N2+meeting+at+NBDC+reflection+workshop+4+-+6+May+2011


 * Strategies Project (N2) update meeting 6 May 2011**

Update on livelihoods work - Katherine

On 9-10 May we hold an analysis workshop to work with partners on analysis of baseline data from the "Planning, implementation, innovation and livelihoods baseline survey". Once material has been analysed we will identify some key issues and research questions to work on. A student from AAU will start in July/Aug to work in one or the NBDC sites. Need to get a better handle on the livelihood portfolio - what is available to community and look at their perspectives and constraints and engage with them on what kind of changes could be initiated.

Innovation - Alan

Analysis of local stakeholder configuration and other innovation issues will also proceed next week as preparation for establishment of innovation platforms. Lots of expectations around those platforms. We plan to specify some "next steps" next week on how we proceed. Could have info sheet to detail the role of the platform. Also e-mail bulletin to share decisions made at platforms. There is a natural pace for establishment of innovation platforms - they require inputs from NBDC on possible interventions so they need to wait until such info is available before they get going. We need to think about question about how we balance community needs which could be immediate and local with the more landscape based issues. Still lots of issues to work through.

Planning and implementation - Josie

We will also look at current status of planning and implementation in the 3 sites. This will lead into ODI work on political economy.

Gender

Need to integrate gender aspects into livelihoods work and innovation work.

Practicalities

At this meetings we need to identify some concrete next steps on issues such as how we link modeling and livelihoods work.

Hydrology

Equipment is already in country and will be installed in the coming weeks. Students have already been working in each site. Siting of the instrumentation in relation to existing landscape features, e.g. eucalyptus plantations, will be important. Flow gauges sites have already been selected and others will be located in transects so should capture major variation. There could be some scope for testing landscape RMS in models like SWAT and testing results against local opinion in innovation platforms. Could be some interplay between model and IP's.

Livestock water productivity

Students have been engaged to do some characterization of livestock feeding and management practices at the 3 sites.

LULC change

Images are being processed at ICRAF and will be ready by July. Some question over how detailed the information will be. Can certainly distinguish trees, grass and crops. Beyond that it is unclear.