The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) works to enhance the quality of life for the poorest and most vulnerable to climate change. CDKN does this by combining research, advisory services and knowledge management in support of locally owned and managed policy processes. It works in partnership with decision-makers in the public, private and non-governmental sectors nationally, regionally and globally.
CDKN is led by SouthSouthNorth in South Africa, in partnership with Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano in Ecuador, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, South Asia, in India, and the Overseas Development Institute in the UK.
CDKN works across Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, with a focus on nine priority countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador.
Africa
Future Climate for Africa
CDKN collaborates and partners with the Future Climate for Africa programme's Capacity Development and Knowledge Exchange Unit. Future Climate for Africa (FCFA) aims to generate fundamentally new climate science focused on Africa, and to ensure that this science has an impact on human development across the continent. FCFA's goal is to reduce disruption and damage from climate change and to safeguard economic development and poverty eradication efforts over the long-term. In this way, FCFA aims to make new African infrastructure and urban and rural plans and investments more climate-resilient.
Climate change curriculum for Southern Africa
CDKN also supported seven universities from five southern African countries in a project led by the University of Cape Town, to develop a master's curriculum on climate change and sustainable development for the Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA).
Building Rwanda's capacity for climate compatible development
CDKN has been involved in capacity building in Rwanda through the national environment and climate change fund, FONERWA – the largest climate fund of its kind in Africa. By building capacity at national and district level to scope, develop and implement successful climate compatible development projects, the work will help support implementation of Rwanda's Green Growth & Climate Resilience Strategy and build momentum for low carbon, climate resilient economic growth in the country.
As part of continued work in Rwanda through the project, "Building resilience in Rwanda through business collaboration," a CDKN-funded research study showed that small businesses around Nyabugogo River, Gatsata and other water catchment areas in Kigali could face further losses due to flooding if no urgent actions are taken to address the problem. A survey, carried out as part of the project, looked at how small businesses in Kigali are being affected by recurrent flooding, and found that the areas experienced losses estimated at Rwf178.2 million in direct and indirect damages caused by floods.
The Minister for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, Seraphine Mukantabana, said the findings are part of the needed continued efforts to sustain all actions for reducing disaster risks and building disaster-resilient communities: "We have the second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy to sustain the development momentum but we know potential obstacles that could impede achievement of these goals due to increasing disaster risks and impact of climate change."
Impacts of climate change in Uganda
In 2016, CDKN produced the report an "Economic assessment of the impacts of climate change in Uganda", which was commissioned by the Government of Uganda. It aimed to provide the government with economic evidence on the current and future costs associated with climate variability and predicted climate change, and the necessary adaptation measures for different sectors at both national and local scales. This evidence is intended to help policy-makers mainstream climate change and resilience into national and sectoral policies and develop the case for investing in adaptation.
Evidence from the study has already informed Uganda's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to the 21st Conference of Parties (COP 21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris, France, in late 2015.
Asia
The Ahmedabad Heat Action Plan
After a heat wave hit Ahmedabad, a western city of 5.5 million people, in May 2010, killing over 1,300 people, local authorities mapped areas with "high-risk" populations including slums, as part of an extreme heat action plan. CDKN supported the creation and roll-out of the action plan.