Tropical forests have an important role to play – not only in providing physical buffers to drought, scorching heat, dust storms and flash floods, but also in providing livelihoods to millions of people across the globe.

Safeguarding these forests, notably against the effects of climate change, has been the focus of TroFCCA’s activities in three regions over four years. These three regions spanned eight countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Mali in West Africa; Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua in Central America; and Indonesia and the Philippines in Southeast Asia.

The project’s aims were to: raise awareness of the need for climate change adaptation through frequent science-policy dialogues involving local, national and regional participants; enhance adaptation capacity to ensure sustainable and equitable development of the prioritised sectors; support participating countries’ National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA); and, build capacity among students and researchers from different disciplines.

In West Africa, three main development sectors linked to the forest ecosystem were chosen: water, wood fuel, and Non-Timber Forest Products (such as food, fodder and healthcare). Local partners selected these particular sectors for their livelihood importance, development relevance and vulnerability to climate change. As the region’s economy depends heavily on climate-sensitive sectors (agriculture, pastoralism, fisheries and forestry), climate change adaptation is particularly important.

From the outset, local partners were involved in setting the adaptation agenda and in deciding which areas required research. The approach taken means TroFCCA’s activities are effectively contributing to the mainstreaming of adaptation into the development process. The activities have so far led to: a science-policy dialogue; methods to assess vulnerability; and, steps towards an enhanced adaptive capacity through policy action research. Also, thanks to the fellowship programme, several students have now successfully completed graduate studies in areas related to TroFCCA’s main objectives.

As climate change adaptation is an essential component of the EU-Africa Partnership, TroFCCA was aided financially by the European Commission with some €3.3 million. While the project was financed by the Commission, it was hosted by the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and relied on input from the Agriculture Centre for Research and Higher Education (CATIE).