Sustainable mountain development in East Africa in a changing climate

Key messages

Policy and institutional frameworks Inmost of the countries in the sub-region, the foundation elements for policy and institutional arrangements are in place which can be exploited to drive forward a sustainable mountain ecosystem conservation and development agenda, even though there are no institutions that specifically address mountain issues (with the exception of Kenya and Uganda). • The implementation of policies is still limited by poor institutional coordination, funding and political meddling.

ecosystems as key partners when designing adaptation strategies. • Mountain ranges are mostly transboundary and issues relating to them require cooperation and appropriate institutional mechanisms at a transnational level. • Mountain Partnership Member countries need to establish national sustainable mountain development committees to handle mountain issues at the national level and strengthen partnerships at the transnational level. • Mountain landscapes have valuable natural capital whose benefits in terms of economic value should be publicized to influence policy and decision-making in the involvement of mountain communities for sustainable development. Programmes and implementation • The development and implementation of mountain and climate change specific programmes will significantly improve both mountain ecosystem conservation and the livelihoods of local communities. • A wide range of projects and programmes relevant to mountain ecosystems do not pay specific attention to climate change. • Information on programmes, projects and activities implemented in East Africa is normally available only in aggregate form, making it difficult to identify the particular components and investments that are dedicated to, or focus on, mountain areas and communities. Even where information is available on project implementation in mountain regions, the proportion of investment that directly benefits the community is either difficult to determine or relatively small.

• The implementation of climate-smart agriculture policies tailored to national and regional contexts is gaining momentum in East Africa. • The absence of a mountain-focused convention is partly blamed for the slow and largely ineffective implementation of initiatives on sustainable development in the mountainous areas of Africa. However, use has been made of relevant sections of other international and regional conventions and protocols such as the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the UNFCCC. • Policymakers should recognize users of mountain

Young man with a heavy load of bananas, DRC

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