TECHNICAL REPORT DECENTRALIZED GOVERNANCE AND CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION A CASE STUDY ON MALI January 2017 This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by the University of Arizona for the ATLAS Task Order. This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by the University of Arizona for the Climate Change Adaptation, Thought Leadership and Assessments (ATLAS) Task Order No. AID-OAA-I-14-00013, under the Restoring the Environment through Prosperity, Livelihoods, and Conserving Ecosystems (REPLACE) IDIQ. Chemonics contact: Chris Perine, Chief of Party ([email protected]) Chemonics International Inc. 1717 H Street NW Washington, DC 20006 ATLAS reports and other products are available on the Climatelinks website: https://www.climatelinks.org/projects/atlas Cover Photo: Sahel Eco, June 2016. Farmers in Dianweli village, Konna Commune, plant millet using the zaï technique, which involves constructing pits to capture water and condense compost. DECENTRALIZED GOVERNANCE AND CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION A CASE STUDY ON MALI January 2017 Prepared for: United States Agency for International Development Climate Change Adaptation, Thought Leadership and Assessments (ATLAS) Prepared by: Chemonics International Inc. University of Arizona: Dr. Tim Finan Ida Nadia Djenontin Dr. Mamadou Baro This report is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. CONTENTS LISTS OF FIGURES AND TABLES ·································································· III ACRONYMS ································································································· IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ·················································································· V EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ················································································· VI Methodology ................................................................................................................... vi Findings ......................................................................................................................... vii Perceptions of climate change......................................................................................................... vii Ongoing climate adaptation ............................................................................................................. vii Local-level action on climate change ............................................................................................... viii Recommendations......................................................................................................... xii 1. INTRODUCTION: THE RESEARCH QUESTION ········································· 1 Research question........................................................................................................... 1 2. CONTEXT ···························································································· 2 Development indicators ................................................................................................... 2 Livelihoods ...................................................................................................................... 2 Governance structures .................................................................................................... 4 3. METHODOLOGY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY ·············································· 7 Data collection and analysis ............................................................................................ 7 Literature review and field research ................................................................................................... 7 Public consultation ............................................................................................................................. 8 Study sites ....................................................................................................................... 9 4. LIVELIHOOD PATTERNS IN THE SELECTED COMMUNES ·······················12 Human capital ............................................................................................................... 12 Natural and physical capital ........................................................................................... 13 Social capital ................................................................................................................. 15 Economic capital ........................................................................................................... 16 Political capital ............................................................................................................... 16 Diversification strategies ................................................................................................ 16 5. CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPACTS ··················································20 6. GOVERNANCE····················································································23 Political dimensions of decentralization ......................................................................... 23 The PDESC as development guideline .......................................................................... 24 Purpose and process ....................................................................................................................... 24 Content .......................................................................................................................................... 24 Weaknesses of the development planning process ......................................................................... 26 Observations on the PDESC and development planning ................................................................ 27 7. EVIDENCE OF ONGOING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION ····················34 Short-term coping strategies .......................................................................................... 34 Long-term adaptation .................................................................................................... 35 Agriculture ....................................................................................................................................... 35 Livestock ......................................................................................................................................... 37 Forests .......................................................................................................................................... 38 DECENTRALIZED GOVERNANCE AND CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: A CASE STUDY ON MALI | I Income .......................................................................................................................................... 38 Social capital ................................................................................................................................... 38 8. CONTRIBUTIONS OF GOVERNANCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION ·····················································································39 Evidence of current impacts of decentralized governance ............................................. 40 Potential contribution of decentralization to adaptation .................................................. 43 9. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ···········································45 REFERENCES ······························································································48 ANNEX A: ADDITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMMUNES ····················50 Commune of Ourikéla .................................................................................................... 50 Commune of Kléla ......................................................................................................... 52 Commune of Koula ........................................................................................................ 54 Commune of Minidian .................................................................................................... 56 Commune of Konna ....................................................................................................... 58 ANNEX B: STEPS FOR THE ELABORATION OF A PDESC ································60 ANNEX C: PUBLIC WORKSHOP AND DISCUSSION ·········································61 ANNEX D: SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC WORKSHOP ·······················································································62 DECENTRALIZED GOVERNANCE AND CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: A CASE STUDY ON MALI | II LISTS OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1. The decentralized politico-administrative structure in Mali ........................................... 5 Figure 2. Location of study sites ................................................................................................10 Figure 3. Average monthly precipitation in Mali, 1901 – 2010 ...................................................21 Figure 4. Observed and projected change in June–September rainfall and temperature for 1960–2039 (top), with smoothed rainfall and air temperature time series for June– September for southwestern and southeastern Mali (bottom). .....................................................................21 Figure 5. A framework for