Example of a Successful LLA Practice: Community-Managed Water Harvesting in a Drought-Prone Region
1. What challenge does the initiative address?The initiative addresses acute water scarcity and soil degradation caused by prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall, which have threatened agricultural livelihoods and drinking water availability.
2. How were local people engaged in planning and decision-making?Local elders, farmers, and women’s groups led participatory mapping sessions to identify traditional water catchment sites. Decisions on location, design, and management of restored rainwater harvesting structures were made through community assemblies, ensuring alignment with local needs and knowledge.
3. What outcomes or impacts has the initiative achieved?
Increased groundwater recharge and restored seasonal springs.
Improved soil moisture, enabling diversified crop cultivation.
Reduced women’s drudgery in water collection.
Strengthened community cohesion and local leadership in resource management.
4. What traditional or indigenous practices exist in your region that help communities adapt to climate-related challenges?In many rural areas, practices such as contour trenching, stone bunding, zai pits for planting, and traditional seed preservation have long been used to conserve water, reduce erosion, and maintain crop resilience.
5. How well do these practices address current climate risks? Are they still widely used today?These practices are highly effective for localized adaptation but are often underutilized due to the promotion of modern, high-input farming. Some communities are reviving them, especially where NGO or government programs support hybrid approaches.
6. How are these practices connected to local traditions, values, and identity?They are embedded in intergenerational knowledge, cultural rituals, and community cooperation models—viewed not just as techniques but as part of a heritage of living in harmony with the land.
7. How could these practices be integrated into modern strategies under the LLA framework?By:
Involving elders and knowledge-keepers in adaptation planning.
Using participatory budgeting to fund indigenous-led projects.
Blending traditional methods with agroecological science in farmer field schools.
8. What barriers exist to sustaining or reviving these practices?
Policy bias toward high-tech, centralized solutions.
Youth migration and loss of intergenerational knowledge transfer.
Lack of secure land tenure for communities to invest in long-term restoration.
9. Can you think of any adaptation initiatives that have successfully integrated traditional practices to address climate change?Yes—for example, in Niger, farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) of trees has combined traditional pruning knowledge with modern agroforestry, restoring millions of hectares and improving resilience.
This is a very strong example of locally led adaptation. I particularly appreciate how the initiative combines traditional water-harvesting practices with inclusive decision-making, especially the leadership role of women’s groups and elders. The clear links between water access, soil restoration, and reduced burdens on women highlight both resilience and equity outcomes. One interesting next step could be exploring how these practices might be supported through more predictable local financing or policy recognition, to help scale and sustain the impact beyond project-based support.