MAINSTREAMING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
SESSION 6: PRIORITISATION OF RISKS AND RISK REDUCTION
STRATEGIES (STEP 5)
2012
Objective
Identified risks are prioritised and possible strategies to reduce risk, protect
assets and build resilience and adaptive capacity are identified.
After completion of the Livelihoods Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments, key
vulnerabilities should be prioritised according to the consensus of the group. This can
be done informally, through discussion, or formally through using a participatory
ranking tool. It is important that all members of the focus group are involved in
prioritisation, and if there is any disagreement, this should be recorded for future
reference. Prioritisation will help in the planning process to follow.
Rank the areas of asset risk according to priority. It may be worth distinguishing
between priorities of men and women, or between other significant social groups, in
the ranking in order to ensure that their key priorities are noted (e.g. men and women
vote with different coloured marks).
SLIDE – Prioritisation of risks
• Rank areas of asset risk according to priority
• Identify priority areas for action to address identified risks.
• Encourage flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing situations
• Communities need to deal with immediate identified needs as well as
future uncertainty.
Based on the prioritised areas of risk, look across the areas of livelihood vulnerability,
asset and livelihoods capacity, and constraining and supportive policies and
institutions, to seek priority areas for action to address the identified risks. It is not
necessary at this stage to get down to practicalities of what exactly to do – this will
come in the action planning session. The aim is to identify areas which seem most
important whilst the assessment discussions are still fresh in people‟s minds. Select a
few different areas, these can always be prioritised further during the planning stage.
In order to deal with uncertainty, communities need to be flexible and able to adapt to
changing circumstances. Climate change promises to be dynamic and unpredictable.
Greater extremes of variability are already appearing. This increased variability and
uncertainty will require communities to build resilience and adaptive capacity. They
A Training Manual on Use of Climate Information and Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment for
Agricultural Extension Staff in Zimbabwe
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