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Bridging climate science to adaptation action in data sparse Tanzania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 January 2014

EVAN H. GIRVETZ ,
ELIZABETH GRAY ,
TIMOTHY H. TEAR  and
MATTHEW A. BROWN
EVAN H. GIRVETZ*
Affiliation:
The Nature Conservancy, Central Science Division, 1917 First Avenue Seattle, WA 98101, USA International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), PO Box 823-00621, Nairobi, Kenya
ELIZABETH GRAY
Affiliation:
The Nature Conservancy, Africa Program, 1917 First Avenue Seattle, WA 98101, USA
TIMOTHY H. TEAR
Affiliation:
The Grumeti Fund, PO Box 0, Mawalla Park, Olasiti Road, Arusha, Tanzania
MATTHEW A. BROWN
Affiliation:
The Nature Conservancy, Africa Program, Plot 16002 Mawalla Street, PO Box 13265 (Meru Branch), Arusha, Tanzania
*
*Correspondence: Dr Evan Girvetz e-mail: [email protected]
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Summary

In the face of an already changing climate, conservation practitioners and local communities face the major challenge of how to plan for a future climate. In data-sparse areas of the world, where action is often most needed, the daunting scope of the problem can lead to inaction. This paper shows that climate adaptation planning can be accomplished successfully with publicly and globally available data by linking science and stakeholders through a facilitated process. Working with local stakeholders in the western Tanzanian Greater Mahale and Greater Gombe Ecosystems, future climate projections produced using Climate Wizard and analyses of literature provided an understanding of the climate vulnerabilities of local ecosystems and human livelihoods. Facilitated workshops enabled local stakeholders to use this information to develop conceptual models and hypotheses of change for these systems, and to identify possible modifications to conservation plans. Here, climate change planning required the modification of most current conservation strategies, developing some new strategies and abandoning others. The paper indicates that climate adaptation planning is achievable even in data-sparse rural and developing areas, but requires appropriate scientific analyses, engaged stakeholders and a facilitated process.

Keywords

climate changeClimate Wizardconservation planningecosystem-based adaptationGombe ecosystemMahale ecosystemTanzania
Type
THEMATIC SECTION: Spatial Simulation Models in Planning for Resilience
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 41 , Issue 2 , June 2014 , pp. 229 - 238
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2014 

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