Joint Oxfam IBIS and Engineers Without Borders meeting: How can farmers adapt to climate changes in West Africa?

To make it possible for poor household farmers to adapt to climate changes, the private sector should be involved in creating and financing solutions. Through a project in West Africa, Oxfam IBIS has, for some years now, attempted to pave the way for partnerships between the private and public sector and civil society. A partnership which can create solutions, that will benefit farmers in a region already heavily affected by climate changes.

During this joint meeting, we will look at adaptation experiences from the CISU funded Oxfam IBIS project and from the work of Engineers Without Borders and together with the participants generate new ideas on how eg. challenges in water management might be solved by involving the private sector. 

In the past weeks, Helene Gjerding, Climate Change Consultant for Oxfam IBIS and General Secretary for Engineers Without Borders (IUG) Dorte Lindegaard Madsen, have both been visiting West Africa (Ghana and Sierra Leone respectively) and will share fresh impressions at the meeting.

Time: Tuesday, Feb. 20, 5.30 – 7.30 PM

Place: Oxfam IBIS, Vesterbrogade 2B, 1620 København V

The meeting will be in English og there will be a small refreshment

Sign up for the meeting

Agenda:

• Welcome & short introduction to Engineers Without Borders and Oxfam IBIS
• Climate changes already affect poor household farmers in West Africa. We look at challenges and possible solutions, identified by the project, including an extensive study covering 400 farmers and a catalogue of inspirational solutions. by Helene Gjerding, Climate Change Consultant for Oxfam IBIS.

• IUG experiences with WASH in West Africa by Dorte Lindegaard Madsen, General Secretary for Engineers Without Borders (IUG)
• Agricultural Market Development Partnerships in Ghana – with focus on private enterprise and public institution cooperation. Briefing on a IUG project in preparation by Jan Østrup, Coordinator of IUG thematic network Food Security
• Discussion – feedback on the presentations, sharing of and generation of ideas and potential solutions, which can benefit farmers, especially concerning water management. Facilitated by Helene Gjerding