Why was CARE in West Bank Gaza so successful with its recent climate change programs? According to the Ministry of Agriculture, “We like the project because it did not try to dictate an activity. All levels of stakeholders were involved in decision-making.” It’s a good lesson to keep in mind: we’re a lot more successful when we let our partners—governments and farmers—use their expertise to shape our activities.
The Strengthening Livelihoods through Community Adaptation and Learning project operated in West Bank and Gaza from 2014 to 2017. It was funded with $4.1 million through the German Ministry of Development (BMZ), and reached more than 11,600 people directly and 7,800 indirectly. CARE partnered with the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem.
What did we accomplish?
- Farmers are more resilient: 74% of farmers said there are now more able to adapt to climate change.
- There is more food: Farmers produced an additional 458 tons of vegetables, 901 tons of seeds, and 1,812 tons of animal feed compared to before the project. Olive production—a key cash crop—went up 25-30%.
- The land is more fertile: 221 hectares (about twice the size of London’s Hyde Park) have improved their ability to grow food for animals.
- Farmers see a change: 90% of farmers say that adopting new techniques gave them healthier crops, and 76% said their production increased. 71% of farmers said they will continue to use these new ideas.
- Governments are adopting the approach: Research and learning from the project influenced the national adaptation plan to cope with climate change. In fact, the Ministry of Agriculture says this is a model they intend to replicate.
How did we get there?
- Get others involved: The project got more than 505 local farmers, leaders, and researchers involved in the project design and management so that they could own the process and share their expertise to improve the work.
- Let locals judge success: Project participants tracked results and were responsible for monitoring what worked and what didn’t. That helped them judge the success of new techniques themselves, and meant they believed the research results.
- Share your findings: The project did applied research on water and crops, as well as new techniques to manage unpredictable weather—aligned with the Ministry of Agriculture’s plan. Then they distributed findings widely throughout their networks.
- Build loyalty: 87% of project participants were highly satisfied with results, and most stayed a part of the project for all 3 years. The project overshot all reach goals because people kept joining to participate.
Want to learn more?
Check out the final evaluation.