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.

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.

Climate hazards

 

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?

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. ?

• 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

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

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

 

Thank You!

Annex

 

Climate Change at Our Doorsteps

#	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