CBA9 highlights

The production of the Nairobi Declaration on Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change was the headline news on the fourth and final day of the 9th International Community-Based Adaptation Conference (CBA9) in Nairobi on 30 April.

Article, 05 May 2015
The CBA9 participants gather for a group photo on the final day of the conference, shortly after the Nairobi Declaration was announced (Photo: Matt Wright/IIED)

The CBA9 participants gather for a group photo on the final day of the conference, shortly after the Nairobi Declaration was announced (Photo: Matt Wright/IIED)

More than 400 participants from over 90 countries attended the event, which aimed to explore the latest developments in community-based adaptation, particularly with regards to measuring and enhancing effective adaptation.

Day four

The fourth day began with a lively debate between Irish Aid's Adrian Fitzgerald and Atiq Rahman on the subject of 'Whose measurement counts?' Fitzgerald and Rahman had very different views on whom monitoring and evaluation activities should ultimately serve, but there was also plenty of enjoyment in a session moderated by Pablo Suarez of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre.

IIED senior fellow Saleemul Huq then took the stage to report on outcomes from the conference to participants, and group delegates also updated colleagues on their own outcomes. This included the Practical Action team pledging to work on technology justice as a lens to specify adaptation measurement, and particpants of the the climate information services session teaming up to produce a report.

Before a series of closing speeches to the conference, including one from His Excellency Joshua Irungu, the governor of Laikipia County, Kenya, Huq read out the Nairobi Declaration on Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change, which states the importance of addressing the needs and interests of the poorest and most vulnerable in international agreements on sustainable development, development finance and climate change.

Finally, there was news of the 10th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation, which will take place in Dhakar, Bangladesh in April 2016. The theme of the conference will be 'Enhancing resilience of urban communities'.

Day three

The third day began with a focus on evaluating ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) effectiveness, discussing lessons, examining how current EBA projects are evaluated and recommending scaling-up approaches.

The third day also included sessions on "Estimating loss and damage" and "Indigenous knowledge culture and adaptation", plus an 'out-of-the-box' session on "Climate information services for effective community-based adaptation".

Day two

While the game-playing sessions led by Pablo Suarez, of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre provided the fun aspect of CBA9 that participants enjoy on day two, there were also more formal sessions. 

The sessions included the provision of a Kenyan perspective on enhancing community-based adaptation through future agreements, while IIED's Caroline King-Okumu led a session on "Harnessing climatic variability to enhance adptation in the drylands".

The second day also included sessions on "The role of the private sector in enhancing CBA", and "Monitoring and scaling up climate-smart agriculture practices for enhanced food security and CBA", plus an 'out-of-the-box' session on 'Principles and radical options for adaptation - issues for assessing effectiveness'.

Day one

The day began with a series of high-profile speakers, before the conference proper began with a session on "Measuring, linking and learning about adaptation effectiveness across scales", led by IIED senior researcher Susannah Fisher.

The opening day also included sessions on "Climate information services for effective adaptation", "Gender and vulnerable groups", and an out-of-the-box session on "Community adaptation indicators for sustainable and healthy food systems."

Further CBA9 coverage

Video interviews with session leaders and delegates

Further details of each individual session are available by downloading the CBA9 programme.

Conference organisers

African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS)International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS)

Conference host

Government of Kenya