DOWN2EARTH aims to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on rural lives and livelihoods in the Horn of Africa Drylands, helping communities in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia to tackle food and water insecurity. Led by Cardiff University and funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme, DOWN2EARTH brings together an interdisciplinary team of international researchers and practitioners. Using state-of-the-art seasonal forecasts and decadal projections of climate change, the team aims to translate data into clear, concise, practical information that can be used by farmers, pastoralists and local communities.
Roger Few and Mark Tebboth from DEV are playing lead roles in work to understand and strengthen local-level decision-making for climate adaptation. They are designing an integrated programme of research in rural communities, differentiated by age, gender and ethnicity, on adaptations to climate shocks and climate change, and on engagement with technology. In close collaboration with Action Aid, the University of Nairobi and Addis Ababa University, they will support the field teams working in communities in the three countries. The key importance of this work within the project’s overall research programme will be to ground the development of new technologies in the everyday realities of people who live and work in these dryland environments.
