Contextualising climate services in Maputo and Accra Joseph Daron of the University of Cape Town looks at ways in which local decision-makers might be able to deliver more effective climate services.

Report : Ability of local multi-stakeholder action to catalyse shifts in disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation This project and publication, 'Ability of local multi-stakeholder action to catalyse shifts in programme and policy environment towards mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation', studies the effectiveness of local multi-stakeholder action as an enabling factor for mainstreaming post disaster programmes and ultimately in state and national policies.

Report : Sustainable Farmland Management in the Context of Climate Change in Inland Valleys of Southern Benin This project, Sustainable Farmland Management in the Context of Climate Change in Inland Valleys of Southern Benin, expanded knowledge of how to better manage inland valleys in Southern Benin for improved food security in the context of climate change.

REPORT: Reducing Tropical Deforestation and the Protection of Ecosystem Services to Support Food Security in Southwest Cameroon This paper, Reducing Tropical Deforestation and the Protection of Ecosystem Services to Support Food Security in Southwest Cameroon, carried out an ecological and socio-economic evaluation including a system dynamic model using data collected from 131 subsistence agro-forest systems selected within the support zones of the Korup National Park and Douala-Edea Reserve.

Report: Sensitivity of coastal lagoon ecosystems to climate and related global changes: Developing a North African lagoons network This project, Sensitivity of Coastal Lagoon Ecosystems to Climate and Related Global Changes: Developing a North African Lagoons Network, provides a quantitative assessment of the biogeochemical budgets of the North African coastal lagoons and a qualitative assessment of their sensitivity and adaptability to climate change.

Report: The impact of climate change on food security among coastal communities of Keiskamma, in the Eastern Cape, South Africa For this project, The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security Among Coastal Communities of Keiskamma, in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, a multidisciplinary team from universities and NGOs worked with the communities to map out a better future in the face of climatic uncertainty.

Report : Assessing the adaptation mechanisms of smallholder farmers to climate change and agro biodiversity losses in northern Ghana This research, Assessing the adaptation mechanisms of smallholder farmers to climate change and agro biodiversity losses in northern Ghana, examines adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers in northern Ghana, discussing issues of production, water management and the policy environment.

Report : The Role of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Enhancing Food Security and Climate Change Resilience in East and West African Cities This research paper, The Role of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Enhancing Food Security and Climate Change Resilience in East and West African Cities, performs a meta-analysis to evaluate the role that urban and peri-urban agriculture plays in enhancing urban food security in East African and West African cities, and how the provision of food within peri-urban and urban areas affects, and is affected by, climate change.

Report : Engaging Farmers and Climatologists in Adaptation to Climate Variability and Change in the Okavango Delta of Botswana The in-depth research paper, Engaging Farmers and Climatologists in Adaptation to Climate Variability and Change in the Okavango Delta of Botswana, specifically addresses the questions of how local farmers and weather scientists can work together in order to mitigate climate change and variability in the Okavango Delta of Botswana.

Report : Integrating indigenous knowledge and scientific methods for flood risk analyses, responses and adaptation in rural coastal communities in Nigeria This project, Integrating indigenous knowledge and scientific methods for flood risk analyses, responses and adaptation in rural coastal communities in Nigeria, engaged flood-affected communities, local government and civil society organizations and advanced a platform for integrating indigenous knowledge, participatory GIS and basic weather data monitoring, to develop a community-based participatory approach to coastal flood management.

Report : Improving Seasonal Forecast Information for Managing On-farm Decisions This project, Improving Seasonal Forecast Information for Managing On-farm Decisions, examined how seasonal forecast development and delivery could be enhanced by testing the ability of downscaled climate forecasts to improve information available from seasonal forecasts; by assessing the use of an optimisation procedure to guide tactical decision making; and subsequently indicate where improvements in communicating seasonal forecast information could be made.

REPORT: Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources, Agriculture and Food Security in the Ethiopian Rift Valley: Risk Assessment and Adaptation Strategies for Sustainable Ecosystem Services This study, Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources, Agriculture and Food Security in the Ethiopian Rift Valley: Risk Assessment and Adaptation Strategies for Sustainable Ecosystem Services, investigates the linkages between climate change, water resource quality and availability, agricultural productivity, food security and livelihoods in the Main Ethiopian Rift, and informs decision-makers how adaptation to climate change impacts on water resources and agriculture might be enhanced.

REPORT: Changes in tree reproductive phenology: causes and implications in and around Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda This study, Changes in tree reproductive phenology: causes and implications in and around Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda, was aimed at gaining a better understanding of the causes and implications in tree fruiting phenology in Budongo Forest and the implications on local communities around the forest.

Report : Management of Ecosystems Services of the Forests of Southwest Nigeria in Support of Rural Livelihoods and Food Security This detailed study, Management of Ecosystems Services of the Forests of Southwest Nigeria in Support of Rural Livelihoods and Food Security, was carried out to assess the present status of the tropical natural ecosystem of southwest Nigeria, their contributions to rural livelihood, the quantity and quality of their services and the level of awareness and impacts of anthropogenic activities on climate change.

Report : Safety Nets Simplified: Simulated Decision - Making in Volatile Developing Economies This paper, Safety Nets Simplified: Simulated Decision - Making in Volatile Developing Economies, outlines how the design of a game enables this particular community to engage and understand the productive social safety net (PSSN)’s complex system in order to make informed decisions that will improve their real-world livelihood.

From global models to local decisions Jon Padgam explains the challenges and opportunities for linking climate information with user needs in Africa.

What have we learned about mainstreaming climate and disasters in Asia? Katie Dietrich from START reflects on the key lessons that have emerged from the CDKN/ START research programme on climate-smart disaster risk management in South Asia.

Cultivating fields of change This START publication synthesises findings from African 16 research projects on global environmental change, agriculture, and food security.

Global Environmental Change Research and Learning Forum (14-16 November 2012) Accra, Ghana The System for Analysis, Research and Training (START) Africa long-term research call will be convening a Research and Learning Forum on global environmental change (GEC) research in Accra, Ghana, from 14-16 November 2012. In 2011-2012, START commissioned and managed research awards on the theme of climate change, agriculture and food security in Africa with an emphasis on the sustainability of ecosystem services.

Why we need farming and forests in our cities In the wake of the catastrophic damage inflicted on cities by Hurricane Sandy and other recent extreme weather events, Ir. Henk de Zeeuw, Senior Advisor, International Network of Resource centres on Urban Agriculture and Food security (RUAF Foundation) calls for increased urban forestry and agriculture to increase cities’ resilience to climate change.

CoP-17 side-event - ‘New paradigm’ for using climate information in Africa Lisa McNamara of CDKN Africa reports from Durban about a programme with huge potential to advance a new paradigm for analysing and using climate change information in Africa.