MAINSTREAMING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
SLIDE – Adaptive capacity
Adaptive capacity is the ability of a system (people) to adjust to
climate change (variability and extremes) to moderate potential
damage, to take advantage of potential opportunities, or to cope with
the consequences
Adaptive capacity means that not only are communities able to
respond to and recover from hazard events in the short term, but they
are able to adapt over the long term to changes in their
environment.
Improve understanding of trends and their local impacts.
• Ensure access and action on relevant information
• Build confidence and flexibility to learn and experiment.
SLIDE – Building adaptive capacity
Ability to adapt is closely linked to poverty reduction
• Need to tackle both immediate and longer term threats
• Food and livelihood security are of greatest importance
• Need to reduce underlying vulnerability
• Strengthen capacity to adapt – diversify livelihoods, alternative
incomes, etc
• Need to accept uncertainty and engage in SCENARIO building
based on local meteorological data.
A Training Manual on Use of Climate Information and Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment for
Agricultural Extension Staff in Zimbabwe
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