On March 12th, 2018 the OSS, as a Regional Implementing Entity accredited by the Adaptation Fund, participated in the first Project Steering Committee Meeting of the Enhancing Resilience of Communities to Climate Change through Catchment Based Integrated Management of Water and Related Resources in Uganda (EURECCCA) Project in Kampala. EURECCCA is the first OSS project financed by the Adaptation Fund combining Climate Change Impacts & Water Resource Management in East Africa. The main objective of the project is to increase the resilience of communities to the risk of floods and landslides in Awoja, Maziba and Aswa catchments through promoting catchment based integrated, equitable & sustainable management of water & related resources. At the Steering Committee, chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ugandan Ministry of Water & Environment, also executing agency for the project, the representatives from the main concerned authorities and the local government and the OSS team, as observer, discussed the progress of the activities implementation and agreed upon the way forward for the next 18 months.
The OSS is also active in enhancing drought resilience for rural population in Eastern Africa. In partnership with the Global Water Partnership Eastern Africa (GWPEA), OSS organized on Mach 15 and 16 in Entebbe, Uganda, the Regional Concertation Workshop on “Strengthening Drought Resilience of Small Holder Farmers and Pastoralists in the IGAD region”- or DRESS-EA Project- covering Djibouti, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda. The objective of this workshop, gathering OSS, GWPEA and IUCN representatives, members from the Uganda Water Partnership and of the 4 national and local executing entities from the drought prone areas, is to identify input and needs of the various project stakeholders in the preparation of the submission for the financing request to the Adaptation Fund. Ultimately, the DRESS-EA Project would improve populations’ resilience through an Early Warning System and provide relevant and timely information on the occurrence of extreme weather events related to climate change in the four concerned countries.
In Western Africa, the OSS is exploring to develop a regional project entitled "Integration of Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Measures in Concerted Management of W-Arly-Pendjari Complex: ADAPT-WAP”. This project covering Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger, aims to strengthen ecosystem resilience, improve the livelihoods of W Park local people and contribute to adaptation of riparian populations to climate change. From 28 February to March 5, 2018, in the elaboration of the full proposal for financing request to the Adaptation Fund, an OSS team of experts undertook national and regional consultation workshops aimed at ensuring better involvement of the various local stakeholders, including women, youth and vulnerable groups respectively in the three countries concerned by the WAP complex area. In accordance with its policy, the OSS paid particular attention to the involvement of the local population and beneficiaries in all stages of the program and project design and implementation process. Countries agreed on a common and regional vision of the ADAPT WAP project as well as on the modalities and approaches for its implementation. During the regional workshop, the Niger Minister of Tourism endorsed the OSS collaborative and integrated approach in the elaboration a project in support of WAP.