GECAFS

1
GECAFS Implementation, Management and Funding
2
GECAFS Implementation
GECAFS will be implemented in four main ways

• Regional research projects
• Vulnerability studies
• Scenario development
• Integrative studies

3
Initial GECAFS Projects

• Indo-Gangetic Plain food system
• Caribbean food system
• Pacific coastal fisheries
• Southern Africa livestock-maize food system
• Vulnerability science
• Scenario development

4
GECAFS Project on the Indo-Gangetic Plain Food
System

• ? The IGP food system is both threatened by GEC
  (esp. climate variability) and contributes to
  further GEC forcing.
• In the face of increased climate variability,
  regional policy requirements are to develop
  strategies that
• sustain/boost agricultural production and
  diversification while limiting further
  environmental degradation
• promote food provision systems which alleviate
  poverty and improve socioeconomic conditions for
  the more vulnerable
• encourage reduced intra-regional and rural?urban
  labour migration
• ? Research needs to recognise marked
  socioeconomic and biophysical differences across
  the region.

5
GECAFS Regional Research Projects

• Based on a strongly interdisciplinary approach
  and include all 3 GECAFS Science Themes
• Designed to improve regional-level policy
  formulation for increasing preparedness and
  reducing vulnerability to GEC
• Address issues identified in consultation with
  regional policy makers and the regional and
  international science and donor communities
• Maintain close links between researchers and
  end-users in project design, implementation and
  reporting interpretation
• Develop research agendas of equal interest to
  development and science agencies

6

• IGP Eastern Region
• low productivity food deficit region
• poor infrastructure and low inputs of fertilizer
  and water
• high risk of flooding
• out-migration of labour
• Example GECAFS Issues
• Theme 1 How will climate variability and
  associated changes in flooding affect food
  provision?
• Theme 2 What are the institutional and market
  opportunities, social constraints and technical
  options for diversifying crops to make more
  effective use of flood and groundwater (e.g.
  deep-water rice, aquaculture)?
• Theme 3 How would diversification effect rural
  incomes, labour migration, water quality and
  regional biodiversity?

7

• IGP Western Region
• high productivity food surplus region
• high investment in infrastructure
• major use of fertilisers and ground-water for
  irrigation
• in-migration of labour
• Example GECAFS Issues
• Theme 1 How will climate variability affect
  change in water demand in IGP food systems?
• Theme 2 How can changes in water management
  (e.g. though policy instruments and/or agronomic
  aspects) reduce vulnerability of rice-wheat
  productivity to climate variability?
• Theme 3 What will be the consequences of changed
  water management on rural livelihoods,
  intra-regional trade, GHG emissions and water
  tables?

8
GECAFS IGP Research Areas

• assessment of vulnerability
• policy needs and responses
• scenario development
• institutional analysis
• food provision system development
• socioeconomic and environmental feedbacks
• data management and GIS development
• water management policy
• carbon management policy

9
Example GECAFS Research Products

• Indices of human vulnerability based on a
  combined socioeconomic-biophysical approach.
• Comprehensive scenarios of future socioeconomic
  and environmental conditions.
• Region-specific recommendations on the
  institutional and technological factors that can
  reduce societal vulnerability to GEC.
• Quantitative methods for assessing the
  environmental and socioeconomic tradeoffs of
  scenario-based adaptations to food systems.

10
GECAFS interactions with Sponsoring Programmes
and Strategic Partners
example collaborations in grey
11
 GECAFS Management

• Scientific Advisory Committee (15)
• Executive Committee Chair (ex officio Chair)
• Executive Committee Vice-Chair (ex officio
  Vice-Chair)
• Executive Officer (ex officio Secretary)
• 12 individuals invited from (i) international
  science, (ii) strategic-partner and (iii) donor
  communities (in a liaison capacity).
• 2. Executive Committee (6)
• Chair
• Vice-Chair
• Executive Officer (ex officio, Secretary)
• and one rep. from each of the sponsoring
  Programmes.
• Executive Officer
• supported by an International Project Office

12
GECAFS Funding Overview

• Research Project funds
• GECAFS vulnerability science
• Developing comprehensive scenarios
• GECAFS regional projects (regional coordinators
  commissioned reviews and studies data gathering
  synthesis workshops publications)
• Integrative studies
• Coordination funds
• Scientific Advisory Cmmtt and Exec Cmmtt travel
  and admin
• IPO costs (staff, travel, communications, admin)
• Integration and networking fund

13
GECAFS Funding Planning Phase 2001-02
General planning and IPO establishment ca.
200,000 NERC, ICSU, IGBP, IHDP, WCRP, US-NAS,
FRN-Sweden, Research Council of Norway Regional
Project Planning ca. 150,000 USAID, DFID, NOAA,
IAI
14
GECAFS will build on UK research investment, e.g.
NERC TIGER Programme hydrology GHG emissions
VBD biodiversity Coordination of
IGBP-agroecology -fisheries research, and
WCRP-CLIVAR ESRC GEC Programme institutional
analyses vulnerability BBSRC impacts on
crops, pests and diseases SOM dynamics
Tyndall Centre adaptation studies, agent-based
approaches Royal Society GER
Committee FCO/DEFRA Climate Change Challenge
Fund DfID Environment Policy Dept Rural
Livelihoods Dept UK contributions to Framework
Programme, GEF and CGIAR
15
GECAFS Distinguishing Features

• A robust framework for novel, interdisciplinary
  approaches to GEC research that examines
  vulnerability to impacts, adaptations and
  feedbacks.
• A problem-oriented, policy-relevant approach
  which can bring together the GEC and Development
  agendas, and their donor communities.
• A design for analyses at regional and
  sub-regional levels which will help develop
  effective policy to protect vulnerable sections
  of society.
• A methodology which allows an analysis of
  trade-offs between managing resources for both
  food provision and environment.