NOTE NOTE The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note 3 3 Embedding Climate Resilience into Ecosystem and Water Projects The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note 1. Why is embedding resilience into ecosystem and water sectors’ infrastructure, planning, and policies important? Ecosystems underpin sustainable development and human well-being in Sub-Saharan Africa. They deliver critical goods and services such as food and freshwater and offer stability and security to natural and social systems (World Bank 2020). The productive and protective aspects of ecosystem stability and water security are foundational for building adaptive capacity and resilience, which is increasingly being recognized through scaled-up financing for projects in these areas (World Bank 2023b). Ecosystem stability and water security in Sub-Saharan Africa can be enhanced through three key priority action areas: (a) enhance considerations of natural capital in macroeconomic and sectoral policy; (b) enhance management of landscapes, seascapes, and watersheds to increase resilience and enhance carbon sequestration; and (c) strengthen water security in the face of climate uncertainty through improved planning The Africa Climate Resilience developers in integrating climate funds from AFRI-RES. It draws Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) is a resilience in project planning and from application of the Resilience partnership between the Africa Union, design, thereby attracting funding Booster Tool to specific projects, African Development Bank, the United from both development and climate as relevant, Compendium Volume Nations Economic Commission for finance sources.​ on Climate Resilient Investment in Africa (UNECA), and the World Bank Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank Group, established with support This note summarizes lessons and (2023a) and Guidance, Standards, from the Nordic Development Fund practices deployed in embedding and Good Practice Notes developed (NDF). The partnership seeks to assist climate resilience into the design under the program. governments, planners, and private of projects that received catalytic Embedding Climate Resilience into Ecosystems and Water Projects 1 NOTE The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note 3 and management (World Bank 2020). Ecosystem erosion (Opperman et al. 2021). A study by the ELD services form the foundation of livelihoods and Initiative and UNEP (2015) on 42 Sub-Saharan African wealth for a large portion of the African population, countries1 suggests that the economic impacts of soil generating around one-third of economic growth in erosion on cropland is detrimental and can result in Sub-Saharan Africa (Lovei et al. 2017; Trisos et al. a decline in GDP of up to 12 percent, signaling the 2022). Over 62 percent of Africa’s rural population importance of combating this trend. depend on increasingly stressed ecosystems for their food, water, and energy needs (Africa Center Widespread deforestation is exacerbating climate 2022). Drylands make up around 43 percent of the change and reducing the adaptive capacity of continent’s land surface and comprise 75 percent of local communities to respond to climate threats. It the area used for agriculture, while providing homes threatens livelihoods and food security and contributes for 50 percent of the Sub-Saharan African population to biodiversity loss. Africa is home to 17 percent of the (Lovei et al. 2017). The degradation of ecosystems, world’s forests (Berrahmouni and Mansourian 2021). particularly drylands, jeopardizes people and their The Congo Basin sequesters 4 percent of global carbon livelihoods by putting them in vulnerable ecological, emissions annually and supports the livelihoods of economic, and socially precarious situations. Further, 80 million people in the region (Africa Center 2022). Africa’s population is likely to double by 2050, which However, Sub-Saharan Africa’s forests are under will put increased pressure on the region’s ecosystems threat, with the region losing 4.4. million hectares of and biodiversity unless effectively managed through forest annually between 2015 and 2020 (Berrahmouni comprehensive policies and strategies (IPBES 2018). and Mansourian 2021). Deforestation will continue Environmental degradation of natural resources can to threaten the adaptive capacity of communities if strain economic progress and even cost some countries robust forest management is not implemented. around 4 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) a year (Aramide Awe 2012). High dependence Water scarcity and hydrological variability has led on ecosystems points to the need to develop robust to more intense and frequent floods and droughts responses and management systems to mitigate the throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. These variable negative impacts of climate change on the population. precipitation patterns have caused cascading impacts ranging from diminished hydroelectricity production to Sub-Saharan Africa faces escalating climate- threatened food security (Kalantari et al. 2018; Trisos related impacts that are exacerbating ecosystem et al. 2022). Coastal areas are particularly vulnerable vulnerability through land degradation. The primary and are undergoing an alarming rate of environmental causes include deforestation, poor management of degradation. Flooding and coastal erosion in West cultivated land, and excessive use of agricultural Africa have damaged critical infrastructure assets technologies, all of which are exacerbated by drought and mangrove and marine habitats, and has caused (Lovei et al. 2017). Estimates suggest that up to loss of life (Croitoru, Miranda, and Sarraf 2019). On 65 percent of productive land in Africa is degraded the other end of the spectrum, the Horn of Africa is (Chomba et al. 2020). A key driver includes use entering its third year of drought after experiencing that exceeds the carrying capacity of the land by five failed rainy seasons since late 2020. This ongoing an increasing number of people and livestock, which drought has displaced 1.4 million Somalis, led to contributes to compromised water quality through soil considerable loss of agricultural crops, and killed 3.8 1 Angola, Arab Republic of Egypt, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte D’Ivoire, Dem- ocratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Maurita- nia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Embedding Climate Resilience into Ecosystems and Water Projects 2 NOTE The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note 3 million livestock (UN OCHA 2023). As a result of this effects of climate change on ecosystems through floods ongoing drought, more than 6 million people are facing and drought, in the backdrop of land degradation, are acute food shortages and malnutrition, compounded perpetuating vicious cycles that increase vulnerability by a shortage of potable water and related disease of the most marginalized segments of the population. outbreak (Palmer, Wainwright, and Dong 2023). The Action Areas for Integrating Climate Resilience into Ecosystem and Water Sector Projects Intervention Area Purpose Examples Physical preparedness and protection Withstand impacts of shocks Implement improved vegetation and and fluctuations to maintain soil cover (increasing plant density, characteristics and performance cover cropping, earlier planting, relay planting, mixed or intercropping, contour planting, and mulching) Protect wetlands to provide ecosystem services such as flood protection, rehabilitation of gullies to reduce erosion, flood risk, and property damage Invest in hardware (water quality stations, automatic weather stations) for riverine flood risk management Develop infrastructure such as flood barriers, flood storage basins, gully erosion control structures, and rehabilitation of irrigation facilities Restore forested landscapes Capacity Building Gain or create knowledge, and build Build institutional capacity to the skills, attitudes and competencies implement policies on sustainable needed to innovate and adapt land use practices and to change watershed management Develop adaptation options related to irrigation, drainage, and water management for agricultural producers Adaptable decision-making Flexibility in response to uncertainty Install early drought systems to detect drought onset and assess response options Source: Adapted from Ospina and Rigaud 2020. Embedding Climate Resilience into Ecosystems and Water Projects 3 NOTE The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note 3 Integration of climate resilience into Proposed measures in ecosystem the ecosystem and water sectors in and water sectors projects Sub-Saharan Africa to increase resilience Embedding climate resilience into ecosystem and Sustainable land management strategies. water projects in Sub-Saharan Africa enhances the Sustainable land management (SLM) is essential for adaptive capacity of people and systems to better enhancing ecosystem resilience through curbing rates respond to escalating climate impacts. Table 1 of land degradation and improving livelihoods. summarizes ways to integrate climate resilience into According to the World Bank (2008, 5), SLM is “a ecosystem and water projects that focus on different knowledge-based procedure that helps integrate land, aspects of resilience, from physical preparedness to water, biodiversity, and environmental management to institutional capacity building. meet rising food and fiber demands while sustaining ecosystem services and livelihoods.” SLM can support coordination between stakeholders; enhance resilience through implementing or scaling up environmental Figure 1. Elements that Support Sustainable Land Management. Source: Adapted from World Bank 2021 Embedding Climate Resilience into Ecosystems and Water Projects 4 NOTE The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note 3 safeguards and restoration efforts; and support the Leveraging nature-based solutions and blue/green sustainable intensification of resource use (Cervigni infrastructure for ecosystem resilience. Nature- and Morris 2016). Key activities include (a) preserving based solutions (NBS) are central to climate change and enhancing the productive capabilities of cropland, adaptation and building resilience in landscapes and forestland, and grazing land; (b) sustaining productive communities. NBS protect, restore, or sustainably forest areas; and (c) maintaining the integrity of manage natural ecosystems while simultaneously watersheds for water supply and hydropower (World providing biodiversity and livelihood benefits (World Bank 2008). SLM approaches often focus on preventing Bank 2022). NBS can include planting of mangroves soil erosion and improving biodiversity through to combat coastal flooding, implementing blue/green vegetation management and sustainable irrigation infrastructure in urban spaces to reduce urban heat systems (Sanz et al. 2017). SLM offers a holistic island effects, planting trees to enhance carbon approach to preserving or restoring ecosystems in the sequestration, and restoring native vegetation to near and long term by pursuing multiple avenues of minimize the impacts of soil erosion on watersheds intervention, including stakeholder engagement, that provide drinking water (Acreman et al. 2021; establishing environmental baselines and economic Seddon et al. 2020; Van Zaten et al. 2023). NBS are incentives, boundary setting, and capacity building frequently viewed as potential cost-effective solutions (figure 1). SLM can bolster the overall resilience of to Sub-Saharan Africa’s growing infrastructure ecosystems, which can enhance the adaptative needs. Compared to traditional gray infrastructure, capacity of vulnerable communities. NBS can maximize resilience to climate risks with limited resources that are up to 50 percent less Figure 2. Interlinkages of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus as Underpinned by Ecosystems. Source: GWP 2019 Embedding Climate Resilience into Ecosystems and Water Projects 5 NOTE The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note 3 expensive than traditional infrastructure (Bassi and offers pathways to approaching issues such as et al. 2021; Oliver and Marsters 2022). Leveraging food security without compromising biodiversity and NBS can deliver ecological and social benefits by ecosystem services (De Laurentiis, Hunt, and Rogers strengthening the adaptive capacity of systems to 2016). For example, micro-irrigation and solar-powered support ecosystem resilience. irrigation pumps can limit trade-offs associated with increasing food production by preventing or mitigating Water-energy-food nexus. The water-energy-food emissions from the energy sources required to power (WEF) nexus offers a holistic and cross-sectoral the infrastructure (Mpandeli et al. 2018). Further, the approach to embedding resilience into strategies for WEF nexus can support sustainable land use and managing the impacts of climate change. The WEF agricultural practices and prevent the degradation nexus stems from understanding that water, energy, of ecosystems and their services, particularly when ecosystems, and agriculture are strongly interlinked employed proactively. Proactive interventions, such as (figure 2), and the use of a WEF resource in one planned investments to enhance the adaptive capacity sector affects the availability of another resource in of agricultural systems through implementing new a neighboring sector (Mpandeli et al. 2018). If not and efficient irrigation systems, can contribute to coordinated, attempting to achieve resource security the long-term adaptation and resilience of systems in one sector can threaten the security of other sectors (Mpandeli et al. 2018). Thus, integrated approaches (Adom, Simatele, and Reid 2022). The WEF nexus to the WEF nexus can ensure sustainable access and thereby allows policy makers to identify synergies and availability of resources and enhance the resilience of trade-offs that arise from managing these resources communities and systems to climate shocks. Embedding Climate Resilience into Ecosystems and Water Projects 6 NOTE The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note 3 Case Studies from the AFRI-RES Uganda Irrigation for Climate Resilience Project (US$169.20 million) aims to provide farmers in the Supported Ecosystem and Water project areas with access to irrigation and other Sector Projects on Integrating agricultural services, and to establish management Resilience into Designs arrangements for irrigation service delivery. To build climate resilience, there is an urgent need to Four World Bank projects that focus on ecosystems create conditions for rapid scalability of irrigation and water received financing under the Africa Climate systems that allow farmers to cope with climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) fund. The variability, increase crop yield and intensification, project interventions showcase that climate-smart and diversify toward higher-value crops. The project irrigation systems and sustainable land and water will construct new irrigation networks using pipes, management systems offer integrated approaches canals, and hydromechanical equipment; support the to climate adaptation and mitigation that not only strengthening of management of existing irrigation support agricultural productivity but also safeguard schemes; and develop studies for future irrigation biodiversity, water resources, and ecological balance. schemes. Through implementing new irrigation and These strategies and interventions will ultimately drainage systems, the project will avert decreases in strengthen Sub-Saharan Africa’s ecosystems and crop yield that are forecasted as a result of changing watersheds against climate change and create more precipitation patterns. The project estimates that resilient systems. 58,100 farmers will benefit from new or improved irrigation services and increase crop yields by two to The Nigeria, Ghana, and Ethiopia projects applied five times the current rate. the Resilience Booster tool in the project design stage to support the development of the resilience Project interventions adopt an integrated WEF narrative in the project objectives and outcomes. nexus approach to build the resilience of farmers, The Resilience Booster is an interactive, step-by-step communities, and infrastructure. The new irrigation tool for development practitioners to embed climate and drainage systems will enhance farmers’ resilience through a set of resilience attributes into resilience to water shortages and floods while project designs. It helps teams to think through, specify, bolstering farmers’ resilience to future climate and design project activities that build resilience by shocks and food insecurity from crop loss. The integrating resilience attributes. The results of the project invests in activities that will increase farmers’ application of the Resilience Booster are detailed at access to and adoption of irrigation systems, the end of the project description if available. which contribute to resilience through a WEF nexus approach. Solar-powered irrigation pumps will prevent emissions from the energy sources required to power the infrastructure needed for scaled-up Uganda Irrigation for Climate agricultural production. Access to reliable irrigation Resilience Project services will allow farmers to sustain production over the wet season should rainfalls fail and increase Irrigation systems are being leveraged in Uganda intensification in the dry season. Improved crop yields to boost farmers’ adaptive capacity to respond to and increased diversification and intensification Irrigation systems are being leveraged in Uganda will lead to improved livelihoods and resilience to to boost farmers’ adaptive capacity to respond climatic events, particularly with food security. The to increasingly unpredictable hydrometeorological project will promote SLM practices and integrated trends and achieve national food security. The pest and disease management. By focusing on the Embedding Climate Resilience into Ecosystems and Water Projects 7 NOTE The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note 3 land, water, food, and energy components of the WEF investments into irrigation, which informed the FLID nexus, the project has embedded resilience into its design. The task team led a series of stakeholder components to ensure a holistic approach. Therefore, workshops to create awareness on the large potential intervention in one project area will not undermine for solar irrigation in northern Nigeria and to foster resilience in another sector, fostering a harmonized and buy-in for FLID activities among key stakeholders, climate resilient framework. including government institutions, donor agencies, and the private sector. These workshops allowed the team to draw on their experiences and knowledge to ensure that the FLID establishes multistakeholder platforms Nigeria Agro-Climatic Resilience that facilitate partnerships among government in Semi-Arid Landscapes and nongovernment actors, including irrigation (ACReSAL) Project technology providers, smallholder farmers, academic institutions, and government institutions. Further, the task team laid the groundwork for diverse uptake of Farmer-led irrigation development (FLID) holds the irrigation systems by a wider group of farmers great potential to sustainably increase agricultural by establishing a challenge fund to stimulate private productivity and enhance climate resilience in sector innovation to address barriers to farmer Nigeria. The Nigeria Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi- participation in FLID. The task team’s analytical Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project (US$700 million) work focused on the economic feasibility of solar- aims to increase the implementation of SLM practices based groundwater irrigation by assessing biophysical in targeted watersheds in northern Nigeria and conditions, cropping patterns, and whole-life strengthen Nigeria’s long-term enabling environment financial cost. These outcomes fed into the design of for integrated climate-resilient landscape management. the FLID to make the proposed system more robust A subcomponent of ACReSAL, funded by AFRI-RES, and resilient. focuses on FLID, in which farmers take the lead in the establishment, improvement, or expansion of small- The FLID approach enhances resilience of its users by scale irrigated agriculture. Through FLID, farmers can adopting a participatory micro-watershed planning grow crops year-round which, in turn, will reduce the framework that highlights multistakeholder actions vulnerability of communities to food shortages and and collective decision-making on sustainable and enhance their ability to cope with climate shocks, equitable use of water resources. FLID’s three- thereby bolstering the resilience of the farmers pronged approach strengthens the resilience of people, and their crops. Further, solar technologies in the systems, and assets. The first prong is a granular FLID systems have significant potential to mitigate assessment of water resources and crop rotations. greenhouse gases and allow Sub-Saharan Africa to It enhances resilience of assets and infrastructure leverage clean and green development pathways. through strengthening the robustness of the irrigation system by determining context-specific limitations or The proposed FLID will be more robust and resilient opportunities for FLID’s implementation. The second as a result of task team–led activities that informed prong is adopting a market-based approach to the final FLID design. At the outset, there were stimulate the private sector. It enhances resilience of insufficient data on areas where groundwater irrigation people through inclusion by allowing for the service would be economically feasible in Nigeria and what to reach farmers in traditionally underserved areas of sustainable financing options would be available for Nigeria. The third prong is strengthening the enabling solar irrigation technologies. The task team identified environment to address barriers that limit farmers’ activities to catalyze farmer and private sector access to solar irrigation technologies. Embedding Climate Resilience into Ecosystems and Water Projects 8 NOTE The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note 3 Applying the Resilience Booster tool, a focus Strategic shifts toward better-managed natural on learning as a resilience attribute is linked to resources through an SLM approach will improve the capacity building initiatives in market segmentation, resilience of livelihoods and assets by reducing the agricultural extensions, water resource management, risks of climate shocks. The project will strengthen and social inclusion in irrigation, which can contribute institutions for participatory landscape management to increasing adaptive capacity. There is emphasis on by enhancing multipurpose land and water rapidity through interventions including mobilizing management models at the national level through private sector investment for faster and easier access remote sensing data and geological surveys. This will to FLID technologies and providing results-based support the development of spatial planning tools financing to private companies to improve their for mapping and monitoring impacts and effective response time to increased market demands for FLID. monitoring of sustainable cocoa production, thereby avoiding future land degradation. The project takes a holistic, basin-level planning approach to addresses issues of sustainable water planning, which will Ghana Landscape Restoration and increase the resilience of ecosystems and watersheds Small-Scale Mining Project by accounting for not only the environmental but also the socioeconomic components of SLM. By SLM can enhance resilience through reversing the pursuing multiple avenues of SLM interventions, land and forest degradation trend by harnessing including stakeholder engagement via consultations, sustainable forest and water resource management implementing NBS, and increasing economic strategies. The Ghana Landscape Restoration benefits for farmers, SLM can bolster the resilience and Small-Scale Mining Project (US$90.6 million) of the project. aims to strengthen integrated natural resource management and increase benefits to communities A focus on robustness, redundancy, learning, and in targeted savannah and cocoa forest landscapes. inclusion supports the project’s overall resilience. The project focuses on strengthening the sustainable Applying the Resilience Booster tool, the project management of forest landscapes for biodiversity supports the robustness of physical infrastructure conservation and ecosystem services through through targeted investments in developing bolstering institutional capacity for enhanced forest community micro-watershed infrastructure, which management, providing training and skills development enhances the system’s ability to withstand shocks. to farmers on landscape management, and holding The project embeds redundancy by supplementing stakeholder consultations. The project encourages existing landscape services with landscape restoration, the establishment of greater tree cover and supports natural regeneration, and enrichment planting. efforts to avoid forest degradation. It will incorporate Project components foster learning by providing skills NBS in targeted landscapes to mitigate negative development and training on forest and landscape environmental impacts around mining areas. Through management, which build competencies to innovate sustainable crop and forest landscape management, and adapt to change. The project focuses on inclusion the project will contribute to strengthening economic by supporting women to take leadership roles. Working and adaptive resilience by bolstering the natural capital together, these four areas of intervention bolster the asset base of rural farmers, increasing the diversity of overall resilience of the project by applying a climate- smallholder farming systems, promoting equity and informed lens to the project components and objective. inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups, and improving the availability of and smallholder access to climate information through knowledge exchanges. Embedding Climate Resilience into Ecosystems and Water Projects 9 NOTE The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note 3 Ethiopia Resilient Landscapes and will adopt climate-smart agriculture practices to increase productivity and resilience of crops against Livelihoods Project II (RLLP II) drought through activities that support farm water and soil moisture management and integrated soil Green infrastructure and sustainable land and water fertility and management. These sustainable land and management practices in Ethiopia can support the water management strategies will support ecosystem development of resilient livelihoods. The Ethiopia resilience in the face of escalating climate impacts on Resilient Landscapes and Livelihoods Project II landscapes, watersheds, and livelihoods by enhancing (US$178.24 million) aims to improve climate resilience, the adaptive capacity of the project components, land productivity, and carbon storage, and increase thereby bolstering overall project resilience. access to diversified livelihood activities in selected rural watersheds. A key component focuses on The Resilience Booster tool identified interventions increasing the adaptive capacity of the population designed to enhance the resilience of infrastructure to climate change by scaling up sustainable land and and assets. Interventions to support the robustness water management practices in watersheds, which of the project include soil and water conservation will reduce soil erosion and enhance robustness of the practices, afforestation, and reforestation. The project system to respond to shocks. Interventions will include supports learning through building local capacity financing sustainable land and water management by training farmers on sustainable land practices. interventions on communal and individual lands, The development of watershed plans with multiple gully rehabilitation, supporting green corridors to link activities based on local needs supports flexibility fragmented forests, and developing infrastructure and diversity, contributing to support the adaptive such as water harvesting structures. Planned capacity of the system. reforestation and afforestation of degraded forest and shrublands will enhance soil fertility. The project Embedding Climate Resilience into Agriculture Projects 10 NOTE The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note 3 The project focuses on strengthening the sustainable A focus on robustness, redundancy, learning, and management of forest landscapes for biodiversity inclusion supports the project’s overall resilience. conservation and ecosystem services through Applying the Resilience Booster tool, the project bolstering institutional capacity for enhanced supports the robustness of physical infrastructure forest management, providing training and skills through targeted investments in developing community development to farmers on landscape management, micro-watershed infrastructure, which enhances the and holding stakeholder consultations. The project system’s ability to withstand shocks. The project encourages the establishment of greater tree cover embeds redundancy by supplementing existing and supports efforts to avoid forest degradation. landscape services with landscape restoration, It will incorporate NBS in targeted landscapes to natural regeneration, and enrichment planting. mitigate negative environmental impacts around Project components foster learning by providing skills mining areas. Through sustainable crop and forest development and training on forest and landscape landscape management, the project will contribute management, which build competencies to innovate to strengthening economic and adaptive resilience and adapt to change. The project focuses on inclusion by bolstering the natural capital asset base of rural by supporting women to take leadership roles. Working farmers, increasing the diversity of smallholder together, these four areas of intervention bolster the farming systems, promoting equity and inclusion of overall resilience of the project by applying a climate- vulnerable and marginalized groups, and improving informed lens to the project components and objective. the availability of and smallholder access to climate information through knowledge exchanges. Strategic shifts toward better-managed natural Ethiopia Resilient Landscapes and resources through an SLM approach will improve the Livelihoods Project II (RLLP II) resilience of livelihoods and assets by reducing the risks of climate shocks. The project will strengthen Green infrastructure and sustainable land and institutions for participatory landscape management water management practices in Ethiopia can by enhancing multipurpose land and water support the development of resilient livelihoods. management models at the national level through The Ethiopia Resilient Landscapes and Livelihoods remote sensing data and geological surveys. This will Project II (US$178.24 million) aims to improve climate support the development of spatial planning tools resilience, land productivity, and carbon storage, and for mapping and monitoring impacts and effective increase access to diversified livelihood activities in monitoring of sustainable cocoa production, thereby selected rural watersheds. A key component focuses avoiding future land degradation. The project takes a on increasing the adaptive capacity of the population holistic, basin-level planning approach to addresses to climate change by scaling up sustainable land and issues of sustainable water planning, which will water management practices in watersheds, which increase the resilience of ecosystems and watersheds will reduce soil erosion and enhance robustness of the by accounting for not only the environmental but system to respond to shocks. Interventions will include also the socioeconomic components of SLM. By financing sustainable land and water management pursuing multiple avenues of SLM interventions, interventions on communal and individual lands, including stakeholder engagement via consultations, gully rehabilitation, supporting green corridors to implementing NBS, and increasing economic link fragmented forests, and developing infrastructure benefits for farmers, SLM can bolster the resilience such as water harvesting structures. Planned of the project. reforestation and afforestation of degraded forest Embedding Climate Resilience into Ecosystems and Water Projects 11 NOTE The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note 3 and shrublands will enhance soil fertility. The project The Resilience Booster tool identified interventions will adopt climate-smart agriculture practices to designed to enhance the resilience of infrastructure increase productivity and resilience of crops against and assets. Interventions to support the robustness drought through activities that support farm water of the project include soil and water conservation and soil moisture management and integrated soil practices, afforestation, and reforestation. The project fertility and management. These sustainable land and supports learning through building local capacity water management strategies will support ecosystem by training farmers on sustainable land practices. resilience in the face of escalating climate impacts on The development of watershed plans with multiple landscapes, watersheds, and livelihoods by enhancing activities based on local needs supports flexibility the adaptive capacity of the project components, and diversity, contributing to support the adaptive thereby bolstering overall project resilience. capacity of the system. Embedding Climate Resilience into Ecosystems and Water Projects 12 NOTE The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note 3 References Acreman, M., A. Smith, L. Charters, D. Tickner, J. Opperman, S. De Laurentiis, V., D. V. L. Hunt, and C. D. F. Rogers. 2016. Acreman, F. Edwards, P. Sayers, and F. 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