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The main objective of the Adaptation Learning Highway (ALH) was to facilitate a horizontal and
vertical information and knowledge flow among communities and between communities, scientists and
technical persons as well as the local administration to engage in policy and local adaptation
strategy formulations as well as to ensure a process to stimulate a more responsive local governance
mechanism for managing change and enhancing climate change adaptation (CCA).
The ALH was implemented in Nepal and India. The process has been highly appreciated by all
stakeholders as the interactive forums - the community to community (C2C) exchange, the
community-scientist interface as well as the policy makers and community interaction forum - provided
opportunities for communities to voice their efforts in managing change as well as their concerns for
support from local governments could be voiced and discussed with relevant authorities. The
Community-Scientists' Interface (CSI) offered scientists a 'first hand' experience
on ground realities and community abilities (and concerns) and the Policy Interaction Forum (PIF)
provided the decision makers a rare opportunity to get a diverse view of grassroot needs and hence
helped to make more effective decisions for action.
ALH findings have been utilized pro-actively for shaping the State Action Plan for Climate Change
Adaptation for at least one state in India.
The ALH process has been adopted by the Government of Meghalaya, India as an approach to develop the
micro plans for the Integrated Basin Development Programme - a flagship programme of the Government
of Meghalaya.
We hope that the ALH will be mainstreamed as a process for annual planning by all IFAD project
partners as well as by the respective governments, particularly in formulation/fine-tuning their
respective CCA plans.
This approach can be highly instrumental in bringing about a larger degree of synergy between
community aspirations and local/national/regional resource management, adaptation and mitigation
objectives and also by stimulating greater consultation and participation in strategy/plan
formulations.
Funding needs are minimal and basically are required for mobilising stakeholder’s participation
in the forums (travel, food, and venue) and may involve expenses for documentation.
A fundamental element of the ALH process is community engagement in the planning/policy formulation
process - the C2C forums are primary to this objective followed by the additional foras in the ALH.
The ALH not only brings out concerns in regard to climate change adaptation, it has proved to
highlight livelihood issues which are central to poverty alleviation.
The ALH process has been adopted by the Government of Meghalaya, India as an approach to develop the
microplans for the Integrated Basin Development Programme - a flagship programme of the Government of
Meghalaya.
We hope that the ALH will be mainstreamed as a process for annual planning by all IFAD project
partners as well as by the respective governments, particularly in formulation/fine-tuning their
respective CCA Plans.
This approach can be highly instrumental in bringing about a larger degree of synergy between
community aspirations and local/national/regional resource management, adaptation and mitigation
objectives and also by stimulating greater consultation and participation in strategy/plan
formulations.
Funding needs are minimal and basically are required for mobilising stakeholders participation in the
forums (travel, food, venue) and may involve expenses for documentation.
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