Systematization of rural community participation in five climate change adaptation projects

The analysis used the USAID’s Local Systems Framework principles and the Best Practices in stakeholder participation for environmental management. Positive lessons highlighted: • use of the implementer’s previous knowledge and experience to select and approach the communities, • formal mechanisms for establishing initial links, • participatory processes towards community empowerment, equity, trust and learning, • local technical team with local knowledge and communication skills, • research based on scientific and local knowledge, • contests and effective exchanges (“seeing is believing” ) to ensure participation, and • community articulation with water management actors (public and private) and instruments. Challenges facing interventions: • the complexity of the basin approach at the ecosystem and socioeconomic level, • scaling up of the "on demand" approach, • real empowerment of women still faces limitations, • community participation from the design to monitoring and evaluation of the project, and • communities recognized and receiving direct benefits of green infrastructure initiatives. Main recommendations: • implement adaptation measures under a basin approach, • facilitate community participation in research, design of measures, preparation of public investment projects (PIP), contests and exchanges, • encourage the articulation of actors for sustainability, • provide evidence to local governments about the benefits of working with the basin approach and developing green PIP, • raise men’s awareness on gender equality and promote women’s local and political participation to scale it up to the regional level, and • implement strategies for community participation in the different stages of the project.