Enhancing climate resilience in the Benguela Current Fisheries System

Partner: Global Environment Facility, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation; Benguela Current Convention; Masifundise Development Trust; environmental, fisheries and related ministries of the three member countries; national marine research institutions.

Type of organization: Non-Governmental Organizations

Country of Operation: Angola, Namibia and South Africa

Climate Adaptation Sector Thematic Area: Blue Economy

Activities:

Building on preceding regional research and collaboration between the countries bordering the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME), namely Angola, Namibia and South Africa, the project seeks to build resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change of the marine fisheries and marine aquaculture sectors within the BCLME through implementation of adaptation strategies to ensure food and livelihood security.

The Project focuses on three outcomes: Increase stakeholder understanding of climate risks and vulnerabilities and enhance their capacity to mainstream climate change adaptation in fisheries and aquaculture; reduce vulnerabilities in fisheries and aquaculture; and support a proactive and forward-looking approach to addressing climate change risks by stakeholders. Participatory rapid vulnerability assessments and community-based adaptation planning of fisheries and ten fishery-dependent communities were undertaken across the three BCLME countries.

The key partners in this project include the Global Environment Facility, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation; Benguela Current Convention; Masifundise Development Trust; environmental, fisheries and related ministries of the three member countries; national marine research institutions. The project website provides access to all reports and assessments conducted through the project. In addition, project videos were conducted to provide insight into the community-level vulnerability assessment process.

The project has placed significant emphasis on working directly with local communities to jointly identify climate risks and co- develop effective responses. Collaboration with NGOs that have strong community networks, such as Masifundise Development Trust, further supported locally appropriate responses. Throughout the project, differentiated impacts and risks related to vulnerable groups (e.g., youth and gender dimensions) were incorporated.

The vulnerability mapping at community level was integrated with broader studies focused on specific fisheries (e.g., small pelagic fisheries in Angola) and comprehensive assessments considering institutional arrangements to support mainstreaming of fisheries vulnerability assessments and climate risk information into national and regional planning and management frameworks. The project can be scaled in various ways, for example, by extending community-level vulnerability assessments to a broader set of coastal communities, including other economically significant fisheries, and deepening the capacity building components to enhance resilience building at multiple levels.

Adaptation Good Practices:

• Working directly with local communities to jointly identify climate risks and co- develop effective responses.
• Collaboration with NGOs that have strong community networks, such as Masifundise Development Trust, further supported locally appropriate responses.
• Differentiated impacts and risks related to vulnerable groups (e.g., youth and gender dimensions) were incorporated

Further information
Links to resources and contact details:

• Benguela Current Convention, headquartered in Swakopmund, Namibia. https://www.benguelacc.org/
• South African Institute of International Affairs https://saiia.org.za