CBA Practice
In a certain village in Kogi, north-central Nigeria, the villagers are faced with water challenges during the dry seasons. they live on the mountain top and as such its impossible to dig wells manually and reach water, and also, they can't afford to hire the services of a borehole drilling company. Because of these challenges, they suffer to get water once the rain stops, most times they have to walk a very long distance down the valley to get water and carry the water on their heads while they climb back up.
The community heads came together and brought up the idea of rain water harvesting, so they dug water reservoirs at different locations in the village. with these reservoirs, they were able to store water for the dry seasons.
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Your example from Kogi State, Nigeria and my example from Chikwawa District, Malawi highlight how communities facing different climate risks can still arrive at locally led and effective adaptation solutions.
Common Elements of Success
A key similarity between the two examples is that both solutions emerged from within the community. In Kogi, community heads collectively identified rainwater harvesting as a practical response to dry-season water scarcity. In Chikwawa, local leaders and farmers relied on indigenous knowledge to guide crop selection, land use, and flood preparedness. In both cases, decision-making was community-driven, not externally imposed, which strengthened ownership and sustainability.
Another common element is the use of low-cost, context-specific solutions. The water reservoirs in Kogi rely on rainfall and local labor, while the flood-resilient farming practices in Chikwawa build on traditional crops and land zoning. Neither approach depends heavily on expensive infrastructure, making them accessible and adaptable for vulnerable communities.
Both practices also demonstrate strong alignment with local knowledge systems. Rainfall patterns and seasonal changes informed water storage decisions in Kogi, just as historical flood patterns and environmental indicators informed farming choices in Chikwawa.
Complementarity of the Practices
These two practices could strongly complement each other if applied across contexts. For example, rainwater harvesting could enhance adaptation efforts in flood- and drought-prone areas like Chikwawa by improving access to safe water during dry spells and post-flood periods. Similarly, Chikwawa’s experience with flood-resilient crops and land-use planning could benefit mountainous or erosion-prone communities like Kogi by reducing climate-related livelihood risks.
Lessons for Locally Led Adaptation (LLA)
Together, the examples show that successful adaptation under the LLA framework:
Builds on local leadership and collective decision-making
Uses indigenous knowledge and environmental observation
Prioritizes affordable, scalable solutions
Strengthens community resilience without heavy external dependence
Overall, both cases reinforce the idea that effective climate adaptation already exists within communities, and scaling such practices requires recognition, support, and flexible financing rather than replacement by purely technical solutions.