November 2011: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has released the first edition of The Baobab Coalition Journal, a publication that reports on the community activities and efforts under the Africa Adaptation Programme (AAP). The Journal features articles on progress of each of the national AAP teams, introductions to new tools and techniques, papers analyzing issues of concern, reports on recent meetings, and a calendar of upcoming activities.
This first edition of the Journal features articles on: the briefing hosted by AAP representatives to African delegates on the Programme’s progress, which took place parallel to the UNFCCC intersessional meeting held in June 2011, in Bonn, Germany; the AAP’s Professional Development Programme to support personal learning and professional development of AAP’s national teams and the workshops convened in Zanzibar, Tanzania, and Casablanca, Morocco, in April 2011; the policy paper released by the Government of Kenya on the potential scenarios for sustainable development in Kenya, including simulation tools to plan for protection of agriculture and tourism in areas of risk; AAP’s Media Capacity Building Project focused on building the capacity of journalists to raise public understanding about the need to mainstream climate resilience into national development strategies, promote an agenda that protect sustainable development, and monitor and analyze how their governments spend climate change funds; and progress of AAP in Namibia.
The Journal aims to inform those working to build resilience across African countries. The title of the Journal alludes to the fact that the baobab tree is a symbol of African resilience, as it is able to survive and thrive in harsh climatic conditions. The Journal is a coalition of 20 African countries, UNDP and the Government of Japan.
The AAP was launched in 2008 through a US$92.1 million contribution from the Government of Japan to UNDP. It aims to support capacity and institution building, including informing policy makers and facilitating access to climate change data through pilot projects for adaptation. [Publication: The Baobab Coalition Journal, Edition 1, October 2011]