Climate Change and Rural Institutions

project summary

The research will investigate how district level government, agencies responsible for managing natural resources, agricultural advisory services and farmer organisations in Africa and Asia are responding to climate change. Such "meso-level" organisations mediate between national adaptation policies and programmes and efforts underway in communities. However, little is known about how and to what extent such institutions themselves respond to climate change, and if/how they are moving toward an enabling institutional environment to address climate change. The programme will address the knowledge gap that currently exists about the interface between national policy and individual/ community level adaptation efforts by focusing on the factors and processes in meso-level (district) institutions that variously stimulate change and innovation, or constrain or block such adaptation to climate change.