CASE STUDY | JUNE 2018 STRENGTHENING CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN ZAMBIA Supporting national institutional framework and participatory adaptation processes and sub-projects in the Barotse sub-basin Table of contents Executive Summary 5 Introduction 8 Context 10 Tracing the Implementation Process 12 Lessons Learned from the Case Study for the Science of Delivery 19 PROJECT DATA PARTNER ORGANIZATION Annex A: Timeline for the Zambia PPCR Project Climate Investment Funds’ Pilot Program for and Related Actions 20 Climate Resilience and the World Bank Annex B: Map of Project Stakeholders 22 ORGANIZATION TYPE Governmental agency Annex C: List of Stakeholders Interviewed DELIVERY CHALLENGES COUNTRY AND REGION for this Case Study 23 1. Lack of consensus on national multi-sectoral Zambia, Africa Annex D: References and bibliography 25 institutional arrangements PROJECT TOTAL COST 2. Lack of clear direction on the process for Strengthening Climate Resilience in the Barotse Sub-basin integrating climate risk into district plans Project (PPCR USD 36 million, plus additional World Bank 3. High turnover and low capacity of district staff IDA finance of USD 14.6 million) 4. Cumbersome and lengthy approval system for PROJECT DURATION sub-projects 2013 to 2022 5. Limited community capacity to implement livelihood initiatives CONTACT This case study was financed by the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), and prepared by John Van Mossel from ICF. A number of people contributed to the preparation of this case study. The author is grateful to Iretomiwa Olatunji and DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGE CASE AUTHOR ©World Bank ©World Chitembo Chunga and their respective teams for sharing their knowledge and experience coordinating this project. John VAN MOSSEL (ICF) Strengthen Zambia’s national institutional framework The author is also grateful for the valuable contributions provided by Emmanuel Kouadio, Sandra Romboli and Rocio for climate resilience and improve the adaptive PROJECT EXPERT Sanz Cortes from the CIF. Support from the World Bank’s Science of Delivery team was essential to ensure the final capacity of vulnerable communities in the Barotse Iretomiwa OLATUNJI (World Bank) quality of the case study and prepare it for publication. In particular, Jacob Bathanti provided extensive input and sub-basin of the Zambezi floodplain Chitembo CHUNGA (Government of Zambia) guidance on the case study. Cover photo: photo: Cover STRENGTHENING CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN ZAMBIA reliance on climate-sensitive livelihood sectors, Executive including agriculture. Summary Zambia’s policies and programs to deal directly with climate change impacts have evolved since initial steps were taken in 2007. In 2009 Zambia’s Ministry of Finance and Development Planning requested that Zambia become a pilot country under PPCR, which was approved, leading to the availability This case study examines the experience of the of funding and other support from PPCR. The Strengthening Climate Resilience in the Barotse Government recognized the need for national-level Sub-basin Project from its approval in September multi-sectoral coordination, and it set up a national 2013 through to its near-completion in 2018 when climate change secretariat to coordinate ongoing additional funding was provided to extend the and future programs, plans, policies, and projects on project to 2022. This project aims to strengthen climate change. Zambia’s national institutional framework for climate resilience and improve the adaptive This case study focuses on the delivery challenges capacity of vulnerable communities in the Barotse the PPCR project has confronted. during its sub-basin of the Zambezi floodplain. It receives implementation process, and describes how support from the Climate Investment Funds’ Pilot national, provincial, district, ward and community- @World Bank @World In Brief Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) and is level actors have worked together to resolve them, implemented by the World Bank and executed by as illustrated in Table 1. the Government of Zambia’s Ministry of National DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGE DEVELOPMENT SOLUTION Development Planning. The first delivery challenge was a lack of consensus at the highest levels in Zambia on the The Strengthening Climate Resilience in the To address these challenges, the project The project’s first component is strategic national- best national multi-sectoral structure to provide Barotse Sub-basin Project aims to strengthen provides capacity and financial support to level program support aimed at strengthening leadership and coordination of climate action. Zambia’s national institutional framework for an interim inter-ministerial national climate the national institutional and financial framework This lack of consensus impeded national program climate resilience and improve the adaptive change secretariat in the Ministry of National for climate resilience in Zambia. The project’s coordination required to address PPCR project capacity of vulnerable communities in the Development Planning, as well as facilitation and other components support climate resilience in implementation challenges sufficiently and Barotse sub-basin of the Zambezi floodplain. technical capacity building for mainstreaming the districts in western Zambia that comprise the quickly. While a new National Policy on Climate climate change into local-level development Barotse sub-basin, a large wetlands area along the Change emerged in 2016—which addresses the plans, community decision-making, and through Zambezi River. questions of national coordination—the key direct sub-project grants to communities, solution that helped to focus the project and wards, and districts for climate adaptation Zambia’s climate is highly variable, with frequent achieve significant progress during the period measures. This has required significant training droughts, seasonal and flash floods, extreme of uncertainty around national institutional and engagement across multiple levels of temperatures, and dry spells. Floods and droughts structures was the presence and continuity of a government and sectors, as well as with local have increased in frequency over the last three strong national champion for climate change and non-governmental organizations that could act decades. Zambia’s poor population, including for the project. as climate risk adaptation facilitators. the vast majority of people in the Barotse sub- basin, experiences a high degree of vulnerability The PPCR project also promotes the mainstreaming to climate change impacts largely due to their of climate risk into district-level development 4 5 STRENGTHENING CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN ZAMBIA CASE STUDY 2018 TABLE 1 emerge from the community adaptation planning The fifth delivery challenge concerned local Delivery challenges and solutions of the Strengthening Climate Resilience in the Barotse Sub-basin Project processes. The fourth delivery challenge was communities effectively implementing their Delivery challenge Solutions the cumbersome and lengthy system, which approved sub-projects, especially those related to 1. Lack of consensus at the highest levels Presence and continuity of a strong national champion for climate in Zambia on the best national multi- change and for the project resulted in long delays in final approval. The economic development and livelihoods. As wards are sectoral structure to provide leadership and project’s coordination unit in Lusaka intervened the closest level of government to local communities, coordination of climate action frequently to address this challenge and to the Zambia PPCR project has sought to bring 2. Lack of clear and consistent direction from the National guidance brought clarity, requiring all provinces and districts national Government on which district planning to align their efforts with the 7th National Development Plan (2017- push for solutions. It convened both formal and provincial and district-level staff into direct contact process should be used 2021) informal mechanisms and applied clearly initiated with wards. This interaction and collaboration have 3. High staff turnover and low capacity of staff, Continuous capacity building leverage, in some cases, to ensure that decisions strengthened the wards. District staff also has mostly at the district level Hired Participatory Adaptation Trainees (PATs) to build a pool of were taken, payments to communities were made, learned from the communities some better ways to adaptation specialists, and engaged local NGOs as Climate Resilience and plans were put into action at the local level. carry out their roles and responsibilities. The project and Adaptation Facilitators (CRAFs) to strengthen community adaptation planning processes and support project implementation From the first sub-projects in 2014 until the time also has extended contracts for well-performing Developed specialized tools to enable gender sensitive participatory this case study was prepared, 889 community- CRAFs to provide implementation support. climate risk assessments level sub-projects, 20 ward-level sub-projects, 4. System was cumbersome and lengthy, resulting More active involvement of the PPCR National Coordinator and the and 16 district-level sub-projects have been Throughout the project significant lessons have in delayed final approval PPCR Project Manager to ensure decisions were taken, payments to communities were made, and plans were put into action at the local developed and are in various stages of review been learned for the science of delivery, including level and implementation.