Landivar University– Environment and Climate Change Adaptation Research - Landivar University - Environment and Climate Change Adaptation Research Landivar-Unidversitetet: Forskning kring miljö och klimatanpassning Reprogrammed funds to mitigate the impact of COVID-19
The name of this contribution is “Building research-action networks for territorial development and adaptation to climate change”. The contribution will be carried out in cooperation with the Rafael Landívar University (URL) and its Institute of Research and Outreach and Environment and Society (IARNA). This institute is one of Guatemala’s most well-known environmental institutes. The Rafael Landívar University is a private university with campuses both in the capital and in several provinces.

With the Swedish funds allocated to the contribution, IARNA will investigate the consequences of climate change and teach agricultural methods for climate adaptation to people in poverty. IARNA will also educate local leaders and strengthen local civil society’s capacity to influence in decision-making on municipal, regional and national level, with the aim of fighting environmental degradation, improve risk assessments and promote measures on climate adaption in public policy. The contribution will take place in three provinces: Jutiapa, Zacapa and the capital district of Guatemala, including surrounding areas. In general, these areas are marked by a high level of climate vulnerability and, largely, high levels of poverty and malnourishment.

How are these results to be achieved? First, the contribution’s investigative component is expected to achieve scientific results that are relevant for the construction of societies adapted to climate change and that are possible to put into practical use. Secondly, this is expected to improve the yields and the levels of climate change adaption of the small-scale farmers targeted, as well as (through the contribution’s social part) their ability to influence the political decisions affecting them.

For this to be accomplished, IARNA will dispose of the institute’s researchers and employees, other URL staff and, for parts of the field work carried out on community level, last-year student of the university’s Agronomist program. The research will be done and supervised by IARNA researchers in collaboration with local communities. These researchers will also design the contents of the workshops, household visits and other activities included in the agricultural and social parts of the contribution, though some of the activities will be carried out by the students and other staff. Regarding the students, many of them are themselves farmers and, in many cases, residents or natives of the communities addressed by the contribution. Consequently, the students will be an important link between the university and the target group.
In total, Swedish support to the contribution is expected to 18.5 million Swedish crowns during the three-year period of 2018-2021. IARNA will co-finance the contribution with 4,5 million crowns, making the total contribution budget 23 000 000 crowns. Omprogrammerade medel för att lindra konsekvenserna av covid-19
Denna insats kallas för ”Building research-action networks for territorial development and adaptation to climate change”. IInsatsen genomförs i samarbete med Rafael Landívar-universitetet (URL) och dess Institut för miljö, samhällsforskning och planering (IARNA), ett av Guatemalas mest välkända miljöinstitut. Dess moderuniversitet URL är ett privat universitet med campus både i huvudstaden och i flera av landets provinser. 

Med den svenska finansieringen kommer IARNA att bedriva forskning om konsekvenserna av klimatförändringarna och lära ut jordbrukstekniker som kan hjälpa människor i fattigdom att klimatanpassa sin matproduktion. IARNA kommer även att utbilda lokala ledare och stärka det lokala civilsamhällets förmåga att påverka beslut på kommunal, regional och nationell nivå, i syfte att motverka miljöförstöring, stärka riskhantering och främja åtgärder för klimatanpassning i offentlig policy. Insatsen kommer genomföras i tre provinser i Guatemala: Jutiapa, Zacapa och huvudstadsprovinsen Guatemala (med omkringliggande samhällen). Dessa provinser präglas, generellt sett, av hög sårbarhet för klimatförändringarnas effekter samt av höga nivåer av fattigdom och undernäring.

Hur ska då dessa resultat uppnås? Insatsens forskningsinriktade del förväntas identifiera åtgärder som är relevanta för att bygga klimatanpassade samhällen och som kan användas i praktiken. Detta förväntas i sin tur bidra till att de småbrukare insatsen riktas mot får bättre och mer klimatanpassade skördar och att målgruppen och dess lokalsamhällen, genom insatsens mer socialt inriktade del, ökad kapacitet att påverka de politiska beslut som berör dem.

För att genomföra detta kommer IARNA att ha forskare och anställda vid institutet till sitt förfogande, liksom annan personal tillhörande Rafael Landívar-universitetet, samt, för delar av arbetet i lokalsamhällena, sistaårsstudenter på universitets agronomprogram. Forskningen kommer att bedrivas och överses av IARNA:s forskare i samarbete med lokalsamhällena. Gällande den jordbruksmässiga och sociala utbildningen så kommer innehållet i olika workshops, hembesök (för jordbruksdelen) och andra aktiviteter att utformas av forskare och IARNA-anställda för att sedan utföras av såväl anställda som utvalda studenter. Många av dessa studenterna är själva lantbrukare vid sidan av studierna och kommer i många fall från de samhällen där insatsen äger rum. De kommer således fungera som en viktig länk mellan universitet och institutet och insatsens målgrupp.

Forskningsresultaten förväntas också kunna användas i IARNAs arbete med påverkan och policyutveckling på nationell nivå, eftersom institutet har renommé och goda kontakter med myndigheter. 

Samarbetet med IARNA innebär att Sida i Guatemala inleder ett strategiskt partnerskap med en aktör som kan generera kunskap om klimatanpassning och miljö som är av värde även för andra insatser som Sida stödjer. T.ex. har IARNA genom Sidas försorg redan inlett ett samarbete kring utbildningsinsatser för Åklagarkammaren för miljömål som Sida stödjer genom en annan insats.

Sveriges stöd till insatsen beräknas uppgå till 18,5 miljoner kronor under treårsperioden 2018–2021. IARNA själva medfinansierar insatsen med 4,5 miljoner kronor, vilket innebär en total insatsbudget på 23 000 000 kronor. Regarding the intervention’s objectives, they are structured at different levels, showingthe way that the change promoted is intended to take.
The development intervention's overall objective is to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of people living in conditions of poverty in three regions of Guatemala, promoting policies and interventions that increase food security, improve livelihoods and increase community capacity to adapt to climate change. 
Specific objectives:
1) Households in communities in Jutiapa, Zacapa and Guatemala improve their production capacities and adaptation to climate change, through action-research processes and the knowledge and technical assistance generated.
2) Community organizations in proposed communities in Jutiapa, Zacapa and Guatemala improve their organizational capacities and their capacity for proposal and advocacy work, through strengthening and capacity building.
3) Improved risk management and adaptation to climate change at local level in Zacapa and Jutiapa and in municipalities in the department of Guatemala, through the generation and transfer of new knowledge on the environmental situation in these departments.
The purpose will be achieved trhough work in four components: (i) In order to fight poverty and hunger in the most arid areas of the country, Component one seeks to increase the capacity of production in systems adapted to climate. (ii) Component two seeks to strengthen citizen participation and advocacy work of leaders (women, men and youth) at local level. (iii) Component three consists in risk management at local level and advocacy onpublic policy. In the climate change risk management, the following is included: a) identification of climate change threats in the three departments considered, b) an assessment of the vulnerability of negative climate change impact in each department, and c) the implementation of  regional strategies for reducing the impact of, and vulnerability for, climate change. (v) Component four consists on the proper management and administration of the project is considered. More in detail, this means the adequate technical and administrative managing of the project, the identification of a project base line and an efficient monitoring, follow-up and evaluation of the project results. 
The beneficiaries of the project are estimated to 3,072 direct beneficiaries and 8400 indirect beneficiaries. The direct beneficiaries are the ones who will benefit from increased agricultural productivity and the acquisition of new agricultural techniques. This group also includes the 72 community leaders receiving training on advocacy. The indirect beneficiaries are those who will receive (but perhaps not incorporate) new agricultural techniques, benefit from the early warning systems constructed within the project and benefit from the increased capacity for political participation and advocacy.
The objectives of the intervention are clear and realistic (although ambitious). The logic framework shows the logical relationship among outputs, outcome, impact and the resources that will be invested and the sequence of expected results. According to IARNA, the first year of the project will be crucial to prepare theconditions and alliances needed for the project implementation; thus, during that year,no outcomes will be generated.