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Application of the Climate Co-benefits Framework

Kanchan Kargwal

Analyst – Adaptation and Risk Analysis Sector

Center for Study of Science, Technology & Policy


Social development projects

  • Projects or initiatives designed to improve the well-being of individuals and communities.
  • Mainly focused on enhancing the social aspects of development, such as education, healthcareand women empowerment.
  • These projects aim to create a more equitable and inclusive society by addressing issues like poverty, inequality, and social exclusion.
  • They empower individuals and groups to participate fully in society and contribute to their own development and the development of their communities.

 

Climate projects

  • Initiatives that aim to address climate change and its impacts.
  • Involve efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen adaptive capacity and enhancing resilience against climate hazards.

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But, what is the difference and overlap between the two?

Social development (SD) projects and climate projects

  • Social development projects often miss out on integrating social development and climate action.
  • Even if the SD projects have added climate outcomes, they are often overlooked.
  • Climate action becomes the background, and social upliftment becomes the foreground.

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Climate hazards

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Let's think

  • Were climate hazards considered during the development of the social development projects?
  • Whether climate hazards were considered during the development of the social development projects remains unclear
  • If not, were the direct and indirect impacts of climate change accounted for in the project planning?
  • If not, how do you think we can do that now?

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How to integrate climate action into social development projects?

  • Identify the climate hazards
  • Identify climate change impacts in the project area on both the people and natural systems.
  • Impacts on natural system will directly impact the communities
  • How. ?

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  • In-depth thematic or project level analyses that explore linkages between climate change adaptation and natural resource management
  • There's a potential to link the project objectives with climate goals, this will also make your project application stand out
  • If possible, list down the potential project outcomes and their contribution for climate action : Mainstreaming climate action into development goals


Sample project 1

  • Organisation: Samvad
  • Project: Conscientization of Self Governance and promoting Food Security in Jharkhand
  • Activity: 350 Water Harvesting Structures for 300 villages are developed under the governmental employment scheme MGNREGS
  • Objectives achieved: Provision for safe drinking water and provided means of irrigation facilities

Were there any climate co-benefits? (benefits related to environment and climate which were overlooked, that is achieved but were not reported)

Yes: Some of the potential climate co-benefits

  • Ground water recharge
  • Drought protection (Reduction in crop loss due to drought) – Hazard specific
  • Changes in crop
  • Changes in cropping intensity
  • Increase in livestock (due to increased water availability)
  • Diversification of livelihoods (promotion of fisheries)


How to measure these climate co-benefits

How

  • Baseline vs Endline survey (pre and post project survey)
  • Beneficiary interviews

Requirements

  • Survey questionnaires
  • Skilled personnel for field surveys and interviews, data analysis and reporting

 

Sample project 2

  • Organisation: Sebajagat
  • Project: Orchard plantation
  • Activity: Orchard plantation and land development
  • Objectives achieved: Livelihood and income generation

Were there any climate co-benefits? (benefits related to environment and climate which were overlooked, that is achieved but were not reported)

Yes: Some of the potential climate co-benefits

  • Carbon Sequestration
  • Food security (availability of nutritious fruits)
  • Micro-climate regulation
  • Increase in biodiversity (birds and animals around orchards)
  • NTFP benefits (dry leaves, fodder, fuelwood, honey, gum and resin)


How to measure these climate co-benefits

How

  • Carbon sequestration estimation
  • Biomass estimation (plantation) and soil survey (pre (control) and post (treatment) project survey)
  • Beneficiary interviews

Requirements

  • Skilled personnel for field surveys and interviews, data analysis and reporting
  • Tool for conducting field surveys


Sample project 3

  • Organisation: GPSVS
  • Project: WASH
  • Activity: Demonstration of temporary, semipermanent and permanent facilities for storing rainwater at household level
  • Results or objectives achieved: Access to safe and potable drinking water, sanitation and hygiene practices of the community in selected areas are improved

Were there any climate co-benefits? (benefits related to environment and climate which were overlooked, that is achieved but were not reported)

Yes: Some of the potential climate co-benefits Ground water recharge

Increase in livestock (due to increased water availability) Enesilience


How to measure these climate co-benefits

How

  • Beneficiary interviews

Requirements

  • Survey questionnaires
  • Skilled personnel for interviews, data analysis and reporting

Sample project 4

  • Organisation: Samvad
  • Project: Promote inclusive governance and sustainable livelihood initiatives among resource-poor women and other marginalized communities
  • Activity: Inclusive LSG.
  • Objective: Advance women’s full participation in LSG

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Were there any climate co-benefits? (benefits related to environment and climate which were overlooked, that is achieved but were not reported)

Yes: Some of the potential climate co-benefits

  • Enhancing community resilience
  • Gender sensitive plan of action
  • Inclusive governance
  • More emphasis on NRM
  • Promote gender-responsive climate policy

How to measure these climate co-benefits

How

  • Beneficiary interviews

Requirements

  • Survey questionnaires
  • Skilled personnel for interviews, data analysis and reporting

 

Activity

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Split into a pair:

  1. One beneficiary
  2. One interviewer


Role of beneficiary

You are a beneficiary who either:

  • Received a WHS for their farmland
  • Or are a beneficiary of orchard plantation
  • Or are a women who is actively involved in LSG

You will have to respond to questions that will be posed for two time periods: pre and post work implementation.


Role of interviewer:

  • You are an interviewer and would like to assess the climate co-benefits of the works implemented by your organization
  • You are set out to undertake a rapid climate co-benefits assessment (Using survey questionnaires)
  • You have found the beneficiary using the sample list.
  • First, introduce yourself to the beneficiary and explain why you are approaching them (background and purpose of the interview).
  • When ready, start asking them the questions from the survey sheet.


Let's discuss

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Thank You!


Annex

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Center for Study of Science, Technology & Policy

#

Name

Head Office

Years in Operation

Regions of Operation

1

ADITHI

Patna

35

Bihar, Jharkhand

2

Ghoghardiha Prakhand Swarajya Vikas Sangh (GPSVS)

Madhubani

38

Bihar

3

Samagra Sikchhan Evam Vikas Sansthan (SSEVS)

Bettiah

33

Bihar

4

Badlao Foundation

Mihijam

41

Jharkhand

5

Samvad

Ranchi

22

Jharkhand

6

LAHANTI

Dumka

17

Jharkhand

7

Self Employed Workers' Association Kendra (SEWAK)

Tangarpali

28

Odisha

8

Sebajagat

Rampur

31

Odisha

9

WORD India

Sirigida

31

Odisha

10

Voluntary Integration for Education and Welfare of Society (VIEWS)

Gopalpur

21

Odisha

11

Lucknow Mahila Sewa Trust

Lucknow

21

Uttar Pradesh
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