human Activities Cause Climate Change?					Part 6. How does climate change affect the Earth and our lives?				
Important Things to Remember 								Key Terms to Remember 									

9
10
11
13
14
14
15
17
18

Session 3. Climate Change Policies and Action: Working to Solve the Problemof Climate Change 									Part 1. Climate Change Policies: What Is the International Community Doing
to Solve the Problem of Climate Change? 						Part 2. Mitigation and Adaptation Action:
How Can International Policy Help to Reduce Climate Change?			
Part 3. What Resources are Available from the International Community
to Support Adaptation? 								Important Things to Remember 								Key Terms to Remember 									Session 4. Climate Change Adaptation:
Understanding Climate Vulnerability and Climate Resilience 			Part 1. Why do we Need to Change our Behaviors and Adapt?				
Part 2. How Does Climate Change Impact Communities?					Part 3. What are Climate Vulnerability and Climate Resilience?				
Part 4. Vulnerability-Based Planning or Resilience-Based Planning
for Climate Change? 									Part 5. What types of knowledge and tools are importantfor communities who want to adapt?							Important Things to Remember 								Key Terms to Remember 									

19
20
22
23
25
26
27
28
29
31
35
36
38
39

v

vi

Session 5. Maintaining Healthy Ecosystems to Adapt Livelihoods to Climate Change		Part 1. How Can Ecosystem Services Help People Adapt to Climate Change? 			
Part 2. How do Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services Support Human Livelihoods?		
Part 3. How Can People Increase Ecosystem Resilienceto Climate Change and Human Pressure?						Important Things to Remember 								Key Terms to Remember 									

41
42
43

Session 6. How to plan for adaptation and take action						Part 1. What is an adaptation plan and the process to create one? 				Part 2. How can climate change adaptation planning be integrated
with other planning processes?							Important Things to Remember 								Key Terms to Remember 									

49
50

45
47
47

55
57
58

List of Figures

Session 2
Training Guide Figure 1.
Training Guide Figure 2.
Session 4
Training Guide Figure 3. Elements of Vulnerabilityvii

List of Acronyms

viii

AOSIS			Alliance of Small Island States

CBD			

Convention on Biological Diveristy

DRR			

Disaster Risk Reduction

EbA			

Ecosystem-based Adaptation

FPIC			

Free, Prior, and Informed Consent

GEF			

Global Environmental Facility

GHG			

Greenhouse Gas

ILO			

International Labour Organization

IPCC			

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

LDCs			

Least Developed Countries

LDCF			

Least Developed Countries Fund

LMMA			

Locally Managed Marine Areas

MPA			

Marine Protected Area

NAPA			

National Adaptation Programme of Action

NAP			

National Adaptation Plan

NGO			

Non-governmental Organization

UNDRIP		

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

UNFCCC		United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

UNPFII		

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This Training of Trainers course, Adapting to a Changing Climate, is the result of the collaborative efforts andexpertise of many people. The development of this training tool benefited from the advice and expertise of CI
staff and local partners in a two step process of review, feedback and testing to ensure that the course would
meet the needs of local communities and other local groups. The materials were first reviewed by technicalexperts from CI programs around the world, and then tested in collaboration with the CI-Fiji program ina pilot training with participants from government, local NGOs and communities. The authors and the
product development team of the Social Policy and Practice Department at Conservation International
gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the CI technical review team and the CI-Fiji program and pilot
training participants to this training course and manual.
CI staff feedback workshop, June 2012
A group of 20 CI staff members from 12 country programs and CI’s US headquarters office provided
technical advice on the content and structure of the training course, manual and toolkit materials during
a product development workshop in June 2012. Based on their expertise in climate adaptation, science,
policy and their experience working with local communities, this group provided valuable feedback andrecommendations on the training materials and course content. In addition, Angela Andrade, Camila
Donatti, Tiene Gunawan, Ricky Nunez, Candido Pastor, and Jeannicq Randrianarisoa provided the final
technical review of the course and manual. The contributions of the CI staff technical team were essential
to developing a global training tool on climate change adaptation that can be used by local trainers for local
communities around the world.
The participants are listed below:*
CI Staff at June 2012 workshop
Angela Andrade		
Lillian Bago			Free de Koning 			Camila Donatti			Bailey Evans			
Tiene Gunawan			
Lee Hannah			
Sokrith Heng			
Carolyn Hicks			
Lili Ileva			
Bunnara Min			
Ravic Nijbroek			Enrique Nunez			Candido Pastor			
Renata Pereira			
Preeya Rampersaud		
Jeannicq Randrianarisoa
Loraini Sivo			Jeanne Tabangay		
Rossemary Yurivilca		

CI-Colombia
CI-PNG
CI-Ecuador
Science + Knowledge**
Field Program Management
CI-Indonesia
Science + Knowledge**
CI-Cambodia
Center for Conservation and Government***
CI-Guyana (intern)
CI-Cambodia
Global Marine**
CI-Philippines
CI-Bolivia
CI-Brazil
CI-Guyana
CI-Madagascar
CI-Fiji
CI-Philippines
CI-Peru*Divisions or field offices listed represent staff affiliations at the time of the workshop, and may have changed since June 2012.

ix

Fiji Field Pilot, February 2013
Following the technical review by CI staff, the Adapting to a Changing Climate Training of Trainers course
and materials were piloted in Rakiraki, Fiji, in collaboration with CI’s Fiji Program. Loraini Silvo, Marine
Project Manager, organized and facilitated the pilot training with the support of CI-Fiji staff Vaseva Cerala,
Operations Coordinator, and Nemani Vuniwaqa, Ra Province Field Officer.
A group of 25 local participants which included community representatives, provincial environmental
officers, and NGO partners attended the training. These participants applied a wealth of experience fromyears of working with communities throughout Fiji, in areas that included environmental education, natural
resource management, and community development to provide valuable feedback on the course. The groupshared many of their own creative suggestions on how they could teach the material to communities in Fiji.
Their feedback was essential for completing the final version of this manual and toolkit, particularly theirrecommendations on the creation of thoughtful training activities that make new and complex topics
understandable in the local context.
The names and affiliations of the participants are listed below:
Participants at February 2013 Fiji Pilot
Macuata District
Isoa Baleirotuma		Clare Bastable			
Itaukei Affairs Board
Elisheva Efrayim		Lami Town Council
Wame Latitoga			Climate Change Unit, Foreign Affairs
Materiti Mateiwai		Itaukei Affairs Board
Isikeli Naitura			
Integrated Coastal Management, Ra Province
Sipirino Qetaqeta		
National Trust of Fiji
Miriama Tabuarua Qoro
Itaukei Affairs Board
Akuila Turaganiqali		
Bua Yaubula Management Support Team
Sunia Vuniyayawa		
National Trust of Fiji
Vaseva Cerelala			
CI-Fiji
Robert Kafoa			Pacific Conference of Churches
Kolinio Musudroka		
WWF
Timoci Naivalulevu		
Live and Learn
Alumeci Nakeke		
SeaWebStephanie Robinson		
WWF
Maleli Qera			
Community-Centred Conservation (C3)
Akosita Rokomate Nakoro
Community-Centred Conservation (C3)
Isacc Rounds			
CI-Fiji
Peni Seru			Partners in Community Development Fiji
Nemani Vuniwaqa		
CI-Fiji
Vasiti Navuku			GEF-Small Grants Programme
Dan Orcherton			
University of the South PacificBetani Salusalu			
Mamanuca Environment Society
Thomas Tui			Tui Consultancyx

FOREWORD

In a small island developing country where different communal lifestyles and values predominantly
characterise a person’s identity, we have learnt that it is critical for us to communicate, inform and educate
our people about the subject of climate change in the manner they can easily relate to and understand.
We have also learnt that no matter how real climate change is, if we do not translate it well and involve
our people and our communities in the formulation of respective national strategies and policies, it will be
impossible to effectively address all its adverse impacts.
In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is elated to be part of theformulation of the Training of Trainers Course Manual and the Training Toolkit which addresses basic
information on climate change. Importantly, we are happy to endorse the development of the Manual
because it essentially represents the views of our people and our communities.
I must say that this is indeed a significant tool and having been mandated to coordinate Climate Change
activities in Fiji, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation recognises the invaluable
efforts of Conservation International in linking and translating international and regional climate change
instruments to such a user friendly manual and toolkit. I am certain that these documents are imperativein addressing the challenges that we currently face in informing and educating our communities aboutclimate change.
I truly believe this toolkit is a timely and a very useful production.
Congratulations to the Conservation International team and all those who have worked tirelessly to see
this project through.
Vinaka Vakalevu
Esala Nayasi
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

Mr. Esala Nayasi is the Director of the Political and Treaties Division at the Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs andInternational Cooperation, which houses Fiji’s Climate Change Unit.

xi

INTRODUCTION
As the climate continues to change, it is becoming increasingly important for communities everywhereto plan and take action for climate change adaptation. It is essential for local communities to have thenecessary information to fully and effectively participate in ongoing adaptation planning processes, aswell as to be able to bring their knowledge and experience to these processes. Indigenous peoples andlocal communities have valuable strategies for adapting to changes in climate and other threats, which cancontribute to climate change planning. By contributing to planning processes that are taking place at thenational and international level, community leaders can identify adaptation actions that can be taken at
the community level, as well as how these actions can be linked with efforts taking place at broader scales.
It is equally important to recognize the role of healthy ecosystems in reducing communities’ vulnerability
to climate change, particularly as these ecosystems may be one of their most valuable resources. Because
communities rely on different types of livelihoods that are supported by different ecosystems, communities
need information on how these ecosystems may be impacted by climate change and what actions need tobe taken to maintain ecosystem health.
The Adapting to a Changing Climate Training of Trainers (ToT) course is a community adaptation training
tool which is designed to address the question: how can communities make the best use of their natural
resources in order to reduce their vulnerability to climate change? The course is designed to provide
participants with the information necessary to engage in planning for climate change adaptation, as well as
the skills and tools to organize, design, and lead their own trainings on these topics. It also aims to highlightsome of the various ways that local and traditional knowledge can contribute to communities’ adaptation
strategies. The six-part training manual is built on a foundation of the importance of natural resource
management, and covers the relationship between people and ecosystems, the basics of climate science,
international climate policy, key concepts of climate vulnerability and resilience, the ways ecosystems canhelp to protect human livelihoods from climate change, and planning for adaptation action. The Trainingof Trainers also includes sessions on training design and facilitation skills. Trainers receive the course
manual, a training guide with activities and discussion questions, and a toolkit of training aids.
The course and toolkit are intended to be a global tool, which trainers can adapt for the local context of
their country or region. The materials provide a global context for climate change and key issues related
to adaptation, while giving trainers the flexibility to incorporate their own knowledge and experience
to customize the information for a local audience. The training toolkit offers a variety of methods forpresenting the material, including presentations, visual aids, and activities, and gives the trainer theflexibility to choose the learning method that works best for his or her audience. Trainers are encouraged
to share local examples of both the challenges and successes that communities have had with climatechange adaptation. By asking participants to share their own experiences and expertise, as well as bringing
in guests presenters, the trainings can create valuable opportunities to expand local dialogue on climatechange adaptation and increase the contribution of local communities to national level processes. Bringing
together these multiple sources of information will allow communities to plan for and adapt to climatechange in the way that is best suited to support their livelihoods and well-being .

xiii

xiv

TRAINING GUIDE© Koulang Chey

Session 1. Understanding ecosystems and theservices they provide for human well-being

Session 1

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:• Understand the diverse relationships between people and their environment• Understand the different types of ecosystems and the services they provide for human well-being andlivelihoods• Understand the current threats to ecosystems from natural and human impacts• Understand how governments and communities are working to reduce natural and human impacts andsome approaches used to protect ecosystem health and services

TRAINING TOOLS FOR THIS SESSION:

Posters:• Relationship between people and nature• Ecosystems• Ecosystem Services
Activities/Games:• The Glossary Game (see instructions at the end of this guide)• The Fishing Game• Approaches for Managing Impacts on Ecosystems

1Supplies:• Two water glasses• Chalk or String• Colored paper and scissors• Markers• Paper Tape• World Map

SESSION 1.

KEY POINTS AND TRAINING TIPS

This session will provide an introduction to ecosystems and ecosystem services as basic background for the
rest of the sessions.

Part 1: What is the relationship between people and nature?

Human beings have always relied on nature to provide the essentials for life such as water, food, building
materials, and medicines.

Key points

1. Review the relationship between the people and nature using the examples from the manual.
Tip: Ask participants to discuss a specific way they benefited from natural resources today. For example:
wood was used to make the tables in the room; water from natural springs may be in the bottled water they
are drinking; was there fish for lunch?
2. The impact of these activities on natural resources and nature.
Discuss how ecosystems provide critical services that, if taken care of, can help to reduce the impacts ofclimate change and help communities maintain the resources they need despite a changing climate.
Tip: Fill two glasses with water. Put a little soil and a few small stones or bits of paper into one glass and leave
the other glass full of clean water. Make the comparison between the quality of water in the two glasses. Ask
the audience what could have caused the contamination in the glass of dirty water (floods, saltwater getting
into the freshwater system, runoff from farms or pollution from factories). Have someone tell a story about
what happened. The main idea is to link human actions to impacts in nature and also natural impacts on
ecosystem services. What humans do to ‘clean up’ that contaminated water? (For a more in-depth version ofthis activity, see page 6.)

Part 2. What are ecosystems and what services do they provide?
Key points

1. Understanding the definition of ecosystems and its services.
a. Review the definition of ecosystem in the manual.

2

Tip: Use the poster of ecosystems and compare thedifferences among ecosystems. Use the world map tolocate regions around the globe where each ecosystem is characteristic.
b. Review the definition of ecosystem services in the
manual. Ask participants to name some examplesof the ecosystem services. Name ecosystems thatprovide or support:
i. Food, water, timber, and medicines for dailyneeds;

Ecosystems and Their Services

Forests

Wetlands (swamps, bogs and marshes)

protect against erosion; maintain watersheds by absorbing and storing rainfall; provide habitat for insects andother wildlife that pollinate plants; maintain cloud cover,creating a cooling effect and increasing rainfall; as wellas supporting drinking water and crops. Forests also provide, building materials and food supplies and sources ofincome from timber and non-timber forest products.

absorb rainfall, purify water, and regulate the flow of water to streams and rivers, thereby reducing drought andmaintaining flow for hydro-electric plants. Wetlands also
provide erosion control and are often rich biodiversity
reservoirs.

Coral reefs(deserts, grasslands and woodlands)
help absorb rainfall, purify water and regulate the flowof water to streams and rivers, provide habitat for insects and other wildlife that pollinate plants, keep thearea cooler through plant coverage.

protect against storm surge and maintain importantfishery habitat and breeding grounds.

ii. Economic development, such as non-timber
forest products, logging, fisheries, tourism, andhydropower;

Dryland Ecosystems

Mangrovesprotect shorelines from erosion caused by rising sea
level and storms, provide fish habitat, protect against
flooding and keep salt water out of fresh groundwater
systems.

Páramos (high altitude wetlands)

supply fresh water for drinking, irrigation and hydropower by storing water from melting glaciers and releasing it during the dry season.

iii. Control of climate, floods, disease, wastes, and water quality;
iv. Natural processes such as providing nutrients to soil and water systems and pollination; andv. Cultural services that are a source of beliefs, traditions, and also enjoyment.
Tip: If the participants are from different places, ask them to discuss and compare how plants, animals
and landscapes are different in many places and what different services ecosystems provide according to
the environment of each site. Do non-living things within ecosystems also provide services? Rocks help
hold the soil in place on a hillside—is that a service?
Tip: Ask participants what ecosystem services are unique to the area.
2. Ecosystem services as part of conservation
a. Understand the difference between conserving biodiversity and conserving ecosystems.
i. Biodiversity conservation’s goal is to maintain biodiversity and ensure that no plants or animals
disappear or “go extinct.”
ii. Ecosystem-based conservation aims to conserve all of the elements that make an ecosystem function
and able to provide services.
iii. Ecosystem services are the resources and processes that nature provides which benefit people andtheir livelihoods, or means of support and subsistence.
iv. Each region of the world has different ecosystems that make them unique and provide distinct
services for the communities that live there.
Tip: Discuss with the participants how protecting ecosystem services and biodiversity contributes tohuman well-being. Some questions to ask:
• What is an important fish or animal species in the area?
• How would the ecosystem in which the fish or animal lives change if that species disappeared?
• How would people’s lives be affected?
• Highlight the importance of “balance” in planning to conserve and to use ecosystems, biodiversityand development.

3

Part 3. What are the impacts affecting ecosystem services?
Key points

1. What are the natural and human-caused impacts that affect ecosystems?
a. Human Caused Impacts: Any human related activity that damages the ecosystem to the point where it
is no longer able to sustain its health and provide services is a harmful impact.

Activity: Fish for Dinner?
Objective: To show how human activities impact ecosystem services
This game is best played outside if space is available. It can also be played inside if furniture can be
moved to create a large open space. If space is limited, the game can be played using only part of
the group. Decide how many people can play in the space you have and then ask for volunteers. Be
sure there are twice as many people in the fish group as there are in the fishermen/women group.
Separate the audience in two groups. Put 1/3 of the participants into one group and the other 2/3of the participants into the other group. The small group plays the fishermen/women and the large
group plays the fish.
Using colored paper, draw and cut out a fish for each member of the ‘fish’ group. On the back of ½
of the paper fish, write one of the following notes:• “I ate lead,”• “I ate pesticides,”• “I ate plastic,”• “I ate mercury”.
Leave the remaining paper fish have nothing written on them—they are healthy fish. Tape one of thepaper fish to the back of the members of the fish group so the notes cannot be seen. Neither thefishermen/women nor the other fish know which ones are healthy.
Assign an area to be the lake, river or sea. The fish must stay in that area. Assign another area to be
the fishing boat – big enough to hold the all the players in the game - the fisherman plus extra room
for the fish they will catch. Use chalk or rope or branches to outline each area. Fishermen must stayin the boat area until they are given the signal to go fishing.
When they hear the signal, fishermen/women start fishing—they must run after the fish trying toescape being caught. Each fisherman/woman must catch two fish and take them back to theboat. When all the fish are caught and they are in the boat, the fishermen/women look inside thepaper fish found on the back of each fish/participant to see if they caught healthy or unhealthy/
contaminated fish. Ask the audience who will be eating the fish they caught—or who will be goingout to eat!

4

b. Naturally caused impacts: Ask for volunteers to describe natural impacts in their countries orcommunities.
Tip: Ask about recent natural disasters such as hurricanes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, storms andforest fires.
• What was the damage?
• How often do the natural impacts affect their countries or communities?
• Are people prepared for these events?
• Does the country or community have an early warning system?
2. What are some of the issues that contribute to local and regional impacts?
a. Every area has natural events that can harm ecosystems, such as volcanoes, storms and earthquakes.
b. Specific economic and social needs in a region can lead to harmful impacts to ecosystems.
Tip: Ask participants to provide examples of using ecosystems in a way that is not sustainable in theirregion or country—such as high deforestation. What is causing this human pressure on the ecosystem?

Part 4. What are some approaches and tools for managing ecosystems?

1. It is important that communities understand what ecosystems are and what services they provide. Havethe participants discuss how communities can manage harmful impacts on ecosystems so they cancontinue to provide services to fulfill economic and social needs.
Tip: Ask participants if they know different examples of harmful impacts on ecosystems in their countries/
communities. What approaches are needed to help protect these ecosystems and their services?
Explain the different management approaches and tools to manage ecosystems described in the manual:• Community/traditional rules for behavior• Establishment and management of protected areas• Decentralized natural resource management: assigning local rights and duties• Planning laws (set and enforced by governments)• Development of safeguards (set and monitored by project donors)• Clear definition of property rights (communal, individual). Sustainability certification which canincrease prices for sustainably managed and harvested products

5Activity: What’s in the water?
Objective: to visually demonstrate the impacts of human activities on ecosystems
Time: 20 minutes
Supplies:• large plastic water bottle with the top cut off, or other clear container• sand• dirt/soil• soap powder/laundry detergent• plastic bags
• trash (such as candy wrappers)• table• containers for the sand, dirt, soap powder, and trash• pieces of paper to label each of the characters in the story (optional)
Setting up: Fill the bottle about half-way with water and place it on the table. Ask for five volunteers:
the builder, the gardener, the washer, the shopper, and the litterer.
Give the sand to the builder, the soil to the gardener, the soap powder to the washer, the plasticbags to the shopper, and the trash to the litterer.
Directions:Start by telling the group that this is the river in the village that they all live in. They use the river
for their drinking water, water for cooking, washing clothes and dishes, and swimming. Showthem the bottle of water. Ask the group, “Would you like to drink from this river? Would you
like to go swimming in this water?”
Tell the group that the builder is building a concrete house near the river. The builder will comeforward to dump some sand into the bottle of water. Then ask the group again, “Would you liketo drink from this river? Would you like to go swimming in this water?”
Next, tell the group that the gardener is planting a garden near the river. The gardener will cometo the table and dump some dirt into the water. Again, ask the group “Would you like to drink
from this river? Would you like to go swimming in this water?”Then, tell the group the washer is washing clothes in the river. The washer will pour some ofthe soap powder into the water. Again, ask the group, “Would you like to drink from this river?
Would you like to go swimming in this water?”

6

After that, tell the group that the shopper has gone to town to go shopping. When the shopper
comes back, he or she throws the plastic bags into the river. (Have the shopper come forward
and put the plastic bags into the bottle.) Again, ask the group, “Would you like to drink fromthis river? Would you like to go swimming in this water?”
Last, tell the group that the litterer is walking along the river, throwing rubbish into it. (The litterer
will come forward and put some trash into the bottle of water.) One last time, ask the group,““Would you like to drink from this river? Would you like to go swimming in this water?”
After all of the volunteers have added to the bottle of water, ask the group to reflect on how
their answers changed throughout the activity. Ask participants to make suggestions for what
the characters could do differently to keep the water clean.

The Glossary Game
The Glossary Game is a tool that can be used at any time throughout the training. The training toolkit
includes a set of vocabulary cards that includes every term in the glossary at the end of the manual. The termis printed on one side of the card and the definition on the other side. These terms are also introduced at theend of each session as they are used. The Glossary Game helps the participants review and learn the terms.
Use this game as an ice breaker, or as a way to take a break from the presentations, or at anytime you wish to
reinforce the learning in a fun way.
Ideas for the Glossary Game (If possible have candies or small prizes to reward the correct answers):
1. Term/Definition: Which do you know?
• Put the cards for the day’s session on the wall, with some of the cards showing the term and someturned over to show the definition.
• Invite participants to choose a term to define or to choose a definition and name the term.
• Ask the first participant to choose the nest on and assign the person a term or definition to solve.
2. Pick a Card—Any Card
• Using the cards from the days Sessions and from Session already completed, have a participant choose
a card from the pile or form a few that you hold out for the person. The participant then tries to define
the term on the card.
• Variation-have the participant decide if s/he wants to try to define the term (and win the prize), or ifthey want to chose someone else to do it.
• Use this approach as a way to fill time while a new speaker is getting ready—or as a break or change ofpace during the session.
Use your imagination and invent your own ways to play!

7

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER:• An ecosystem is a natural group of plants, animals and microorganisms that lives together in a
specific place, dependent on their environment to survive.
• Ecosystems provide many basic resources and needs to support people’s livelihoods.
• Ecosystem services support many aspects of life, including the availability and quality of fresh
water, healthy fisheries, sustainable agriculture, and protection from heavy winds, flooding, erosionand drought.
• Managing ecosystem services requires understanding how ecosystems support livelihoods in aregion, who benefits from the ecosystem services, what impacts affect those ecosystems, and thevalue of the services they provide.

KEY TERMS TO REMEMBER:
Ecosystem: a group of plants, animals (including Nutrients: a substance that provides nourishpeople) and microorganisms that live together ment or food, necessary for growth and life.
in a specific place with a particular environment
Pollination: the transfer of pollen from one partthat enables them to survive.
of a flower to another part of that same flower or
Ecosystem services: the resources and services to another flower to enable seed production andprovided by natural ecosystems.
plant reproduction. Depending on the plant, insects, birds, bats and even the wind can transfer
Environment: the external surroundings in which
the pollen and enable the plant to create seeds.
a plant or animal lives, such as soil, rocks andwater, which provides the means for life and Rural: relating to an area located away from cities
affects behavior.
and/or associated with farming or subsistence
livelihoods.
Livelihood: a person’s means of living or earning
an income to support themselves, such as Urban: relating to a city or town.
fishing, farming and tourism.

8

TRAINING GUIDE

CI/John Martin

CI/John Martin

Session 2. Understanding the Basics of Climate and Climate Change

Session 1

LEARNING OBJECTIVESAt the end of the session, participants should be able to:• Explain the concepts of climate and weather• Understand what climate change means and why the climate is changing• Explain the signs of climate change• Understand and explain the greenhouse effect and identify the main greenhouse gases• Explain how human activities are causing climate change• Explain how climate change affects people and nature• Understand why we should be concerned about climate change

TRAINING TOOLS FOR THIS SESSION

Posters:• The Climate Components (with label cards)• Temperature and Sea Level Graphs• Sea Level Rise
• Climate Change Impacts• Human Impacts on the Greenhouse Gas Effect• What is CO2• The Natural Carbon Cycle• Human Impacts on the Carbon Cycle

9Games/Activities:• The Glossary Game
• The Signs and Effects of Climate Change in My Community• The Carbon Cycle at Work• Climate Change and Variability
Supplies:• World Map• Flip Chart or Sheets of Paper• Colored Markers

SESSION 2.

KEY POINTS AND TRAINING TIPS

This session will cover some of the basic natural processes that make life on Earth possible, how humanbehavior is changing these processes, and how that is changing the climate.

Part 1. How is the Earth formed?
Key Points:

1. The parts of the earth: Review the main parts of the earth as shown in the manual.
a. Under the surface: the inside of the earth has water, oil, rocks and minerals inside
Tip: Use an orange to demonstrate the parts of the earth. Before the session starts, cut a section out of theorange or cut it in half. Show how the white edge of the peel represents the surface of the earth, and thecore of the orange represents the core of the earth. Just like the orange has different sections inside withjuice and fibers, the inside of the earth has water, oil, rocks and minerals inside. There are many layers
inside of the earth.
b. Surface: using the world map, point out how much of the earth’s surface is water—over 70%
Tip: This is more easily understood by people who live near the ocean. If your audience sometimes goesto an area near an ocean coast, they can see how large the bodies of water are that surround the areas ofland on the surface of the earth. If some participants have never seen the ocean, use the map to show how
much water covers the earth in relation to the land. Point out a major river people know about—like theAmazon—and compare the size of the river on the map to the size of the oceans. Show on the map where
the river flows into the ocean.
c. Atmosphere: be sure to point out that the atmosphere is made up of many invisible gases. Also tell thegroup that you will talk more about these gases in the next session. The atmosphere has many layers,
but the first layer (10 miles or 16 km) above the earth is the most important for climate. Participants
will hear this term often throughout the training.
Tip: This part of the earth is harder to talk about because not all of the parts of the atmosphere can be
seen. Clouds are easy to see, and you can see rain when it falls, but when the sky is clear it can seem likethere is nothing in the atmosphere. Talk about examples such as how the air feels when it is very humid

10and hot. Even though the water in the air may not be visible, the air feels hot and heavy because it is fullof moisture.

Part 2. What is Climate and What is Weather?
Key Points:

1. The difference between climate and weather. Be sure that participants understand and can talk about thedifference.
a. Review the definitions of climate and weather in the manual in the manual and also review the examples.
b. Ask for volunteers to describe the weather in their area.
i. What is the weather like today?
ii. What season is this and what is the weather like this season?
c. Ask participants to describe the main characteristics of their climate.
i. How many seasons are there each year?
ii. What is the average temperature in the area?
Tip:• There are two main seasons in the tropics—rainy and dry. Other places have four seasons—Winter,
Spring, Summer, Fall.
• Is it always that simple? If you ask participants how many seasons there are in their area they may
say there are five or six (long dry, short dry, long rainy, etc.).
• How people describe their weather and climate can be influenced by traditional knowledge systems.
2. The Climate Process:a. Climate is a very complex process.
b. Participants should understand that climate and weather are affected by how conditions in theatmosphere (the air) and the surface (the land and water) affect each other.
c. Use the poster with the drawing of the ocean, land,
and mountains to talk about the different components of climate. The poster is not labeled, so you
can post the names as you talk about the different
components. Or, you can ask for volunteers to add
the names to the poster.
i. Use the labels for each component—shown in
the image in the manual; add them one by
one to the poster as you describe each component and how it can affect climate.
ii. Give the examples from the manual.

Volcanic eruptions

Ocean currents
Parábolas O.L. © Conservation International

11

iii. Ask participants to give examples of how conditions in the air and the land might affect their own
weather or climate.
d. Explain the concept of climate variability and clarify that these differences are not always caused byclimate change. Use the example of “El Niño and La Niña” from the manual. Make sure participants
understand that these cycles are not caused by climate change but due to climate change their impacts
can be more severe.

activity. Climate Change and Variability
This exercise will build on the same community information that was used in the activity in Session 1.
Objective: Consider the difference between climate change and climate variability in a tropicalcommunity.
Approach: Divide participants into 4 groups. Provide the groups with some historical climate data
for an imaginary community and describe the data in terms of climate change and climate variability.
The different sets of data will cover the following contexts that look at annual and monthly rainfall
and temperature levels over 6 years:• Low variability, low change (i.e. temperatures and precipitation are roughly the same throughout
the 6 years).
• Low variability, high change. (rainfall and temperature amount have changed significantly but theamount they vary is low)
• High variability, low change. (temperature and precipitation are variable, but the amount of change
in rainfall or temperature is low)
• High variability, high change. (temperature and rainfall are changing often and by large amounts)
Following the group/individual work, the facilitator will show slides describing each of the 4 contexts
and ask each group to describe the differences in climate change and variability.
Optional:• Describe how an El Nino event might be the reason for the variation in one of the examples.
• Include a slide with the mean and the standard deviations, if relevant for the participant group.
Timing:
20 minutes (5 minute overview, 10 minutes group/individual work, 5 minutes presentation anddiscussion).
Materials:
a. Introductory PowerPoint slide: “Looking at the temperature or rainfall data for your community,
what can you say about change and variability in this temperature or precipitation over the last 6
years”
12

b. full page, color figures of temperature and precipitation data.
c. PowerPoint slides of the data.
Reflection:• Have people used climate data in their work before and in what capacity?
• What are some of the challenges in obtaining data and in using it?

Part 3. What is Climate Change and How Do We Know it is Happening?

b. Review the term ‘global warming’—be sure participants
understand that global warming means the AVERAGE
temperature of the earth is increasing, and that this effectis not felt in the same way everywhere—some areas may behaving more cold weather in recent years.
Tip: Many people are familiar with the term ‘global warming’.
This warming is the main impact of increased GHGs in theatmosphere and in turn is the biggest cause of the other signsof climate change.
2. Major signs of climate change:

Global Mean Temperature
14.6
14.4
14.2
14.0
13.8
13.6
13.4
13.2
1865

1885

1905

1925

1945

1965

1985

2005

Year

Global Mean Sea Level
+20

+10

0

-10
1885

1905

1925

1945

1965

Year

1985

2005

Graph data: IPCC 2007/Photos: Mario Chacón León

a. Review the definition of climate change in the manual.

Estimated Actual Global Mean Sea Level (Cm)

1. Understanding the definition of climate change and global
warming.

Estimated Actual Global Mean Temperatures (ºC)

Key Points:

a. Review the different signs of climate change in the manual.
b. Hang the poster with the temperature and sea level graphs toshow the amount of change in the past 100 years.

Sea Level RiseYear

Tip: Be sure to explain how the graph shows information—some participants may not be familiar with graphs.
c. Have participants look at the pictures of rising sea levels in
the manual. Ask the group to identify some of the changes
they see between the top and bottom drawings. What aresome of the causes of the increase of the sea level shown inthe bottom drawing on the poster?

13

d. The picture below shows some of the major ocean currents. You can point these out on the world map—
some flow north and south—others east to west, etc. The water in the world’s oceans is always moving.
Tip: Many of the signs of climate change are strongest at the earth’s poles and in areas in the north where
there are glaciers and snow. The amount of change depends on the region of the world and how changes
will impact that area. Temperature changes may be felt less in the areas near the equator. Sea level rise
will affect island and low-lying countries most.

Training Guide Figure 1. Ocean Currents

Part 4. How Does Nature Regulate Climate?
Key Points:

1. The Natural Greenhouse Effect:a. Explain how the greenhouse effect works.
b. Use the same analogy in the manual about the blankets on a cold night—or you can make up one thatis similar.
2. Human Impacts on the Natural Greenhouse Effecta. Use the figures on page 18 of the manual to show the human impacts on the Natural Greenhouse Effect.
b. The main point is that human activities are disturbing the natural cycle.
c. Mention that many human activities produce GHGs and that this disturbs the natural process bysending too many GHGs into the atmosphere.
Tip: The type of activities that produce GHGs are discussed in the manual, but for a quick activity, you
can ask participants to look at the drawing shown in the figure with human impacts on the greenhouseeffect (in the manual) and identify what they see are some of the activities that increase GHGs in theatmosphere.
3. Review the major greenhouse gases, focusing on carbon dioxide and the carbon cycle.

14

a. Review that carbon is one of the most common elements or substances in the universe—it is in all living
things.
b. Use the box on page 19 of the manual called “what is CO2?” to explain briefly how carbon and oxygencome together to form the gas CO2 in the atmosphere.
Tip: The formation of CO2 can also be demonstrated by using colored balls and sticks or oranges andsticks. Simply write the symbol “C” on the orange
and the symbol “O” on two oranges using one color
marker for C and another color for O. Then join theoranges together with short sticks (as shown in theposter with “C” in the middle) to form the symbol
for CO2.
c. Using the poster called “The Carbon Cycle”, explain briefly carbon flows and carbon reservoirs—this shows how carbon moves in and out of theatmosphere as CO2 and how it is stored as carbon
in living things Use the poster called “The Natural
Carbon Cycle”, explain the different areas wherecarbon is stored and the sources of carbon flowing
in (red arrows) and out (green arrows) of the atmosphere.

Parábolas O.L. © Conservation International

Part 5. How do Human Activities Cause Climate Change?
Key Points:

Use Figure 10, with the human activities that impact the carbon cycle, on page 20 of the manual.
1. Repeat that the carbon cycle, greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect are all important naturalprocesses that support all life on earth.
2. It is human activities that are adding more GHGs to the atmosphere and disturbing the natural cycles.
a. This has started happening mainly over the last 150 years, since man started using machines forindustry—also known as the Industrial Revolution.
(Ask if anyone in the group knows what happened about 150 years ago that started the increase in
GHGs from human activities.)
The Impacts of Climate Changeb. Review some of the main activities that increase
GHGs: industrial processes, deforestation, changing how land is used. Ask participants to name activities that they think will increase GHGs in the air.
Biodive
rsity

pply
d Su
Foo

Part 6. How does climate change
affect the earth and our lives?

Water Supply

CLIMATE CHANGE
IMPACTS ALL
PARTS OF LIFE

1. Climate change is affecting all parts of the earth;plants and animals; and all parts of human lives.
Job

nd

sa

a. Put up the poster that shows the different parts oflife that are affected by climate change.

De
vel
o

pm

e nt

He

a lt

h

Parábolas O.L. © Conservation International

15

b. Using examples from the chart below, talk about some examples of how these areas of life (or sectors)
can be affected. You can also give local examples.

Training Guide Figure 2. Examples of Major Projected Impacts on Selected Sectors

Adapted from UNE P/GRID-Arendal 2009

c. Some changes have already happened so plants, animals and people will need to adapt (find new waysof doing some things).
d. Countries—especially developed countries—need to stop the activities that are causing climate change
so we can stop climate change and its effects.

16Activity: Climate Change Impacts Everything
Objective: To identify how a particular climate event will impact different parts of daily life
Time: 20 minutes
Supplies:
•
•
•
•
•
•

“Climate Change Impacts Everything” poster
Flip chart paper
Markers
Metal brad fasteners (optional)
Poster board or cardstock for spinners (optional)•Scissors (for poster board spinners)

Setting up: Hang up the poster that says “Climate Change Impacts Everything” on it. On a pieceof flip chart paper, draw another wheel with five sections, and write (or draw) an example of aclimate event on each one. Suggestions are: Sea level rise, ocean acidification, drought, higher
temperatures, and sea level rise.
Directions: Ask a volunteer to spin the spinner (or facilitator’s arm); when they tell him or her tostop, note which sector the climate event the spinner falls on. Then, spin the second wheel, and see
what sector falls on. Ask the volunteer to give an example of how the climate event impacts that
sector. For example, how does sea level rise affect health? Then, ask other participants for more
examples. Repeat until all sectors have been used at least once.

Alternative: Write the different sectors (or draw pictures) on one set of cards, and the different
climate events on another set of cards. Lay them on a table face down in two different piles, and ask
a volunteer to pull one card from each pile. Ask the volunteer to give an example of how the climate
event they chose impacts the sector they chose. Then, ask other participants for more examples.
Adapted from an activity created by Timoci Naivalulevu.

17

2. Climate change impacts on nature and ecosystems
a. Using examples from the manual, explain how climate change impacts different plants and animals inmany different ways.
b. Explain how climate change impacts the survival or reproduction of certain species. Some species may
be able to adapt to changes better than others.
c. Review the definition of ocean acidification and explain its relation to climate change and how it
impacts marine ecosystems.
3. Discuss how climate change affects seasons and ecosystems
a. Ask participants to describe any recent changes in the seasons or weather patterns in the area
i. Have you experienced a delay in the rainy season?
ii. How many extreme weather events have you experienced recently?
b. Explain how climate change affects seasons.
c. Review the definition of climate variability and ask participants to provide examples of how it is linked
to ecosystems.
4. Climate change impacts people
a. Ask participants to provide examples of ecosystem services and how the impacts on ecosystems canaffect people.
b. Explain the importance of ecosystem services to human well being. Review the examples in the manual.
c. Discuss some of the regional impacts of global change forecast by IPCC.
d. Ask participants what possible solutions should be considered to avoid these scenarios.
Tip: Make sure to connect all the impacts of climate change and climate variability to ecosystems,
ecosystem services, and human wellbeing. Ask participants to give local examples that demonstrate thesestrong connections.

Activity: What are the Signs and Effects of Climate Change in My
Community?
1. Divide the participants into small groups.
2. Provide each group with paper and a marker.
3. Ask participants to:a. Make a list of any signs of climate change or climate variability that they are experiencing theircommunity.
b. Describe how these changes are affecting their daily lives.
3. Invite the groups to share the results of their discussions with the large group.
4. Discuss changes and impacts that were mentioned by all the groups.
Tip: Keep the flip charts or paper from the discussions. They can be used in an activity in Session
3 on how communities can adapt to these changes.
18

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER:• The Earth is a living planet formed by rocks, minerals, soils, water, gases and living organisms.
• Climate is a complex process that is determined by how the sun, atmosphere, land, water andwinds work together.
• Climate change is the change of normal weather patterns around the world over a long period oftime. The average temperature of the Earth is getting warmer.
• The climate is changing faster than in the past. Climate change is not happening in the sameway everywhere.
• Scientists are observing and measuring climate change, and people are experiencing the effects
of climate change now.
• Climate change impacts all parts of life.
• Greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect are both part of natural processes that support lifeon Earth by keeping it warm.
• CO2 is the most important GHG: When there is too much CO2 in the atmosphere, the Earth gets
warmer and the climate changes.
• Human activities can cause climate change by adding too much CO2 to the atmosphere andupsetting the natural carbon cycle.

19

KEY TERMS TO REMEMBER:
Atmosphere: The atmosphere is the part of Earththat begins at the surface and extends upward
into outer space in many layers. It is composedof a mixture of gases. Most processes that affectlife on Earth happen in the lowest layer of theatmosphere, nearest to the Earth’s surface.

Greenhouse effect: The process of how the atmosphere keeps the Earth warm.
Greenhouse gases: The gases that help regulate
the Earth’s temperature, keeping it warm.

Land-use change: Changes in the way a land
Carbon: One of the most common elements in area is used, for example, changing a forest to a
farm, or changing farms to pasture, or returning
the universe, found in all living things.
pasture to forest by re-planting trees.
Climate: The “average weather” or weather condiOcean currents: Movement of the ocean’s surtions that happen over a long period of time.
face water. Water is moved mainly by wind in reClimate change: The change of the normal gular, consistent patterns.
weather patterns around the world over a long
Ocean acidification: The change to the ocean
period of time.
water caused when increasing amounts of carClimate variability: Natural changes within the bon dioxide (CO2) are absorbed from the atmosclimate system that often occur in cycles or in phere. This combines with the water (H2O) andparticular areas over seasonal or longer time increases the amount of carbonic acid in the
periods.
ocean.
Earth’s poles: Areas at the far north and far south Photosynthesis: Natural process in which plantsof the Earth. Also called the “polar regions.”
take in the light and heat from the sun and carbon dioxide from the air, and release oxygen to
Evaporation: The process in which water is heamake plants grow and keep our air clean.
ted and changes from a liquid into a gas. The
sun heats water in lakes, rivers or oceans, cau- Precipitation: Rain, snow, or hail (ice) that forms
sing it to evaporate or turn into a gas called wa- from the moisture in the atmosphere and falls to
ter vapor.
the ground.
Fossil fuel: Fuel such as oil or coal that is for- Sea level: The height of the ocean’s surface
med inside the earth from decaying plants andVolcanic eruptions: Volcanoes are mountains
other organisms over a long time.
formed over openings in the Earth’s surface by
Glacier: Layers of permanent ice found in very melted rock that flows out of the Earth’s surface
cold areas, either on land (i.e in the polar re- and hardens. When a volcano erupts, melted
gions) or on mountains at high elevations. So- rock, called lava, flows out of the mountain, andmetimes glaciers extend into the ocean.
ash and gases are forced into the atmosphere.
Global warming: The increase in the average Weather: The temperature, rainfall, or storms intemperature of the Earth’s atmosphere.
a specific place on a specific day or over a very
short period of time, like one season.

20

TRAINING GUIDE

Piotr Naskrecki© Robin Moore

Session 3. Climate Change Policies and Action:
Working to Solve the Problem of Climate Change

LEARNING OBJECTIVESAt the end of the session, participants should be able to:• Understand how international agreements on climate can support local efforts to adapt to climatechange• Understand how countries are working together to make polices and take action on climate change at theUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)• Understand some of the ways indigenous, international and local organizations are working on climatechange• Define mitigation and describe some of the ways climate change can be slowed• Define adaptation and describe some of the ways communities are adapting to the impacts of climatechange• Understand how funding to help communities adapt to climate change is being distributed by internationalorganizations

Training Tools for this Session:
Posters:• Climate Policy Timeline• The UNFCCC
Activities/Games:• The Glossary game
• Guest Presentation• Living Timeline21• Funding for Climate Change Adaptation

SESSION 3.

KEY POINTS AND TRAINING TIPS

This session will cover some of the ways countries are working together in international organizations tosolve the problem of climate change.

PART 1. Climate Change Policies: What is the International Community
doing to solve the problem of Climate Change?

Tip: Before starting this part, ask who has heard of the UN before—then ask the same about the UNFCCC—
some may be familiar with the UN—most may not be familiar with the UNFCCC—explain that the UNFCCC
is like a very large committee or agency of the UN—like the Forestry Commission or Ministry is an agency of
the government.

Key Points:

1. The most important point of this topic is to give an overview of the international policy process soparticipants understand how decisions are made at the global level.
a. Review the purpose of the UNFCCC that is outlined in the box in the manual.
b. Review this important point: many people attend the UNFCCC representing different organizationsas ‘observers’—including indigenous peoples’ organizations—but only the government delegations canmake decisions.
c. It is important to understand that the most important actions that the UNFCCC is working on right
now are policies to assist countries to try to stop or lessen climate change and to adjust to the effects ofclimate change that are already happening and are likely to happen in the future.
Tip: Policies are made at all levels of government—even in the smallest community. Remember: ‘a policy
is a plan of action to guide decisions and achieve results’. Even a family makes policies—any group ofpeople working together to achieve something is making policies and decisions. Ask participants how
policies are made in their community or in their country. Is this training part of a policy or plan of action?
2. Explain the role and contribution of “observers” at the international policy processes. Provide examples
of how observers can provide ideas and information to help government representatives make decisions.
Clarify that observers do not make the decisions at the UNFCC - only government delegations can do
this.
3. This session also introduces the term mitigation (stopping or lessening climate change) and adaptation(adjusting to change already here or that will happen because of climate change). It is important thatthe group understands these terms because they will be used in the remaining sections of the training.
Mitigation and adaptation are the key focus of the policies and decisions being made at the UNFCCC.
a. Review the definitions of mitigation and adaptation with the vocabulary cards.
b. Ask participants to provide examples for each concept.
Tip: If the vocabulary cards are not already posted, put up the ones for mitigation and adaptation. Ask

22

participants if they have any questions. Since this may be new information for many participants, it may
be helpful to put all the glossary cards related to this section on the wall or board as you discuss them.
Review each one with the group and have them ask questions to be sure they understand the meaning of
the terms.

What progress has been made in the international negotiations?

4. Using the Timeline Poster, review some of the key events about the UNFCCC and its work—particularly
the Kyoto Protocol (the events on the timeline about adaptation will be discussed later).
a. A key point here is that 37 developed countries
have made commitments to reduce GHG emissions and to assist developing countries with technology and funds to help them mitigate climatechange in their countries.
b. Also important is the need for developing
countries to develop in ways that do not increase
GHGs and for developed countries to keep theirpromise to reduce GHGs.

Timeline of Important Actions at the UNFCCC
2001
1992
UNFCCC established

1994

UNFCCC enteredinto force

National Adaptation Programmes of Action(NAPAs)—A process established, with limited
financial support, for Least Developed Countries to identify urgent and immediate needs
to adapt to climate change, and limited funds
made available to support those needs.

2009
2008

Kyoto First Commitment
period begins

Adaptation Fund—Set up under the Kyoto Protocol, this fund provides money to finance adaptation projects in developing countries whoare vulnerable to climate change impacts andwho have ratified (made a binding commitmentto) the Kyoto Protocol.

Copenhagen Accord—Puts forth important
points for a future agreement and outlines
basic commitments to reduce emissions
and long-term funding plans to stop climatechange. Committed to by countries with major economies and recognized but not adopted by the UNFCCC in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Adaptation Fund Operationalized

2012
Kyoto First Commitment period ends, Doha Climate Gateway

2020

1997

Kyoto Second Commitment
period ends

Kyoto Protocol adopted

1990

1995

2000

2005

2015

2006

2020

2011

Nairobi Work Programme—Provides a platform forcountries and organizations to share the work they
are doing on adaptation; focuses on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change. Established at the UNFCCC meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.

Durban Platform—Agreement by all countries in the
UNFCCC to work toward an international agreement withcommitments by both developed and developing countries with a tentative deadline of 2015. Enhances theBali Action Plan and Cancun Agreements.

Use the timeline poster to explain the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol was from 2008 to
2012, and that a second commitment period is from2013 to 2020. Make sure all participants understand the key areas under discussion at the UNFCCC(see manual).
2010

2007

Bali Action Plan—Creates a new negotiating process
to make decisions about what will be in the next
major agreement after the Kyoto Protocol. Adopted
at the UNFCCC meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

Cancun Agreements—Historic agreements that addresscomprehensive international action on climate change,
including Loss and Damage and National Adaptation
Plans (NAPs), which are more flexible and have a longer-term view on adaptation planning than the NAPAs.
Adopted at the UNFCCC meeting in Cancun, Mexico.

Activity: Living Timeline
Objective: to ensure that participants are aware of key dates in climate policy
Time: about 30 minutes, depending on the length of the Session 3 presentation
Supplies:• Colored paper to form the timeline arrow• Tape• Scissors• Additional paper with key dates written on them
• Markers or pens
• World map and stickers (optional)
Setting up: Find a blank wall and tape several pieces of colored paper on the wall to form thetimeline. (To make it look like an arrow, cut the last piece into a triangle.) Write each key date on adifferent piece of paper. Before starting the Session 3 presentation, hand out each piece of paper
to a different participant.

23

Directions:
As the participants to listen for the date on their piece of paper as the key climate policy dates are
discussed. When they hear their dates, they should write the event that happened on that date on
their piece of paper, and place it on the timeline on the wall. At the end of the session, all of the
key dates will be on the wall, in order!
Alternative: If there is not a blank wall available, or the training is taking place outside, participants
can stand in chronological order and hold their dates for everyone to see.
Optional: If you have a world map, hang that on the wall near the timeline, and when participantscome to place their date on the timeline, ask them to place a sticker on the world map to show
where that key event took place. It can be good to have a trainer near the map to help people
identify hard to find places!

Countries with Common Interests Working Together on Climate Change:

1. Explain that counties often work together in groups according to similar interests, views and priorities(see box in manual).
2. Review other important actions on climate change that have been taken at UNFCCC meetings and are
relevant to adaptation such as: Marrakech in 2001, Nairobi in 2006, and Cancun in 2010.

How Do National Governments Engage in International Climate Policy?

1. Explain how National Governments engage in international climate policy and how decision making in
the UNFCCC works.
a. Make sure participants understand that in UNFCCC, every country must agree in order for a decision
to be made.
2. Provide example of countries usually sharing similar concerns and compare how the priorities ofdeveloped countries priorities differ from those of developing countries.
3. It is very important that participants understand that the UNFCCC process has contributed to a continual
dialogue and general acknowledgement to work harder to come to an agreement.

What are Governments Doing in their Own Countries?

1. It is very important for communities to understand how their country and their interests are represented
at the UNFCCC.
2. If possible, invite a member of your country’s delegation to the training and have them give a presentation
about your country’s participation in the UNFCCC negotiations and how policy discussions could affectyour country and your local community.
3. Be sure that you know who is on the delegation of your country—frequently there are members ofindigenous peoples’ or other local organizations appointed to the official delegation.
4. Review how international organizations and organizations in your country are participating in the
UNFCCC meetings.
Tip: The workshop organizers should be responsible for making contact with delegation members, or other24persons involved in climate change policy-making and arranging for a guest speaker for the training, or they
may be able to research the information and make a presentation about your country’s participation.

How Are Indigenous Peoples Contributing to International Policy on Climate
Change?

1. Explain the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and why is important to the
UNFCCC.
2. Highlight the importance of indigenous peoples’ representation and participation at UNFCCC
negotiations. Mention the importance of their traditional knowledge on forest management, fisheries andother natural resources and ecosystems.
Tip: Have indigenous leaders/representatives attended the UNFCCC, either as part of your country’s
government delegation or as members of an indigenous organization attending as observers? If so, consider
inviting one of them as a guest speaker to share their experience.

What other International Policy Efforts are Important for Climate Change
Adaptation?

1. Review the additional international policy efforts relevant to climate change adaptation such as CBD,
CCD, Ramsar and GFDRR.
a. Ask if any of the participants know any of these conventions and if anyone has experience attending
the meetings.
b. Make sure participants have a general understanding of the purpose of each convention and its
importance.

Activity: Guest Presentation
Presentation about your country delegation to the UNFCCC
Ask if any participant has participated in the UNFCCC negotiations. Allow the time for someone topresent about the experience of the country delegation at climate negotiations.
• Who is on the delegation?
• What are some of the key interests and priorities your country promotes at the negotiations?

Part 2. Mitigation and Adaptation Action: How Can International Policy
Help to Reduce Climate Change?
Key Points:

1. Review the definition of mitigation. A key point is that actions to stop climate change must come fromall parts or sectors of a country’s activities: transportation, agriculture, energy production, industry, andforest management.
a. Review the photos in the manual and ask participants if they can think of examples of other activities
that are important (such as mining).

25

2. Review the definition of adaptation. A key point is that plants and animals and people have adapted tochange in the past—but now they will have to adapt more quickly. Plants and animals will not have time toadapt naturally if climate change continues. Already some species and some ways of living are threatenedby climate change.
a. Review the photos in the manual and ask participants if they can think of examples of other activities
that are important.
Tip: People who live in colder climates often depend on the snow and ice for transportation. Their lifestyles
are based on cold winters and ice. Warming temperatures and melting ice are making traditional ways ofliving difficult. Indigenous peoples in the northern part of the world and the animals they depend on are
threatened by these changes.
2. At the UNFCCC, governments are discussing how to help countries adapt to climate change at the
UNFCCC. Some countries are making national adaptation plans.
Tip: Is your country making an adaptation plan? If so, ask the organizers to bring information about how
your country is working on adaptation and share this with the participants, or if you have a speaker fromthe UNFCCC delegation, ask them to talk about your country’s adaptation actions.

Part 3. What resources are available from the international community
to support adaptation?
Key Points

1. Explain that the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) is an independent financial organization andpartnership that works with to address global environmental issues including climate change.
a. Make sure participants understand that GEF is the official financial mechanism that supports
implementation of actions decided on or recommended by the UNFCCC.
b. Developed countries give money to the GEF and the GEF transfers the money to support activities indeveloping countries
2. Use the timeline poster again to highlight the creation of the Adaptation Fund in 2001. Mention additional
funds that support adaptation in developing countries such as the Least Developed Countries Fund andthe Special Climate Change Fund.
a. Explain that these funds are given as grants to developing countries for adaptation projects.
b. Explain that “implementing entities” are usually the national, regional and multilateral institutions(an institution formed by three or more countries that works on common issues—such as the World
Bank) accredited to receive direct financial transfers from the Fund in order to carry out projects andprogrammes.
c. Highlight that some funds are available directly to developing country governments, universities, nonprofits, local government, and community groups.
d. Make sure participants understand the importance of contacting and working with their national
government focal point. This is a key step for communities to access support from funds like the GEF
Small Grants Programme to work on climate change adaptation.
Tip: Arrange for a guest speaker to explain how GEF and the Adaptation Fund work in their country.
Contact a representative of the national implementing entity, a regional implementing entity, a multilateral
implementing entity, or the country’s National Focal Point.
26

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER:• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the internationalorganization that brings countries together to make policies about climate change.
• Only country governments can make decisions about policies at the UNFCCC, but many otherorganizations attend meetings to observe and influence decisions.
• Countries with similar interests often work together to promote policies that are in their bestinterests.
• Countries implement UNFCCC climate change policies and also develop their own national plansto address climate change.
• Indigenous peoples’ organizations, NGOs and businesses work to influence decisions at the
UNFCCC.
• Under the Kyoto Protocol, developed countries agreed to reduce GHG emissions and to help
developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change.
• Mitigation actions help stop or lessen climate change.
• Adaptation actions help countries adjust to current or future changes caused by climate change.
• Funding, mainly from developed countries, is available through the Global Environmental Facility(GEF) and other sources to help mitigation and adaptation action in developing countries.

27

KEY TERMS TO REMEMBER:
Adaptation: A change in the way of doing something. In the case of climate change, it involves addressing and adjusting to climate impacts. Because the climate is changing, plants,
animals and people need to adapt to new conditions.

Fossil Fuel: Fuel such as oil or coal that is formed inside the earth over a long time from decaying plants and other organisms.

Funds: A financial mechanism to provide resources for activities to achieve goals. For
example, the Adaptation Fund provides money
Delegates: People who represent a government to governments to pay for adaptation activities.
or organization and have the authority to speak Money is contributed to a fund by donations,or vote for that organization.
pledges from country governments, taxes, orother sources.
Convention: A formal agreement (or treaty)
between the people or groups who have signed Mitigation: The process of stopping or lessening
it. It serves as a foundation for further discus- climate change by reducing greenhouse gas
sions and treaties on specific issues.
(GHG) emissions that come from industrial activities, forestry and agricultural activities.
Ecosystem: A group of plants, animals andmicroorganisms that live together in a specific Observers: People who attend meetings orplace in a particular environment that enables conventions to understand what is being disthem to survive.
cussed and to influence decision-makers, but
who cannot negotiate or vote on proposed acEcosystem services: Benefits people obtain fromtions. Observers to the UNFCCC represent buecosystems such as food, water and timber; sersinesses, NGOs, indigenous peoples, and othervices that control climate, floods, disease, waste,organizations.
and water quality; cultural services that are asource of spiritual benefits and also enjoyment. Policy: A guiding principle that directs decisionmaking and planning to achieve specific results.
Environment: The external surroundings inwhich a plant or animal lives (for example soil, Protocol: An agreement that outlines specificrocks and water) that affects its behavior and obligations or actions that countries need to takeability to live.
to implement the objectives of the convention.3
Emission: A substance discharged into the air. Sustainable Development: Development that
In climate change, the term refers to Greenhouse meets the needs of the present while still preGases sent into the atmosphere.
serving resources for future generations.
Forum: A place for open discussion on specificissues.

28

TRAINING GUIDE© CI/Haroldo
Piotr
Naskrecki Castro

Session 4. Climate Change Adaptation: Understanding
Climate Vulnerability and Climate Resilience

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:• Understand adaptation and why communities need to think about adaption• Understand how climate change can impact communities• Understand climate vulnerability and what makes a community vulnerable• Define exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity—three conditions that influence a community’svulnerability to climate change.
• Explain climate resilience and what a community needs to strengthen its resilience to climate change.
• Understand the difference between resilience-based approaches and vulnerability-based approaches toadaptation.
• Define the difference between local and external knowledge• Explain how external and local knowledge can work together to help communities adapt to climate change• Identify tools and approaches that communities can use to protect themselves from climate impacts

TRAINING TOOLS FOR THIS SESSION:

Posters:• The Effects of Climate Change in My Community• Sensitivity, Exposure and Adaptive Capacity• Climate Resilience29

Games / Activities:• This is Not as it Used to Be• Mapping My Community• More or Less Vulnerable?
• Adaptive Capacity: the Piggy Bank
Supplies:• Large sheets of paper or a chalk board• Markers or chalk• A container to represent a ‘Piggy Bank’ (optional)

SESSION 4.

KEY POINTS AND TRAINING TIPS

This session explains the concepts of climate vulnerability and climate resilience. It explains what makes acommunity more likely to be harmed by the impacts of climate change and how communities can strengthen
their ability to adapt.

Part 1. Why Do We Need to Change our Behaviors and Adapt?
Key Points:

1. Climate change mitigation is very important to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere but
it will take a long time for the climate to return to normal. Until then, people and ecosystems must adapt.
a. Explain to participants that although it is not easy to know exactly how long it takes greenhouse gases
remain the atmosphere, there are estimates that indicate carbon dioxide can stay in the atmospherebetween 30 to 95 years. Scientists have found that while more than half of the CO2 emitted is removed
from the atmosphere within a century, about 20% of emitted CO2 remains in the atmosphere for many
thousands of years.
b. Discuss with the participants the challenges of adapting to a changing climate in a short period of time.
Review the impacts this is causing to ecosystems and highlight the opportunity humans have to change
behaviors.
2. Review the definition of Adaptation in the manual and use the vocabulary cards. Ask participants what
adaptation means for people, communities, businesses and governments and what type of behaviours
should change to make adaptation efforts successful. Raise the importance of working together.

30

Activity: It is Not as It Used to Be
a. Ask participants to give examples of products they buy today in a store that they used to get
directly from nature.
b. Ask participants to give examples of agricultural activities that were practiced without fertilizers
and that now require fertilizers.
c. Ask participants to describe two situations were climate change is affecting food production andtraditional agriculture.
d. What has influenced these changes? What are the impacts of these changes on ecosystems?
e. It is not as is used to be, how can we adapt and thrive?

Part 2. How Does Climate Change Impact Communities?
Key Points:

1. Communities are key stakeholders in government decision-making about adaptation at the national andinternational level and their knowledge and needs are key elements of effective adaptation efforts.
Ask participants to give examples of the how communities can contribute to adaptation decision-making
in their countries and in their own area.

Activity: Mapping my community
The goal of this activity is to make a map of the community and the surrounding areas it uses, identify
key areas of vulnerability, and assess the community’s capacity to respond to climate change andnatural hazards.
The activity consists of making a drawing or map of their community. It should show the location of:• important land and resource use areas (farms, fishing grounds, agro-forest),• Economic activities and where people live.
• Facilities and resources in the community, such as houses, churches/mosques, health clinics,
schools, roads.
• Natural ecosystems that the community depends on for food, building materials, or other needs.
• Areas that are most impacted by natural hazards, such as storms or floods.
When the map is completed, discuss what the community does when a natural hazard happens.
• What are the most serious threats to the community?
• In what areas is the community most likely to be harmed?
• How does the community work together to recover?
This is a very helpful activity to help understand the available resources and collective response tonatural hazards.
31

Climate Change Risks and Opportunities
a. Ask participants:

i. What type of risks is climate change bringing to your community?
ii. How does this affect your their traditional planning for agriculture and food production?
b. Using the poster of the effects of climate change inmy community:
i. Indicate communities are more likely to be harmed if the changes are unpredictable.
ii. Review the definition of natural hazard and discuss how climate change can increase the severity and frequency of natural hazards.

Exposure: cyclones

Exposure: cyclones

Exposure: sea level rise

Exposure: sea level rise

Exposure: storm surges

Exposure: storm surges

c. Discuss how climate change can also create newopportunities. Mention the example in the manual
about tuna (a species of fish widely used for foodand income) and compare the positive and negative impacts that changes to the tuna population in
the Pacific Ocean will have on human livelihoods.

Higher Sensitivity: Houses atground-level are more likely
to be harmed flooding.

Higher Sensitivity: This
community depends on only
one type of crop for food andincome.

Higher Adaptive Capacity:
This community has morethan one sourceof food andincome.

Higher sensitivity: This community does not have
healthy natural resources to protect them from orhelp them recover from climate impacts.

Higher Adaptive Capacity: Having access to stored water makes it
easier for a community to recover when a climate event impacts thewater supply.

Higher Adaptive Capacity:
This community has wellmanaged natural resources,
which can help them torecover from climate impacts.

Higher Adaptive Capacity:
Houses on stilts are less likely
to be harmed by flooding.

Part 3. What are Climate Vulnerability and Climate Resilience?
Key Points:

1. Climate vulnerability is a term used to describe how much anarea or a community can be harmed by the impacts of climatechange.
Tip: Before starting this part, ask who has heard of climate
vulnerability before. Review the definition of climate vulnerability in the manual and use the vocabulary cards.
a. Explain climate vulnerability is defined by three main factors:
i. Climate exposure
ii. Climate sensitivity
iii. Adaptive capacity
b. Use the poster with the drawing of Sensitivity, Exposure andAdaptive Capacity.

32

Understanding Sensitivity, Exposure and Adaptive Capacity
Climate Exposure refers to how likely it is that harmful climate impacts will
happen in a particular region. This includes climate hazards, such as storms
or floods, as well as other changes such as less rainfall or hotter temperatures. Storms, drought and flooding all occur from time to time, but when
they occur more often or are more severe, the community’s exposure to potential harm is increased. Climate exposure can be measured by collecting
information about the region’s history and past weather conditions suchas temperature, rainfall, flooding and droughts, to see how the weather ischanging over time. It can also help to use climate models (described below), which predict how the climate is likely to change in the future.

Climate Sensitivity describes how seriously climate change will harm a community—how much impact it will have on natural resources, specific livelihoods, or infrastructure (roads, houses, communication systems). If a community depends completely on farming or fishing for food and income andbuilds its houses at ground level, it is very sensitive, or likely to suffer damage from an unusually strong storm that destroys crops and fishing grounds
and floods houses. Sensitivity can be determined by gathering information
about how much a community depends on specific natural resources andecosystems and how likely they are to be damaged by climate hazards.

Adaptive Capacity is a community’s ability to cope with and recover fromthe impact of climate hazards and climate variability and to adapt to futureclimate impacts. Adaptive capacity is affected by the way a community is
managed and the skills and knowledge available to that community. A community that is well organized, with strong skills, access to traditional andscientific knowledge and financial resources, and that manages its natural
resources well and has a variety of ways to produce food and income has astrong adaptive capacity. It will be better able to recover from a strong storm
or decreased rainfall than a community without these resources. Adaptive
capacity can be determined by gathering information on community governance, resource management and livelihood systems, the resources it has,
the health of its ecosystems, and how well it has recovered in the past fromnatural hazards and times of stress.

2. Using examples from the table below for each factor, put them in the context of a community and draw an
example of how the interaction of these factors impact climate vulnerability:

Exposure

Sea level rise, number of hot days, annual rainfall, drought

Sensitivity

Drought tolerance of crops, level of flood-proofing of buildings,
diversity of crops

Adaptive Capacity

Amounts of household savings, level of education, access tocommunications technology

Tip: use the posters to compare the possible scenarios of vulnerability. Use the examples in the manual andgo into detail on the possible factors that could be changed to reduce the vulnerability.

Activity: More or Less Vulnerable?
Objective: to identify whether real-life examples contribute to greater or lesser vulnerability.
Time: 30 minutes
Supplies:• Index cards, post-it notes, or small pieces of paper, with one of the statements below written oneach of them. (Or, feel free to come up with your own statements.)• Markers• Two pieces of paper: one labeled “more vulnerable,” and the other labeled “less vulnerable”• Masking tape
Setting up: This game works best outside or in an open space, such as a hallway or an empty room.
Tape the “more vulnerable” sign on one side of the room, and the “less vulnerable” sign on the otherside of the room.
Directions:
1. Give each participant one card.
2. Have the participants stand in the middle of the room. Ask each participant to read theirstatement (to themselves) and decide if they are more or less vulnerable, then to move to thecorresponding side of the room.
3. Once the participants have moved to either side of the room, ask each one to read their card
aloud, then ask the other participants if they agree with that person’s choice. If not, ask themto move to the other side of the room.
Optional: Ask participants to identify if their card is an example of exposure, sensitivity, or adaptive
capacity. (Each statement below is identified with an E, S, or A next to it so that the trainer knows
which is which.)33

Alternative activity: on three different pieces of flip chart paper, write “Exposure,” “Sensitivity,” and“Adaptive Capacity.” Give each participant a piece of tape (or write the statements on post-it notes),
and ask them to place their card on the corresponding piece of flip chart paper. After all of the cards
have been placed on the flipchart paper, read the statements aloud, and ask participants if they areon the correct piece of paper. If not, ask them which piece of paper they should move the card to.
Sample statements:
1.

My community has experienced very strong storms this year. (E)2.

The houses by the ocean in my community can be damaged by strong storms. (S)3.

I can go stay with my family in the city if there are any problems in my community.(A)4.

I save $10 every week to help my family, in case anything bad happens. (A)5.

I have just bought disaster risk insurance for my business. (A)6.

The rains usually come in February, but this year they haven’t come yet. (E)7.

The tide is coming closer to my house than it used to. (E)8.

My garden needs water every day this time of year. (S)9.

My community only grows one type of crop. (S)10. My community relies on fishing as our only livelihood. (S)11. My community has early warning systems in case of a disaster. (A)12. My family has drinking water stored in case it doesn’t rain. (A)
13. There have been more hot days this year than in the past. (E)14. My house is close to the ground and is likely to be damaged by flooding. (S)
15. There have been more cyclones this year than in the past. (E)16. My community has a healthy forest to protect the watershed. (S)17. Deforestation has happened in my community. (S)18. My community has lost the mangroves that we used to have. (S)19. My community has strong leadership. (A)
20. The river where we get our drinking water has dried up. (E)21. My community grows many different types of crops. (A)
22. It is difficult to reach a health center from my community. (S)23. The fishing grounds near my community are likely to be damaged by storms. (S)24. If the weather is hotter than expected, I can plant a different type of crop. (A)
25. The roads to my community are likely to be washed away by flooding. (S)34

3. Review each definition in the manual and use the vocabulary cards.
Explain the following key points to the participants:• Climate Exposure is how likely climate impacts occur in a region. The more frequent and intenseclimate hazards occur, the more exposure the region will have.
• Climate Sensitivity is the degree to which a community is affected directly or indirectly by climatechange. The more adequate infrastructure, diversified economy, healthy populations and ecosystems,
the community is less sensitive to suffer damage.
• Adaptive Capacity is the community’s ability to recover from climate impacts. The more skills,
knowledge, good governance, organization and management the community has, the stronger theadaptive capacity to recover from climate impacts.
4. Use the scheme below to connect each definition and develop an example:

Training Guide Figure 3. Elements of Vulnerability

35

Activity: Adaptive capacity—The Piggy Bank
The goal of this activity is to understand the concept of adaptive capacity. For this activity the trainer
brings a piggy bank or any container to act as the bank. (Or, draw a piggy bank on a large pieceof paper, and use pieces of paper with tape on them to represent coins.) Adaptive Capacity is theability to cope and recover from climate hazards and variability, plan for and adapt to future changes
and access and manage the resources needed to recover and adapt.
Use the results from the previous exercises on climate vulnerability and climate sensitivity. Ask theparticipants to identify all the assets the community has that will help them to recover from theimpact of climate hazards. Each asset counts as a coin and goes to the piggy
bank. The more assets found in the community the higher the adaptive
capacity and the more coins in the bank. Try to characterize the different
type of assets and conclude the activity explaining that when a community
is well organized, with strong skills, knowledge and financial resources, andmanages its natural resources sustainably, its adaptive capacity is like a
piggy bank, with savings that will help them to recover faster and more easily
from the impacts of climate hazards.

What other conditions affect vulnerability?

1. Use the poster called «More Vulnerable to Less Vulnerable». Describe some aspects that increase thevulnerability of a community.
2. Non-climate factors also affect vulnerability of communities. Explain that vulnerability increases whencommunities have limited sources of income, food or shelter. This means a low adaptive capacity. Give
examples of how a community with already low adaptive capacity can become even weaker due toincreased threat from climate change.
3. Explain that some individuals in the same community are more vulnerable than others and analyze theaspects that influence how sensitivity and adaptive capacity of individual members of a community is not
the same.

What is Climate Resilience?

1. Climate resilience is a term used to describe the ability of a community or ecosystem to recover from a
climate hazard and return to normal functioning.
Tip: Before starting this part, ask if any of the participants are familiar with the term ‘climate resilience’.
Review the definition of climate resilience in the manual and use the vocabulary cards.
a. Use the poster on Climate Resilience. Compare
the two scenarios of the same community and discuss all aspects that make the community and theecosystems more resilient.

36

Climate Resilienceb. It is important to distinguish the difference between adaptive capacity and climate resilience. Adaptive
Capacity is how much the community’s skills, management, infrastructure and resources contribute toincreasing or decreasing the community’s vulnerability to specific climate hazards. Resilience examines
all the strengths and weaknesses that a community has and seeks to strengthen those weaknesses andimprove a community’s ability to recover from any harmful impact from climate change.
c. Review the case study of Andavadoaka, Madagascar. Ask participants to discuss and illustrate theircommunity’s resilience or why their community is not resilient to climate hazards.

Part 4. Vulnerability-Based Planning or Resilience-Based Planning for
Climate Change
Key Points:

1. Explain that there are two main approaches to climate change adaptation planning:a. Vulnerability-based approachb. Resilience-based approach
2. Describe and discuss with participants the differences and characteristics:

Characteristics ofPlanning Context

Approach

Stronger Vulnerability Focus

Stronger Resilience Focus

High level of understanding of
future climate and impacts

Low level of understanding of
future climate and impacts

High level of access toknowledge relevant tovulnerability

Low level of access toknowledge relevant tovulnerability

Low level of existing variability

High level of existing variability

High certainty

Low certainty

More focused on reducing
sensitivity

More focused on improving
adaptive capacity

What is a vulnerability-based approach to adaptation planning?

1. Remind participants a “vulnerability based approach” planning requires information on climate hazards
and prediction about what type of impacts may occur from climate change in the future. It looks at a
community’s exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity to identify the specific impacts the community
may face.
a. The main question in a vulnerability based approach planning is: What are the livelihood activities andnatural resources most likely to be harmed by climate events and climate change, and what should be done
to protect them?
b. Review the Verde Island Passage example in the manual.

37

c. Remind participants that vulnerability based approach is more focused on reducing sensitivity.
d. Illustrate cases where there is not enough information or resources to take “vulnerability-basedplanning approach” and review the definition for “resilience-based planning approach”.

What is a resilience-based approach to adaptation planning?

1. Remind participants a “resilience-based planning approach” examines the strengths and weaknesses of
the community, builds on the characteristics of a community that are strong and will enable it to recoverfrom any hazard, and tries to strengthen those characteristics that are weak.
a. The main question in a resilience-based planning approach is: What are the characteristics of acommunity that will help that community be strong given any kind of climate event or change?
b. Review the South Africa example in the manual.
c. Remind participants that a resilience-based approach is more focused on improving adaptive capacity.
d. Illustrate cases where the approach can change or be combined.

Part 5. What types of knowledge and tools are important forcommunities who want to adapt?
Key Points:

1. Adaptation planning requires knowledge, information and tools for decision making.

Local Knowledge

1. Review the definition of traditional knowledge. Ask participants to provide examples of how traditional
knowledge contributes to adaptation planning.
2. Review the definition of shared experience. Ask participants to provide examples of how shared experience
contributes to adaptation planning.
3. Review the definition of local scientific research. Ask participants to provide examples of how local
scientific research contributes to adaptation planning.
4. Discuss with participants how indigenous peoples and local communities, who depend on forests, adapt
to changes in natural conditions. Mention some of the examples in the manual.

External Knowledge

1. Review the definition of external knowledge. Ask participants to provide examples of how External
Knowledge contributes to adaptation planning.
2. Discuss with participants the importance of combining local and external knowledge to address the realneeds of the community.
3. Explain how participation, information sharing and collaboration among communities, scientists,
governments can contribute to increase adaptive capacity and help communities be more resilient to theimpacts of climate change through good decision making. Mention some of the examples in the manual.

Tools that help to understand Vulnerability and Resilience
1. Ask volunteers to provide some examples of tools that help to understand vulnerability and resilience.
2. Describe some of the most important tools:

38

a. Climate monitoring: explain what means and how it contributes to understand vulnerability andresilience.
ii. Mention the different type of devices used for climate monitoring.
i. Highlight the value of collecting information and explain that accurate historical climate informationis very helpful to understand what climate was like in the past, how it is changing now, and what it
will look like in the future.
b. Climate models: explain what climate models are and how they contribute to understanding vulnerability
and resilience.
i. Mention the types of data needed to build a climate model and the resources and skills needed torun a climate model.
ii. Highlight the fact that climate models help to interpret possible climate scenarios in the future andare useful tools for decision making.
iii. Remind participants these tools do have limitations and only provide an estimate of what is likely tohappen. A good model requires: good data, scientific expertise, good equipment.
c. Early Warning Systems: explain what means and how it contributes to understand vulnerability andresilience.
i. Mention all the data, skills and resources needed for an early warning system.
ii. Highlight how useful it is to alert communities and give enough time to put their planning into
action.
iii. Provide some examples of possible alternatives to setting up an early warning system.
d. Vulnerability Assessments: explain what means and how it contributes to understand vulnerability andresilience.
i. Mention all the resources needed to implement this tool.
ii. Highlight how vulnerability assessments have combined local and external knowledge.
iii. Explain that this topic will be further discussed in Session 6.

39

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER:• The climate is changing, and communities must be able to adapt to both the negative impacts
and new opportunities that these changes bring.
• Communities should try to understand their vulnerability to climate change by assessing their
exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity.
• Communities that are strong and and manage their resources well are more resilient to climatechange.
• Communities can improve their resilience to climate change by diversifying livelihoods
strategies,and protecting and strengthening the health of their natural resources.
• With enough information on likely climate impacts in their region, communities can take avulnerability-based approach to adaptation• With limited information on potential climate change impacts in their region, communities cantake a resilience-based approach to climate adaptation• Local knowledge should be used together with external knowledge to help a community prepare
for climate change.
• There are a variety of tools available to communities to help them do adaptation planningand action.

40

KEY TERMS TO REMEMBER:
Adaptive Capacity: The ability to adjust to
current and future changes caused by climatechange and to acquire the skills and manage theresources needed to recover from the impacts ofclimate change.

Climate Sensitivity: How much a community
depends on natural resources, particularly livelihoods and infrastructure systems that are likely
to be harmed by climate events and climatechange.

Climate Exposure: The likelihood that naturally occurring climate events (such as storms or
floods), or changes to climate conditions (suchas less rainfall, or hotter temperatures) will harma community’s natural resources, livelihoods
and infrastructure (roads, houses, communications systems.

Climate Vulnerability: The degree to which climate changes can cause harm to a community
or ecosystem.
Disaster: A hazard can become a disaster when
it seriously disrupts a community’s ability to lead
their daily lives, causing major human, economicand environmental loss.

Climate Hazard: Climate events that cause damage or harm to a community or its surrounding Early Warning System: Systems that alert comenvironment, including hurricanes, cyclones, munities to prepare for a climate hazard or event.
drought, and extreme flooding.
External Knowledge: Knowledge that comes
Climate Models: Computer studies that predict from outside a system or community.
future exposure to climate change. Scientists
take the data they collect on the atmosphere,
greenhouse gases, oceans, land and ice and put
it into computers to create different scenariosor pictures, showing what will happen to the climate in the future.

Local Knowledge: Knowledge that comes frominside a system or community.
Resilience-based approach: Examines the strengths
and weaknesses of the community that will determine how well it can protect itself and recoverfrom the impacts of climate change.

Climate Monitoring: Observing different aspects of climate (rainfall, temperature, storms) Traditional Knowledge: The wisdom, knowledge
to understand a community’s past and current and practices of indigenous peoples and local
exposure to climate hazards.
communities gained over time through expeClimate Resilience: The ability of a community rience and orally passed on from generation toand its natural resources to recover from the generation.
damage or harm suffered because of climate Vulnerability-based approach: focuses on unhazards or climate variability and to return to derstanding how a community’s resources andnormal functioning.
livelihoods can be harmed by current and future
Climate Risk: The risk that climate and/or impacts of climate change. It looks at a community’s exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity.
weather will negatively affect human life.3

41

42

TRAINING GUIDE© CI/Haroldo Castro

Session 5. Maintaining Healthy Ecosystems to Adapt
Livelihoods to Climate Change

LEARNING OBJECTIVESAt the end of the session, participants should be able to:• Understand how ecosystems and their services help communities build resilience and adapt to climatechange• Understand how ecosystem services support different livelihoods• Understand how ecosystem services are impacted by climate change• Explain how ecosystem services support three important livelihoods—fisheries, agriculture andpastoralism• Discuss examples of adaptation strategies for fisheries, agriculture and pastoralism• Understand how people can improve the resilience of ecosystems and their livelihood services to protect
themselves from climate change impacts.

TRAINING TOOLS FOR THIS SESSION:
Posters:• Ecosystems for Fisheries• Ecosystems for Agriculture• Ecosystems for Pastoralism
Games/Activities:• Pictionary• The crossword puzzle

43Supplies:• Flipchart• Markers
This session builds on the information from Session 1 (on the importance of ecosystems and ecosystemservices) and the information from Session 4 (on how communities and ecosystems are vulnerable to climatechange). It brings these two ideas together to show how ecosystems support people and livelihoods and how
adaptation plans can be made to protect ecosystems and their services.

SESSION 5.

KEY POINTS AND TRAINING TIPSPart 1. How Can Ecosystem Services Help People Adapt to Climate Change?
Key Points

1. Explain the definition of Ecosystem services.
a. In Session 1, we learned that an ecosystem is a group of plants and animals that live together in a
specific place that has a particular environment that enables them to survive. The environment is thecharacteristics of the surrounding area, for example soil, rocks and water.
b. Ecosystems provide essential services for people all over the world. Ecosystem services are the resources
and processes provided by natural ecosystems that support human livelihoods, safeguard biodiversity
and help control climate. Healthy ecosystems are essential to life on earth.
c. Ask participants to recall some of the examples of the ecosystem services given in the first part of theworkshop (Session 1).
2. Explain how investing in ecosystems for climate change adaptation can reduce the SENSITIVITY ofcommunities by:a. Maintaining the delivery of ecosystem services.
b. For example: maintaining a healthy forest will ensure that there are materials to rebuild houses after anatural disaster.
c. Protecting resources from the impacts of climate hazards.
d. For example: healthy mangrove systems help protect coastal areas from large waves during storms andhelp keep saltwater out of the freshwater supply.
3. Explain how investing in Ecosystems for climate change Adaptation can increase the ADAPTIVECAPACITY of communities:
a. Providing alternative option/services for meeting human wellbeing needs.
b. Good management of both fisheries and upland forests provides more than one source of food andincome to help the community set aside food reserves and money to help recover from a climate hazard.

44

Activity: Ecosystem Pictionary
The objective of this game is to illustrate examples of ecosystem services that can reduce a
community’s vulnerability to climate change or increase its resilience.
• Organize the participants into two groups.
• Each group will pick one volunteer to make the drawings. Each representative will be assigned anecosystem (e.g. forests, grasslands, wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs).
• In one group the volunteer will draw the ecosystem and then illustrate examples of ecosystemservices that may reduce a community’s vulnerability to climate change.
• The second group will do the same exercise, but this time the volunteer will illustrate examples of
ecosystems that increase a community’s resilience to climate change.
• The rest of the participants in the groups will guess the service being drawn and how vulnerability
can be reduced or resilience increased.
• The first group that identifies three ecosystem services correctly wins.

Part 2. How do Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services Support Human
Livelihoods?
Key Points

1. Ecosystems and their services support many human livelihoods—fisheries, agriculture and pastoralism
are three of the most important.
2. Specific ecosystem services support these livelihood options
3. Communities can take action to protect the ecosystem services that support livelihoods.
4. Review the case study examples in the manual and discuss how communities are adapting behaviors toprotect fisheries, agriculture and pastoralism.

45

Activity:
1. Ask to participants to form three groups. The groups will each discuss one of the examples of
how ecosystems and ecosystem services support human livelihoods (fisheries, agriculture, andpastoralism). Give each group the poster that illustrates the livelihood and ask the participants
to answer and discuss the following questions. Participants can refer to the case studies in the
manual, but ask them to consider the questions based on their own knowledge or experience
as well.
• How do ecosystems support the fisheries, agriculture or pastoralism adaptation?
• How does climate change impact ecosystem services that support fisheries, agriculture or
pastoralism?
• What are some examples of adaptation strategies for fisheries, agriculture or pastoralism?
2. Ask each group to report back on the results of the discussion and give a summary of their
responses to the questions.

Activity: the crossword puzzle of ecosystem services and human
livelihoods
Print out copies of the cross word puzzle at the end of the Session 5 Training Guide.
I. Ask the participants to complete the crossword puzzle. Whoever finishes first receives a prize!
The answers are shown below:
1. Ecosystems
2. Pastoralism
3. Fisheries
4. Agriculture

46

Part 3. How Can People Increase Ecosystem Resilience to Climate Change
and Human Pressure?
Understanding an Ecosystem’s Vulnerability

1. Describe some of the most important information needed to determine the vulnerability of ecosystems
and develop adaptation plans:• Understand exposure of ecosystems to climate and development• Determine sensitivity of ecosystems to those impacts• Understand what skills the community has to respond to or protect it from climate hazards.
2. Highlight the importance of using both local and external knowledge.

Diversifying Livelihood Strategies

1. Explain the term ‘diversifying’ (expanding the number of options or ways of doing something). Remember
the saying, ‘Don’t put all of your eggs into one basket!’ Provide some examples, such as planting several
crops, and ask any local farmer his opinion and perspective on diversifying his way of farming.
2. Discuss some of the challenges and opportunities diversifying livelihood strategies can provide to acommunity.
3. Finalize the discussion by linking diversification with resilience. Diversification reduces sensitivity to
climate hazards and strengthens resilience.
4. Use the examples from the manual to go more into detail.
47

Taking action for Adaptation Planning

1. Explain that adaptation planning for climate change is focusing more and more on ecosystems as well as
infrastructure, public services, and communication systems.
2. Climate change adaptation planning that focuses on actions to increasing the resilience of ecosystems andecosystem services is often referred to as Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Planning.
3. Ask participants of any examples where governments and communities can take actions that makeecosystems more resilient to climate change.
4. Conclude this session by explaining that if ecosystems are more resilient, people and communities will be
more resilient as well.

Activity: Matching problems with ecosystem-based solutions
Objective: to identify ways that ecosystem-based actions can address challenges
Time: 20 minutes
Supplies:• Flipchart paper• Markers or pens
• Tape• Scissors• Post-it notes (optional)
Setting up: Draw a map of a fictional community. (It can be very simple!) The map should show
different problems like sea level rise, deforestation/forest fires, erosion, contaminated water supply,
or low fish populations. Then, on smaller pieces of paper, draw solutions such as reforestation,
mangrove and coral reef restoration, and agroforestry. Put a piece of tape on each piece of paper
so that participants can place them on top of the problem that they see. (Or use post-it notes, if
you have them.)
Directions: Ask for volunteers from the group to identify one of the problems that they see inthe drawing. Then, ask them to match one of the solutions on the smaller pieces of paper to the
problem, and stick it on the drawing. For example, coral reef restoration could be matched with low
fish populations, or reforestation could be matched with soil erosion.
Alternative: Ask participants to draw a map of their own communities, and use this instead.
Note: This activity could also be used in Session 1.
Activity by Elisheva Efrayim, Robert Kafoa, Maleli Qera,
Stephanie Robinson, Betani Salusalu, Thomas Tui

48

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER:• Ecosystem services provide many basic resources to support people’s livelihoods.
• Climate change will impact ecosystem services (such as access to water, food, protection fromstorms, flooding and drought)• Adaptation strategies must consider each community’s local knowledge and specificenvironmental situation.
• Important livelihood options depend on ecosystems services—understanding how climate change
impacts these services will help communities create effective adaptation plans to protect livelihoods.
• Healthy ecosystems that are managed well are more resilient than ecosystems that are weakened
from overuse and poor management• Diversifying livelihoods is an adaptation strategy that increases a community’s resilience toclimate impacts and takes pressure off of ecosystems that are heavily used.
• Adaptation strategies that include ecosystems ensure that ecosystem services, communities andtheir livelihoods are resilient.

KEY TERMS TO REMEMBER:
Agroforesty: An approach to agriculture and livestock raising that incorporates trees and/or
shrubs together with agriculture to produce increased productivity and sustainability.

which a plant or animal lives that impacts its
behavior and ability to live.

Marine Protected Areas (MPA): Areas of thecoast and/or ocean that have been established
Aquaculture: The cultivation, or “farming” of as “protected” and given rules about access andfreshwater and saltwater fish species, such as use. MPAs are designed to conserve fish andfinfish or shellfish, in pens and other enclosed other species and maintain healthy fisheries forareas under controlled conditions.
long-term use.
Coral Bleaching: Death of the small colorful organisms that live inside the tissue of coral.

Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs): MPAs
that are managed largely or wholly by local communities including near-shore waters and coasEcosystem: A group of plants, animals (including
tal resources.
people) and microorganisms that live together
in a specific place with a particular environment Ocean Acidification: Process in which oceansthat enables them to survive.
absorb excess CO2 from the atmosphere andbecome more acidic. Ocean acidification is inEcosystem Services: The resources and sercreasing with climate change.
vices provided by natural ecosystems.
Pastoralism: The raising of livestock that inEnvironment: The external surroundings (forvolves moving herds from place to place to findexample soil, rocks and water availability) in
pasture and water.

49

50

TRAINING GUIDE

CI/John Martin© CI/Mike Matarasso

Session 6. How to plan for adaptation andtake action

Session 1

LEARNING OBJECTIVESAt the end of the session, participants should be able to:• Understand what an adaptation plan is and why it’s important to have one• Understand the steps for creating an adaptation plan and putting it into action• Understand what a vulnerability assessment is and why it’s an important foundation of an adaptationplan• Explain the importance of community participation in adaptation planning• Understand the importance of measuring success and revising actions• Understand why adaptation is a continual process of learning and acting• Explain how adaptation planning can be joined with other planning processes

TRAINING TOOLS FOR THIS SESSION:

Posters:• The Adaptation Planning Cycle• Assessing Climate Threats vs. Non-Climate Threats
Games / Activities:• Mapping Climate Threats and Non-Climate Threats• The Seasonal Calendar
Supplies:• Large sheets of paper or a chalk board• Colored Markers and/or chalk51

SESSION 6.

KEY POINTS AND TRAINING TIPS

This session covers the steps and considerations needed to design an effective adaptation plan and put it
into action. It also provides general information on how to conduct a vulnerability assessment and othertools that can help communities with adaptation planning. The session builds on the information about
ecosystem services and assessing climate vulnerability that were presented in earlier sessions and discusses
the importance of combining adaptation planning with other planning processes.

Part 1. What is an adaptation plan and what is the process to createone?
Key Points:

1. Review the definition of adaptation plan and use the vocabulary cards.
a. Participants should understand the importance of multi-stakeholder participation in adaptation
planning.
b. Compare the different scales that exist for adaptation planning. Ask participants to discuss the resources
and skills needed and the people/groups that should be involved for national, regional and local orcommunity planning. How are the needs of each level of planning different? How are they the same?
2. Have the participants look at the poster showing the adaptation planning process. Clarify that not every
adaptation planning process is the same. This is just an illustration of some of the most important steps orcomponents in adaptation planning processes—in fact these components are usually part of any effectiveplanning process.
a. Ask participants to share experiences from working on different types of planning processes andcompare the lessons learned.
b. Ask if anyone in the group has participated in an Adaptation Planning process and can share thatexperience.

Organizing the Adaptation Planning Process

1. Remind participants that each community has different ways to take decisions and should make its own
decision about the best way to get organized and do the planning process. Highlight the importance offull and effective participation of all the community members
in adaptation planning, Creating ownership of the planning
process by the whole community will can result in a more
The Adaptation Planning Cycle
effective plan.
2. Use the poster with the drawing of the Adaptation Planning
Cycle. Review important steps to consider when organizing theadaptation planning process:a. Understand all parts of the Adaptation Planning Process:Discuss the key aspects of the adaptation planning process
the community should consider. Highlight the importanceof collaboration and incorporation of external and local
knowledge in the whole process.
b. Identify the resources needed to complete the adaptation
planning process: Discuss the importance of information
sharing, capacity building and collaboration. Explain that52

1. Organize the Planning Process
Identify the leadership, partners,
resources, and comunication needs
for the Adaptation Planning process.

2. Assess Vulnerability
Conduct a Vulnerability
Assessment to understandthe exposure and sensitivy
to climate and non-climate
threats.

6.Review and Update
the Adaptation Plan
Regularly review and updatebased on the evaluation of results,
new conditions and information.

5. Monitor and Evaluate Results
Develop a method to monitor theaction plan and evaluate how
well those actions worked.

Steps

3. Develop a Strategy& Action Plan
Define and prioitize the approachand areas of work, the goals
and the actions required todecrease vulnerability andincrease resilience.

4. Implement the
Adaptation Action Plan
Define the roles, responsibilities and any
additional partners or resources required
to implement and undertake the actions.

resources are not only financial but also include human and technical support that can come fromwithin the community and from outside.
c. Identify the adaptation planning team and team leader: Explain that the community should decide
who leads the process and describe the importance of assigning roles and responsibilities for successful
teamwork.
d. Design a participatory communication and community engagement process: Ask participants to shareexperiences of building a participatory process. Refer to some of the common platforms for stakeholder
engagement and information sharing, such as roundtables or community committees. Mention thevalue of raising awareness about the reason for creating the plan and keeping the community informed
throughout the entire planning process.

Assessing Vulnerability

1. Review the definition of Vulnerability Assessment. Use the vocabulary cards.
2. Explain that the vulnerability assessment is the next step following after the planning process has beenorganized. Revisit the definition of exposure, sensitivity and climate hazards.
Tip: Work with the organizers of the workshop to arrange a guest presenter for the training to explain a local
or national experience from conducting a vulnerability assessment.
3. Discuss all the possible scales and sectors in which a vulnerability assessment can be done. Mention that
information from vulnerability assessments at national or regional levels can provide helpful information
about possible impacts to local ecosystems.
4. A good vulnerability assessment requires gathering information from several sources. This includes all of
the relevant stakeholder groups both within and outside of the community. Women, elders, and those who
depend most on the community’s natural resources often have the most knowledge about the ecosystems
that are most important to the community.
5. Explain the basic steps, outlined in the manual, to organize a vulnerability assessment. Clarify that eachvulnerability assessment is different but there are common elements. The elements include:a. Consider threats that are not from climate hazards
or climate change.
Use the poster called, “Assessing Climate Threatsvs. Non-Climate Threats”

Assessing Non-climate and Climate Threats
Non-climate threats• Pollution, including disposal of solid waste (plastics), and industrial waste• Removal of mangroves and upland forests due to quarries and sand mining,which increases sediment runoff and kills coral and sea grasses• Illegal fishing practices (dynamite fishing, shark fin fishing)• Natural disasters—earthquakes and tsunamis• Overfishing

Climate threats• Increased storm frequency and intensity• Increased sea surface temperature• Ocean acidification• Increased rainfall• Sea level risei. Explain that communities need to identify all
the ways they are vulnerable, not just from climate hazards and climate change. Ask participants to provide examples of climate and nonclimate threats.
ii. Mention that identifying these threats shows
communities which resources are healthy andwhich are already weakened and need help.

53

Activity: Mapping Climate Threats and Non-Climate Threats
The objective of this activity is to understand the difference between climate and non-climate threats.
ii. Provide an example of a vulnerability assessment to be conducted in a specific landscape(pastoralism in West Africa, Agroforestry in Central America). Or, ask participants to use their own
community.
iii.Ask participants to give examples of all possible threats that contribute to the vulnerability of thecommunity.
iv. Ask participants to identify whether the each threat is from climate or non-climate factors.
v. Refer to the poster called “Assessing Climate Threats vs. Non-Climate Threats”. Ask participants todescribe all the examples that are in the illustration.

b. Develop a picture of local climateiii. In this step, it is very important to understand the climate exposure and climate sensitivity of thecommunity.
ii. Ask participants to provide examples.
c. Assess the community’s vulnerability
i. Review all the inputs provided below and explain that the final step is the assessment of what importantresources are vulnerable to climate change and how that affects the community’s vulnerability.
ii. Ask participants to provide examples and use the diagram below as a resource.

54

What tools can help a community conduct a vulnerability assessment?

1. Explain some of the available tools based on community participation that can help communities recordand make use of this knowledge.
2. Review the definition in the manual of:a. Community Resource Mapping (Refer to Activity in Session 4: Mapping my Community)b. Climate Risk Mappingc. Seasonal Calendars

Activity: The Seasonal Calendar
The purpose of this activity is to understand the changes in livelihoods over the year and to show theseasonality of agricultural and non-agricultural activities in the community.
1. If participants are from several communities, organize them into groups from the same community.
If the training is being given in one community, organize the participants into groups that areexperienced in different ways resources are used or managed, such as hunters, farmers, fishermen/
women or community business owners or leaders.
2. Each group will answer the following questions:a. Human effort: What are the busiest months of the year? When are human activities occurring
most often (planting, hunting, planning activities, etc.)
b. Food: What part of the year is food scarce or plentiful?
c. Income: How does income vary over the year for men and women?
d. Rainfall: How does rainfall vary over the year?
e. Water sanitation: How does drinking water availability vary over the year?
f. Human diseases: How do human diseases vary over the year?
3. Ask participants to illustrate the resultsfrom all questions on a large sheet of paper or it can be outline on the ground usingstones, sticks, leaves, etc.

January

February

March

April

May

June

4. Ask participants to describe possible links
they see among the different topics of thecalendar.
Present the results from each seasonal calendar and discuss the possible ways thistool can be useful in adaptation planning andvulnerability assessments.
Time needed: 2 hours
55

Developing an Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan

1. Explain that the vulnerability assessment process does not end until all the people who participatedand will use the information to make the adaptation plan understand the results and outcomes of theassessment.
2. Then the community can use the information to decide what actions are most important to help reduce
vulnerability and increase resilience, when they should be taken and what group or organization will leadthe implementation of the activities in the adaptation plan.
3. Assessing the available and required resources is essential.
4. Emphasize that the vulnerability assessment should lead to action. Mention some examples of actions
included in an adaptation plan such as:a. Creating early warning systems
b. Infrastructure for water resources managementc. Improving watershed management
5. Community participation is fundamental in all steps. Explain that many groups will need to adapt to
new actions and the rights of all groups involved must be respected, and that all groups should be fully
informed about and give their consent to actions that will affect their lands and livelihoods. ,Monitoring and evaluating the results of the Adaptation Plan

1. Discuss the importance of regularly collecting relevant information to monitor, evaluate and report on
the effectiveness of adaptation actions. This can also include information about changes in behavior andattitudes.
2. Review some of the examples in the manual for monitoring and evaluation processes:• Periodic reporting to the community members and to groups that may have supplied financial or technicalsupport for the plan (Progress reporting during the time period required to complete activities and when
actions are completed and both important.)• Individual or group interviews• Feedback from regular community meetings• Measuring the benefits of the activities versus their costs• Measuring changes in the health of important ecosystems.
3. Emphasize the importance of gathering and evaluating accurate information about the results of theaction taken. Review how this helps with decision-making on new actions and helps the community to beaccountable for completing all of the commitments in the plan. This also helps to monitor the effective useof all of the financial, human and technical resources used to design and implement the adaptation plan.

Reviewing and Updating the Adaptation Plan

1. Managing an adaptation plan is a continual dynamic process. Explain adaptation is about adjusting tochange. Because change always happens, adaptation plans must be able to change and adjust as well.

56

2. Review some of the important points about adaptation plan review, reassessing community’s vulnerability
and revising adaptation strategies and action plans. Ask participants for opinions on the best approach toreview and update adaptation plans in their communities.

Part 2: How can climate change adaptation planning be integrated withother planning processes?
1. Review the definition of integrated adaptation planning—use the vocabulary cards.

2. Explain that adaptation planning, in many cases, is involved in other ongoing planning processes.
Highlight the importance of creating linkages with existing processes and planning resources.
3. Ask participants for examples where adaptation planning could be integrated to other planning processes.
Mention examples such as economic development, water management and conservation planning.
Explain that climate change and ecosystem services are linking issues across different planning processes.
And explain that including ecosystems in all areas of planning is important since ecosystem services
support human development in so many ways.

Integrating climate change adaptation and ecosystem services into development
planning

1. Protecting ecosystem services is also important to a good development strategy. Climate adaptation
planning provides an opportunity to make a link with development planning such as water, sanitation,energy, education and agriculture.
2. Ask participants to provide local examples and opportunities of integrating climate change adaptationand ecosystem services into development planning.
3. Review the case study of Malawi.

Integrating climate change adaptation into conservation planning

1. Natural resources are best protected when the communities know what climate impacts are likely to affectthem in the future.
2. Review some examples of integrating conservation, ecosystem and climate adaptation priorities.
3. Review the case study of Mali.

Integrating climate change adaptation and ecosystems into disaster planning

1. A hazard becomes a disaster when it seriously disrupts a community’s daily life and causes major human,economic and environmental loss.
2. Recovering from a disaster usually requires outside help, but a community can reduce the risk of harm byplanning what to do if disaster strikes.
3. Review the definition of Disaster Risk Reduction Planning. Ask participants to provide examples on
action to improve resilience to potential hazards.
4. Review the Case Study of Tonga.

Integrating national and local climate change adaptation planning

1. Local plans should be linked to national plans in order to be truly effective. Ideally, national planning will
involve detailed consultation with all communities or groups involved.

57

2. Review National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA). Use the policy timeline poster from Session
3 to review the UNFCCC process and background on the development of NAPAS.
3. Emphasize that local governments are increasingly considering climate change adaptation in their own
planning processes.
4. Review the Case Study of Kiribati.

Integrating planning through an Ecosystem-based Adaptation Approach

1. Finish the session by discussing how Ecosystem-based Adaptation can be the common link across all theseplanning processes. Use the vocabulary cards and explain that through an EbA approach, it is possible tocombine ecosystem services management and biodiversity protection to support human development,risk management, and conservation for more effective and integrated results.

Discussion Question: How can climate change adaptation andecosystem services be incorporated into other types of planning?
Time: 30 minutes (15 for small groups, 15 to report back)After providing some examples of how climate change adaptation and ecosystem services havebeen incorporated into ongoing planning processes around the world (see page xx for examples),split the participants into three groups to discuss the following question, in relation to three different
sectors:
How can climate change adaptation and ecosystem services be incorporated into other typesof planning?
• Group 1: Discuss and provide local examples and opportunities where climate change adaptationand ecosystem services could be integrated into development planning.
• Group 2: Discuss and provide local examples and opportunities where climate change adaptationand ecosystem services could be integrated into disaster risk reduction planning.
• Group 3: Discuss and provide local examples and opportunities where climate change adaptationand ecosystem services could be integrated into conservation planning.
Then, bring the three groups back together to share their examples.

58

important things to remember:• Adaptation planning requires:• good organization;• using all available information;• assessing climate and non-climate risks and threats;• defining and implementing a strategy and action plan;• and identifying the necessary resources for implementation;• Communities should define an Adaptation Planning process that works best for their community
and that involves the whole community and other groups or individuals who will be affected by
the actions.
• Vulnerability Assessments help communities understand the threats they might face (their vulnerability) from climate change and enable them to develop effective adaptation strategies.
• It is important to continually monitor, evaluate, and revise the adaptation plan.
• Adaptation planning needs to be evaluated and updated on a continual basis, incorporating lessons learned and new conditions and information.

59

KEY TERMS TO REMEMBER:
Adaptation Planning: A continual process thata community or group undertakes to assess its
vulnerability to climate change and identify actions to reduce that vulnerability. Also involves
implementing the actions, monitoring and evaluating the results, and revising and updating theaction plan.

and prior rights to their lands and resources andrespects their legitimate authority to require thatthird parties enter into an equal and respectful
relationship with them, based on the principle ofinformed consent.”2

Integrated adaptation planning: Brings together adaptation planning for climate change
Adaptation Strategy: The approach, areas of with other planning processes— such as planfocus, and goals that an adaptation plan takes. ning for development, or disaster risk reduction,
or water utility management. (To integrate means
Adaptation Plan: A plan made by a group of
to combine two or more things.)
people (a country or a community) that describes the actions they will take to reduce their Monitoring and Evaluation: Assessing the effecvulnerability to climate change. Activities can in- tiveness of an action, activity, policy or program.
clude creating new management policies, building a storm shelter, creating an early warning Participatory Processes: Method for making
system, or rotating crops, among many other decisions that involves the active participationby all members of a group.
things.
Ecosystem-based Adaptation: Using ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment: A process that
services as part of an overall plan to help people gathers information to identify areas where acommunity is exposed or sensitive to climate
adapt to climate change.
and non-climate hazards, or where and how
FPIC: “Free, prior and informed consent recogni- their ecosystems and resources or livelihoods
zes indigenous peoples’ consent (FPIC) inherent could be damaged.

60

61

Conservation International
2011 Crystal Drive
Arlington, VA, USA 22202(01-703-341-2400)
www.conservation.org