Strengthening the Resilience of Vulnerable Family Farms to Climate Project/Programme title: Change in the Fourth Agricultural Development Pole in Benin Country(ies): Benin National Designated Ministry of Living Environment and Sustainable Development Authority(ies) (NDA): Accredited Entity(ies) (AE): Fonds National pour L'Environnement Date of first submission: 9/18/2020 V.1 Date of current submission: 9/18/2020 V.1 Version 1 A. Project / Programme Summary (max. 1 page) ☒ Project ☒ Public sector A.2. Public or A.1. Project or programme A.3 RFP Not applicable private sector ☐ Programme ☐ Private sector Mitigation: Reduced emissions from: ☐ Energy access and power generation: 0% ☐ Low emission transport: 0% ☐ Buildings, cities and industries and appliances: 0% A.4. Indicate the result ☐ Forestry and land use: 0% areas for the project/programme Adaptation: Increased resilience of: ☒ Most vulnerable people and communities: 33.33% ☒ Health and well-being, and food and water security: 33.33% ☐ Infrastructure and built environment: 0% ☒ Ecosystem and ecosystem services: 33.34% A.5.1. Estimated mitigation impact (tCO2eq over project lifespan) A.5.2. Estimated adaptation impact 149,000 direct beneficiaries (number of direct beneficiaries) A.5. Impact potential A.5.3. Estimated adaptation impact 894,000 indirect beneficiaries (number of indirect beneficiaries) A.5.4. Estimated adaptation impact 5.6% of the country’s total population (% of total population) A.6. Financing information A.6.1. Indicative GCF funding requested (max Amount: 9,944,942 Currency: USD Financial Instrument: Grants 10M) Amount: 1,205,001 Currency: USD Financial Instrument: Grants A.6.2. Indicative co-financing Institution: MAEP AND FNEC A.6.3. Indicative total project Amount: 11,149,943 Currency: USD cost (GCF + co-finance) disbursement A.7. Implementation period: 60 A.7.2. Total project/ Programme 20 period: repayment period, if lifespan applicable: A.8. Is funding from the A.9. Is the Environmental and ☐ Yes ☒ Yes Project Preparation Social Safeguards Category C or ☒ No No Facility needed? I-3? ☐ 1- Project interventions will consist in the implementation of water and A.10. Provide rationale for soil conservation measures, the promotion of alternative farming systems to the ESS categorization slash-and-burn shifting cultivation and the setting up of an effective (100 words) mechanism for integrating adaptation monitoring and evaluation in the national agricultural extension system. Thus, the activities will not have Simplified Approval Process CONCEPT NOTE Template V.1.1 GREEN CLIMATE FUND | PAGE 2 OF 27 significant negative impacts on the environment, and will not require any land expropriation or land grabbing, population displacement and/or reallocation of ownership rights of the local populations on lands and natural resources. All activities of the project will be carried out in strict compliance with local and national legislation and property rights. The landscape approach that takes into account rural land plans will be the basis of the implementation of the project to A.11. Has the CN been ☒ Yes ☐ Confidential A.12. Confidentiality shared with the NDA? ☐ No ☒ Not confidential A.13. Executing Entity The Ministere de l'Agriculture, de l'Elevage et de la Peche (MAEP), GIZ, information Territorial Agricultural Development Agency (ATDA4 3- Benin is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The effects of the global warming are already perceptive across the country in terms of temperature increase, rainfall decrease and in several areas and poor rainfall distribution at national level, the shortening of the rainy season A.14. Project/Programme duration, as well as more recurrent and severe drought periods. The rationale, objectives and proposed project aims at supporting adaptation actions in the agricultural approach of programme/project (max sector in the fourth agricultural development pole (PDA4) of Benin. The 100 words) project is structured into three main components: i) large-scale promotion of alternative and climate-resilient agricultural technologies, ii) implementation of sustainable yam-based farming system as alternative for slash-and-burn shifting yam cropping , and iii) mainstreaming climate change adaptation in the national agricultural extension and monitoring & evaluation systems B. Project / Programme information B.1. Context and Baseline (500 words) Biophysical impacts of climate change in Benin: 4.Benin is highly vulnerable to climate change due to the high natural variability of its climate, the heavy dependence of the economy on rainfed agriculture, the low diversification of the economy and its weak capacity to adapt and to cope with the negative impacts of climate change. The consequences of global warming are reflected throughout the country by an increase in temperatures of 1°C between 1950 and 2005[1], a poor distribution and, in several regions, a decrease in rainfall of up to 275 mm3. Furthermore, shortening of rainy season duration and an increase in the frequency of more severe droughts have been observed[2],[3],[4],[5]. With a global temperature increase of 1.5°C in the future[6], the country is expected to experience more severe and unpredictable weather disturbances. Forecasts indicate an increase in local temperatures of around 2 to 4.5°C by 21009 and highly uncertain seasonal rainfall4,[7] with an increase in the number of years with a shortfall in precipitation4. More downscaled and near-future projections (2025-2050) show temperature increases in most months of the year[8], while rainfall patterns in terms of the number of consecutive wet days, heavy rainfall and annual wet-days rainfall total are expected to decline significantly[9]. The temperature increase is also expected to be larger in the dry seasons, implying that localities already suffering from drought and drying climate may face even bigger challenges in the future11. Extreme events such as floods, droughts and excessive heat waves will also become more frequent and intense in Benin[10]. Studies have shown that in the absence of adaptation measures, climate change will lead to a significant loss of arable land[11] due to extreme temperatures, excessive rainfall, and degradation of topography and soil quality[12]. Specifically, forecasts predict a decrease in prime quality farmland with high agricultural potential, an increase of hydromorphic and water-stress and an expansion of soils with severe climatic or topographic constraints[13]. By reducing rainfall and Simplified Approval Process CONCEPT NOTE Template V.1.1 GREEN CLIMATE FUND | PAGE 3 OF 27 increasing temperatures, it is also expected that climate change will negatively impact water availability, and therefore increase water stress and conflicts for water and land control9. Socio economic impacts: 5.The physical changes described above will strongly impact economic and social systems and increase the vulnerability of populations, whose living conditions are already precarious. Benin's economy relies mainly on rainfed agriculture[14]. The agricultural sector employs more than 70% of the working population (3,853,368 persons, whereas women with poor access to formal education are responsible for 60-80% of agricultural work), and contributes with 28,3% to the GDP[15]. It provides more than 75% of export revenue and accounts for 15% of national revenue17. This heavy dependence on the rainfed agriculture makes the country particularly vulnerable to climate disturbances. Agricultural production will be seriously compromised by high risks of droughts, soil aridity, excessive heat, and reductions and/or poor distribution of rainfall. Estimations suggest that drought-prone crops such as cereals and tubers will be strongly affected by drought and water-deficit due to insufficient rainfalls and dry spells in near future9,[16],[17], while these crops play a major role in the food and nutrition security of the population of Benin. A drop in yam yields of around 33-48% is predicted between 2040-2050, especially in the Fourth Agricultural Development Pole (PDA4[18]) and the upper Ouémé Valley18. Climate change may also induce a considerable decline in cereal yields (maize, rice, sorghum) up to 17% and 30% respectively by 2050[19] and 20803,18. Studies carried out in PAD4 also projected resources diversion from water-sensitive food crops (maize, yam or cassava) in the benefinit of less water-demanding crops such as cotton, groundnut and sorghum, which will significantly be expanded over areas currently under maize, yam or cassava cultivation10. This is a serious threat for the food security given the importance of cerals, tubers and roots in sustaining subsitance and food needs of the poor and more vulnerable groups. Further decrease in food production is also expected from the negative effects of global warming on basic agricultural resources namely soil, water and biodiversity[20]. Declining rainfall and/or rising temperatures will negatively affect farm income[21],[22]. Estimates suggest that a 10% increase in temperatures would reduce net farm income by 13%[23]. 6.People's access to food and other basic needs will be indirectly affected by the negative effects of climate change on economic growth, income distribution, and employment21,[24]. Benin could experience a heavy economic loss estimated between 45 and 64% of its agricultural GDP, or about 4- 6% of its GDP, by 2100 due to climate change[25]. Extreme events will also cause significant damage and loss by destroying crops and important