ALM UNDP

Summary:

This project will gather “oral histories” on local-level memories of climate variability and climate change as a proxy to obtaining meteorological and other environmental data. The project will also capture local perceptions and indigenous knowledge about environmental adaptation that have occurred over three and a half decades of conflict.

Climate change impacts in Angola have been severe. For instance, the unusually heavy rains in 2006 and 2007 caused severe flooding in areas that have no record of flooding, causing millions of dollars of damage to property and infrastructure. In addition, cholera and diarrhoea outbreaks triggered by the floods claimed the lives of more than 3000 people. However, climate data has not been collected and recorded in Angola since 1974, when the civil war began. In addition, through neglect and destruction from the war, the Angolan meteorological stations have been destroyed. As a result, environmental scientists have no solid basis upon which to develop climate change models or scenarios that could help to identify appropriate mitigative measures or adaptive actions for the future. This project proposes to gather “oral histories” on local-level memories of climate variability and climate change as a proxy to obtaining meteorological and other environmental data. The project will also capture local perceptions and indigenous knowledge about environmental adaptation that have occurred over three and a half decades of conflict. The information gathered will be processed and shared with the Angolan Ministry of Environment, who will in turn use it to inform the development of the Angola National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. The information will also be fed back to, and shared with the communities to create greater awareness and knowledge about climate change, and how it affects their livelihoods and communities.