Climate change and gender in extension

After one presentation comparing the validity of indigenous knowledge in comparison with scientific hydrological forecasting (of floods in the Okavango Delta) and one reviewing the different sorts of impacts on agriculture projected under climate change (direct through rainfall and temperature, indirect through effects on soil  and insect pests, etc.), there was a wide-ranging discussion.  Gender and climate change were discussed both separately and jointly – it was noted that they present similar game-changing challenges for extension systems, but that climate change is a relatively new issue while gender is an issue that has always been there, but hidden.

State of the art and challenges

Indigenous knowledge was recognised as something that needs to be considered as part of farmers’ preparedness, but the need for critical investigation of its applicability, and for seeing it in a social, not just a technical context, were stressed.  It was asked whether and how critically assessing indigenous knowledge could become part of an extension worker’s toolkit

Gender has a strong influence on the impacts of climate change, local knowledge that can be used for climate adaptation, and ways in which women and men can access knowledge and participate in adaptation decision-making.  It was noted that the use of ICTs has limits for some women farmers.  There is a need for gender-disaggregated data and for research appropriate for women farmers.

There is a need for capacity-building at all levels, including the training of future extension staff so they are equipped to deal with new challenges.

A major challenge is how to manage knowledge – indigenous and scientific for climate change.  More work has been done at national level, but we need more work, and more creative approaches, at community-level.  We should remember that communities are not necessarily isolated from modern channels of communication.  Extension work in this area needs policy and guidance.  AFAAS needs to lead and co-ordinate on dissemination of climate knowledge – knowledge is currently fragmented – but it needs to receive strong recommendations.  The CLAA study is a foundation for this in the context of extension.

An important challenge is convincing some farmers – who see current variability as within historical norms – that climate change is real and will not go away.  But on the other hand, we should overstate the science or assert clear current impacts of climate change where the scientific evidence is less clear (e.g. attribution of current droughts in East Africa to climate change).

There are major challenges for research – particularly the question of who drives the research agenda in Africa (seemingly the donors)?  There is a continuing need for interdisciplinary research outside established categories.

Some directions for future action

·         Better gender-disaggregated data

·         More creative approaches to knowledge transfer, and no reliance on ICTs; a return to older modes such as story telling

·         Local knowledge platforms that incorporate existing adaptation strategies and local knowledge

·         Knowledge management for climate change across levels – and a leading role there for AFAAS

·         A revival of interest in the irrigation agenda for Africa

·         Strong policy guidelines on extension.

Presented by John Morton