Putting ecosystems at the center of adaptation through climate smart village approach

Implemented in the Santa Rita and Olopa communities of Honduras and Guatemala, respectively, within the Central American Dry Corridor region, this project builds on the current evidence gleaned from Climate Smart Villages (CSV) on Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), thus generating robust scientific evidence on EbA effectiveness. The project implements agricultural practices to recover agroecosystems using agroclimatic information, improving the ecosystem services of agricultural production systems. Additionally, the project informs the formulation of public policies to strengthen the cross-sectoral implementation of the EbA approach. By combining participatory methodologies, effective dialogue between science and local knowledge, bridging the gap between policy-informing scales, and contributing to knowledge exchange through collaborative research, this project further showcases the benefits of EbA in agricultural settings.

The project has made substantial progress by actively promoting the EbA/CSA approach through collaborations with political entities. Notably, involvement in shaping Guatemala’s MAGA international cooperation strategy aims to establish a comprehensive and sustainable approach in the agricultural sector and hydrobiological resource management, emphasising scalable EbA/CSA practices in vulnerable communities.

Throughout 2023, the project engaged in significant events, including presenting trial results at PCCMCA in Guatemala. Discussions with UNICEF’s climate adaptation focal point and MAGA’s technical team assessed the EbA/CSA approach, with a focus on youth involvement. Initiatives in Honduras with SERNA targeted scaling activities and updating the National Adaptation Plan.

Participation in the Climate Week in Panama highlighted the project’s scope, discussing climate-resilient food systems and locally-led adaptation for effective climate action.

Collaborations with IICA, CUNORI, and AgriLAC Resilient led to the development of the “Innovative Extensionism for Sustainable Agriculture” diploma, enhancing knowledge in Guatemala.

PICSA approach implementation and field schools contributed to enhancing agroclimatic information availability and capacity-building. Scientific experiments for bean cultivation and ongoing trials for native crops aim to gather evidence and assess performance.

Monitoring and evaluation faced delays due to political instability, with resumption expected in February 2024. The characterization of CO2 equivalent emissions using the Cool Farm Tool is ongoing, with results under analysis for the final report.

Efforts persist in gathering information for soil analyses, ecosystem services assessments, and climate-related indicators.