In line with the National Climate Change Strategy (2013), which calls for all climate-sensitive sectors to develop action plans to implement the Strategy’s strategic interventions, MAFC has prepared the Agriculture Climate Resilience Plan (ACRP) to identify and respond to the most urgent impacts posed by climate variability and climate change to the crop subsector in 2014. The ACRP will serve as a roadmap for mainstreaming climate change within current agricultural policies, plans, and practices, as well as identifying gaps were new investments may be needed. It will be the guiding framework for a more comprehensive and consistent approach for confronting one of the major risks to current crop productivity and future investments. In order to make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable, the government plans to improve agricultural land and water management situation analysis through among others, the following strategies: (i) develop guidelines to ensure that irrigation expansion and rehabilitation plans and designs consider water availability, climate variability and climate change, (ii) use environmental assessment and enforcement strategically to integrate water availability and climate change into irrigation projects and planning, promote the sustainable use of groundwater resources for irrigation purposes, (iii) develop a stakeholder engagement strengthening program to protect water catchment areas in areas slated for agricultural intensification, (iv) accelerate the uptake of soil and water conservation measures on irrigated and dry-land farms, (v) promote appropriate agro forestry technologies to improve livelihoods and the environment, (vi) identify and promote sustainable traditional farming systems, indigenous technologies, and farmer initiatives under similar agro ecological/agro economic conditions. To increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, the government plans to implement the following strategies: (i) implement the TAFSIP disaster management plan, (ii) improve communication of weather and early warning system information to farmers, (iii) undertake a research program on building resilience through postharvest processing and value addition, (iv) develop a program to establish value adding industries for farm products initially in food insecure and drought-prone districts, (v) develop a program on risk management solutions for smallholder agriculture, (vi) strengthen integration of pests and diseases into monitoring protocols and early warning systems, and develop research programs on the links between climate change and pest and disease outbreaks, (vii) develop a gender and agriculture coordination mechanism and develop and coordinate a campaign using ICT to raise awareness and disseminate targeted climate and weather information. In the context of governance, the National Climate Change Strategy’s institutional arrangement follows that described in the Environmental Management Act (2004), with overall coordination by the National Climate Change Focal Point (NCCFP) in the Vice President’s Office Division of Environment. As the MAFC Environment Management Unit (EMU) is tasked with climate change issues under EMA, and has a direct line to VPO-DoE, the MAFCEMU will be the implementation focal point for the Action Plan, with the Head of the Environment Management Unit (HEMU) having overall responsibility for coordination and delivery of the expected outcomes. MAFC will form a Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) Task Force, chaired by the MAFC Permanent Secretary and including a broad range of government and non-governmental stakeholders. The ACRP Technical Working Group can be a basis for members selected for the Task Force. The East African Community (EAC) has issued a recent directive for member countries to form a Climate Smart Agriculture Task Force, and the CRA Task Force can fulfill this role rather than duplicating efforts.
Agriculture Climate Resilience Plan.