Climate Adapted Villages (CAV) is the

Development Fund’s method for local climate

change adaptation. The method focuses
on building skills and capacity locally, and
assuring that adaptation occurs according
to terms set by local villages, and that the
implementation is sensitive to the needs of the
most vulnerable people of the community. This
report is a review of the method, and shows
how CAV has been implemented in Honduras.

THE DEVELOPMENT FUND’S MODEL FOR

LOCAL CLIMATE ADAPTATION

HONDURAS
Published by The Development Fund Norway 2015

Authors:
Siv Helén Strømland & Rosalba Ortiz, The Development Fund Norway
Harald Herland, Applaus

Translation:
Nadia Falch Bandak, The Development Fund Norway

Photo:
Harald Herland, Applaus

Design and layout:

Jenny Jordahl, Differ Media

Supported by The Norwegian Development Cooperation Agency - Norad

Local organization
Fundación para la investigación participativa (FIPAH) -Honduras

The Development Fund Norway/Utviklingsfondet

Mariboes gate 8
0183 Oslo
Tlf: 23 10 96 00
E-mail: post@utviklingsfondet.no

The Development Fund Norway offer support and partnership to local organizations in efforts
to combat poverty and safeguard the environment. Our main goal is to support small scale
farmers in their fight against hunger and poverty. Our programs focus on food security,
climate change adaptation and local organization. The Development Fund Norway is an
independent non-profit organization.

www.utviklingsfondet.no/en

ISBN: 978-82-91923-61-1
ISBN: 978-82-91923-62-8

ØMERKE
ILJ T
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204

48
01
1

Tr y k k s a k
CONTENT
CLIMATE ADAPTED VILLAGES ..........................................................................S. 4

CAV IN 1,2,3 .............................................................................................................S. 6

To know ............................................................................................................ s. 8
To do……… ........................................................................................................ s. 8
To sustain……................................................................................................... s. 8

CAV IN PRACTICE .............................................................................................. s. 10

Vulnerability assessment ...........................................................................s. 12
Adaptation plan………… .................................................................................s. 15

CAV IN HONDURAS ........................................................................................... s. 16

Enforce conservation areas ...................................................................... s. 20
Green warriors ..............................................................................................s. 21
Data collection and mapping .....................................................................s. 22
Bridge builders ............................................................................................. s. 24
Diversity in the fields .................................................................................. s. 28
The youth are committed........................................................................... s. 32
Health is a priority ....................................................................................... s. 34
With the mayor on their side ..................................................................... s. 36

CAV – LEARNINGS ............................................................................................. s. 38

3
CLIMATE ADAPTED
VILLAGES
T
he rain fails when it is most needed. It
rains too much when there has already
been enough. Temperatures rise, while
plant diseases and pests are on the increase.
Strong storms that destroy roads, bridges
and crops are becoming more common. The
consequences of climate change are not a future
scenario – they are here now-.
Climate adaptation is all about making choices
that reduce the negative impacts of a changing
climate. Poverty is one of the factors that make
communities and individuals vulnerable. Through
adapting to changes in climate, local communities
become more resilient in the face of climate
shocks and economic difficulties. That is why
climate adaptation must take both environmental
and socioeconomic issues into account, issues
that secures development among the poorest.
5
Climate adapted villages (CAV) is the Development
Fund’s method for local climate adaptation, which
has been developed through pilot projects in
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Nepal, Malawi
and Ethiopia. The method focuses on building
skills and capacity locally, in order for adaptation
to be based on terms set by the most vulnerable
in local communities.
When CAV is implemented within a larger
territory, as recommend in this report, it contributes
to the conservation of ecosystems by taking
into consideration impacts on the environment
and natural resources in the area. The method is
simple to understand, easy to scale-up, and in the
long-run it can be sustained by the communities
themselves without external support. It has
already gained acceptance among national
authorities and development agencies in the
countries where it has been implemented.
This report is a review of the CAV method and
how it has been implemented in Honduras.
CAV IN 1-2-3

6
T
he Climate Adapted Villages model aims
to make farmers and local communities
capable of organizing themselves,
identifying climate threats and practicing climate
smart agriculture, enabling them to adapt to the
current consequences of a changing climate. The
model focuses on building capacity and expertise
in local communities, so that they can manage
their own recourses and implement measures
for climate change adaptation, in a systematic
and effective way. Communities gain a strong
ownership to the activities, and the method can
be transferred of other areas. Many countries
want to do something on climate adaptation, but
hesitate to allocate money directly to poor people
in rural areas. However, more climate adaptation
measures should take place where people are the
most vulnerable, i.e among poor people in rural
areas.
7
The main focus of the CAV model is promoting a
collective management of community resources
such as forests, water, energy, soils, plants and
animal diversity. A key element in CAV is to ensure
that communities themselves participate, and take
center stage throughout the processes, from the
climate vulnerability assessment to the planning
and further implementation of the adaptation plan.
The CAV model contains three main stages. The
first stage, to know, means to gather knowledge
and to analyze the problems (climate vulnerability
assessment). A second stage, to do, addresses
the planning and design of adaptation measures
and their implementation. The third stage, to
sustain, addresses sustainability issues, which go
beyond the project period. It is about maintaining
and securing the projects’ achievements in the
long-run.

1. TO KNOW
Knowledge and assessment
The first stage of CAV raises awareness about im-
pacts of global warming on local people and their
livelihoods; awareness is raised through gathering
information and local knowledge regarding observed
changes in local weather. During this stage, a partici-
patory climate vulnerability assessment is carried out;
and it becomes the basis for further planning and im-
plementation of climate adaptation measures. Local
stakeholders participate in the assessment, recording
2. TO DO
Planning and implementation
At this stage, the adaptation plan is prepared. The results
from the climate vulnerability assessment from stage one,
become inputs to plan adaptation measures. Communities
get support in the process of prioritizing the measures
they want to implement, based on available resources and
in line with their adaptation priorities. The Development
Fund contributes financially and is facilitating the
planning process. The community itself, through an
elected steering committee, prioritizes the measures
3. TO SUSTAIN
Sustainability of adaptation measures
The Development Fund supports communities in their
adaptation efforts at the initial phase, but a long term
goal is to make authorities in the country take direct
responsibility and continue supporting adaptation
measures in the long run. Direct financial support to
local groups is essential to strengthen local climate
knowledge and to implement measures from the
adaptation plan. It is also a way to show that local
8
TO
KNOW
TO DO
TO
SUSTAIN
observed climate hazards and local challenges, and
at the same time they help to map out scenarios for
future climate hazards. The analysis is based on local
knowledge, experience from similar projects and avail-
able scientific reports. When the vulnerability analysis
is carried out, local people are able to identify the main
climate hazards on their resource base and livelihoods,
as a basis for knowing how to adapt. The result is doc-
umented for use in the next stage; To Do.
that should be in the adaptation plan, and manages the
funds. A local organization with financial management
experience contributes with advice on how the money
can be managed in a responsible manner. The steering
committee consists of elected representatives from each
community involved in CAV. Different interest groups
should be represented in the steering committee and men
and women are encouraged to participate equally.
stakeholders are able to manage projects in a collec-
tive manner, and to make wise and responsible use of
financial resources. To ensure that important adaptation
measures do not stop when the funded project period
ends, local politicians and decision makers should get
involved, and make climate adaptation a key economic
and political priority. At this stage, the sustainability of
adaptation measures is seriously tested.
Worst year ever: “This year has been the worst ever. First, there was no rain, and most of the corn dried up, then we planted
beans, but we experienced a periode of heavy showers making the beans rot. Now we need to plant other varieties of corn
and beans, which are more resistant; we need to plant fruit trees and vegetables also “ says Angela Gómez who is a farmer
and a board member of the local cooperative ESMUCOL.

A visionary goal: “Our goal is that the climate adapted villages in Santa Cruz become a national project anchored in the
government of Honduras,” says Omar Gallardo from FIPAH - Development Fund’s local partner in Honduras. He has drawn a
map of Santa Cruz micro-watershed, where the local villages have joined through the Steering Committee for the adaptation
plan of Santa Cruz.

9
 CAV IN PRACTICE
A guide to climate adaptation on the ground

10
B
efore starting a CAV process, partners and local staff
must receive a proper introduction to the CAV method.
Training on climate vulnerability assessment tools is
a prerequesite for achieving a good participatory process.
The Development Fund, together with local partners that
already have relevant experience, facilitates the training on
participatory vulnerability assessments. People from the
affected communities also take part in the training. During
the training sessions, partners and local staff test the
different tools available, and train their skills as facilitators of
participatory processes.

11
CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
People in rural areas use their own experiences
to analyze how changes in local weather could
threaten their livelihoods. A local partner, such as a
local NGO or a community-based organization like
a farmers´ association or cooperative, facilitates
the process. This partner has knowledge about local
power relations and institutions and will select
the participants attending all stages of CAV. This
local partner will also facilitate and write down the
vulnerability assessment results´ and the adaptation
plan. It is essential that the entire process becomes
participatory; women and men should be repre-
sented and participate on equal terms. Youth and
local authorities should also be represented. Taking
into account women’s needs, and their contribution
to local livelihoods is crucial for the vulnerability
assessment, and for the further design of climate
adaptation measures.
The project area and the participants
The scope of the climate vulnerability assessment will
vary depending on the context and area covered. In
some places the geographical project area is limited to
a micro-watershed, in which several villages interact
in the territory. In such cases, representatives from
surrounding villages will participate in the vulnerability
assessment process and further design of the adaptation
plan. When CAV is applied within a natural geographic
boundary, the vulnerability assessment becomes both
more consistent and comprehensive. Natural resources
use, within a micro-watershed, affects the resource
base throughout the whole area, and affects inhabitants
upstream and downstream. When all these villages are
included in the project, it strengthens the possibilities
for cooperation on issues that will affect the whole mi-
cro-watershed, such as quality of and access to water. In
order to achieve long-lasting results, climate adaptation
requires looking beyond village administrative bound-
aries and micro-watershed, facilitating the coordination
among local stakeholder groups within the wider catch-
ments, municipalities, and markets. Long term climate
adaptation depends on communities working together,
coordinating across cooperatives, and advocating trough
farmers’ federations. CAV gives communities the
12
opportunity to act beyond their own area, and identify
challenges that are shared across municipalities.
Our local partners identify relevant representatives from
the local communities participating in the CAV initiative.
The Development Fund Norway requires that 50% of
participants are women. Although women are important
actors in the local economy, their contributions is often
underestimated – even by women themselves. Therefore,
it is important to focus on women’s needs from the be-
ginning of the process, and to make sure they are being
addressed consistently in the design of the adaptation
plan and in prioritized activities.
The vulnerability assessment
When members of the group begin to work on the
vulnerability assessment, it is important that the facili-
tator of the process is a good motivator, in order to en-
sure that each participant understands the importance
and purpose of CAV, and values their contribution to
the process. The facilitator should address the issue of
climate change, and ensure that the necessary informa-
tion is provided, so stakeholders can participate more
actively. Using highly skilled people and reports that
describe the situation in the specific country or region
is crucial for the quality of the climate vulnerability
assessment. If the group is well informed, motivated
and understands their role in the process, the facilitator
can employ diverse vulnerability assessment tools (see
section below) to gather traditional knowledge related
to local climate, and its impacts on people’s living
conditions in the area of analysis. The facilitator should
have sufficient knowledge, both about the methodol-
ogies and the topics, so he or she is able to explore
important questions that may arise from group’s work
during the vulnerability assessment process.
In order to conduct a good climate vulnerability
assessment, it is necessary to have at least two full day
sessions. Relevant information should be provided to
participants in each session. It is important that the
same participants are attending all sessions, so the local
partner should ensure that participants do not change
between the first and the second session.
WOMEN ARE KEY ACTORS
R
ural women are key players in social and
economic development in most developing
countries, despite the fact that they generally
have far less access than men to resources such as land,
capital and technology. Women’s role and contribution
to local development is often less visible and not
properly recognized. Identifying women’s needs, and
working towards fulfilling them, is an important step
in understanding climate change vulnerability at a
community level.
The Development Fund encourages women´s partici-
pation, by insisting on involving women in decision-
making in all steps of the CAV process. Women takes
part in the vulnerability assessment, planning and
13
implementation of measures and are also involved in
sustaining the activities in the long-run. Women should
also get access to available funds, either as individuals,
or as part of larger collective investments, such as local
seed banks. The steering committees governing the
adaptation plans should always consist of about 50%
women. These committees make sure that the activities
are implemented according to plan, and that funds are
efficiently utilized in a transparent way. In most cases
capacity building is needed, especially for women, so
that they can play a key role in the management and
monitoring of the adaptation plan. Those facilitating
the process must ensure that necessary conditions are
in place so women can participate actively in deci-
sion-making and not just on paper.
Tool box for conducting a Vulnerability
Assessment
CARE International has developed a tool box1 for com-
munity based climate adaptation. The Development
Fund and partners use several of these tools. Some
examples of tools used are the following:
• Vulnerability Matrix: Identification of various
threats to one’s livelihood, and who has control
over, and access to, key resources. It helps to
identify current coping strategies and to explore
new ones.
• Risk Mapping: Identification of specific areas
and resources subject to specific risks.
• Risk Prioritization: The community compares
different types of climate risks and then decides
which hazards have the greatest potential impact
on local livelihoods.
• Seasonal Calendar: Used to assess climate
information for better planning, identifying
periods where one is particularly vulnerable, and
analyzes changes in seasonal activities.
• Activity Clock: This tool identifies how men
and women spend their time, and what their
daily activities are. The tool is particularly suited
to highlight women’s voice and role in local
communities, and the importance of integrating
their needs in further planning.
1. See http://www.careclimatechange.org/tk/cba/en and publication on Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis. Handbook.
(2009).
14
The Vulnerability Report
Based on the participatory vulnerability assessment,
a vulnerability report is prepared. In preparing the
vulnerability assessment report it is recommended,
whenever possible, to use available statistical and
scientific data on the local climate impacts. In most
cases, there is little or no scientific data available at
local level, but data at provincial or national level can
also be used in order to understand the wider context,
and to underpin traditional knowledge and local infor-
mation from the participants.
Additional data lends more credibility to the vulnera-
bility assessment report. Relevant data can be found
in national action plans for climate adaptation and
in national climate policies and plans (if they have
specific goals for sectors or regions). Data can also be
found in technical reports, and scientific studies, which
link climate with agriculture, crops, natural resources,
and also those linking climate with poverty issues. The
challenge is, as mentioned, that most results of such
studies can not necessarily be scaled down to a local
level. However, it is possible to compare trends at the
macro level with gathered local observations; and on
this basis outline some future climatic trends relevant
for the local context.
The vulnerability assessment report itself will be
written by a group formed by professionals from the
organization that guides the entire CAV process. They
finalize the report, which is then presented and vali-
dated by participants from the communities and other
relevant stakeholders that took part in the vulnerability
analysis.
THE ADAPTATION PLAN
The vulnerability assessment report is the most
important input for further design of the adap-
tation plan. The facilitators and the participants
study the vulnerability assessment report together,
in order to find out which activities are relevant
and feasible to begin with, and which ones are
prioritized by local communities to become part
of the adaptation plan. The Development Fund
allocates funds for the implementation of the adap-
tation plan; information about budgets should be
available to the group before the planning process
begins. The vulnerability assessment report can
be very comprehensive, but the adaptation plan
contains only what is realistic to implement with
available funds.
The steering committee
During the planning process a steering committee is se-
lected. The steering committee is in charge of managing
the adaptation plan. There are criteria’s for selecting
steering committee members. The Development Fund
requires that participation of women and men are
on equal terms. The steering committee members
are selected at the second or third planning session;
in addition, they have to be approved by local
authorities in the community. The steering committee
should meet regularly after the adaptation plan is
completed in order to ensure its implementation. There
are also subcommittees operating under the steering
committees. Subcommittees are responsable for
diverse initiatives and activities, such as health issues,
education, water or agricultural management.
Financial resources
When the climate adaptation plan is in place, The
Development Fund allocates funds to the community
for the implementation of measures in the adaptation
15
plan. CAV-funding belongs to the community. The
steering committee manages the funds, but a different
organization (a cooperative) with experience in good
financial management will assume the responsibility
of administrating the money.
The funds allocated to the community are used
in correspondence with planned measures prioritized
by the steering committee. Funds can be allocated in
microcredit systems and given to individuals as loans,
for purchasing tools for commercial purposes, such as
machinery or building materials. Funds can also be
used on larger investments at community level, for
instance development of infrastructure, or the estab-
lishment of local seed banks. Small loans to individuals
are relatively easy to monitor and the repayment rate
is relatively easy to trace. Greater community invest-
ments are somewhat more complicated, so in order to
cover maintenance costs it may be necessary to estab-
lish compensation systems. The formulation of such
compensation systems should be discussed during the
planning process; otherwise the members of the steering
committee will neither have enough information, nor
realistic alternatives when prioritizing between differ-
ent activities.
Green interest rates
The microcredit loans granted to individuals are used
for commercial and productive activities, and are
paid back as ordinary loans with fixed interest rates.
Borrowers are also obliged to pay “green interest
rates”. This means that those who receive loans must
also implement climate adaptation measures on their
own property, for instance soil conservation practices
or planting fruit trees. What kind of measures are
considered as green interests, are determined by the
steering committee, and should be based on the mea-
sures already identified in the adaptation plan.
CAV IN HONDURAS

16
P
eople in Honduras can feel the consequences participativa (FIPAH). FIPAH has for the last 15
of a changing climate in their daily lives. years been working to increase food security of
The country is one of the poorest in Central local farmers in rural areas of Honduras.
America, with 55% of the polutation living in poverty.
The country has an enormous income inequality. CAV-Honduras was conducted in the Santa Cruz
(ECLAC, 2014) 1. Most people live in rural areas, and River basin in the Otoro Valley, Municipality of
are subsistence farmers, occasionally selling surplus Intibucá. The process was lead by FIPAH together
production. Increased problems related to drought, with local inhabitants in the Santa Cruz micro-
unstable rain patterns and storms make farmers watershed. Around 15 000 inhabitants get indirect
highly vulnerable. Crop failures may result in both benefits from CAV activities. The Development
loss of income and hunger. Fund’s partner Asociación de Organizaciones de
los Cuchumatanes (ASOCUCH) in Guatemala, and
In Honduras, CAV was launched in 2013. The the Development Fund, trained their counterparts
process was facilitated by the Development in Honduras on how to conduct the Climate
Fund’s partner, Fundación para la Investigación Adapted Villages model (CAV)

1. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)-UN: country profile Honduras 2014..

17 17
The project area: Four local communities
within a micro-watershed
In Honduras a micro-watershed approach has been
chosen. The project involves four different villages, El
Injerto, El Águila, Crucitas and Maye, all belonging to
the Santa Cruz micro-watershed. All these communities
worked together on designing a common climate
change adaptation plan, as the communities’ use of
resources will impact the inhabitants across villages. If
one village in the upper watershed pollutes the water, it
will affect people living further downstream. The way
each farmer uses the soil, the forest, plants and animals
affects her neighbors. Visualizing the interdependence
of neighbors and of the different villages was an
important part of the planning. Participants from the
four villages have been involved in the whole CAV
process and have established a steering committee for
the adaptation plan called The Steering Committee
of the Santa Cruz micro-watershed. To organize the
work on the different issues of the adaptation plan,
the steering comittee has organized subcommittees of
health, enivronment, gender equality, education and
monitoring.
The steering committee and the local
cooperative
The Steering Committee of Santa Cruz micro-watershed,
and its various subcommittees, make sure that the activi-
ties in the adaptation plan are carried out and monitored
CAV project area in the Santa Cruz micro-watershed, Jesús de Otoro.
18
properly. The local cooperative - Empresa de Servicios
Multiples Cooperativos (ESMUCOL), manages the
funds. In this way, the steering committee works with
the adaptation plan without administrating the funds
themselves, while the cooperative monitors microcredit
loans and fund expenditure, but has no authority to
make changes in plans and activities. The Development
Fund expects this type of fund management to enhance
transparency, and reduce corruption.
Funds for the future – FONSAM
The Steering Committee of the Santa Cruz micro-wa-
tershed, in collaboration with FIPAH, established the
Fondo de Servicios Ambientales Municipales (FONSAM)
the “Fund for Municipal Environmental Services”.
The fund was created to make it easier to obtain ad-
ditional funding from other sources, particularly from
the Government of Honduras. CAV is used to show the
government (and other potential donors) how adapta-
tion can be planned and implemented at a local level.
In collaboration with local authorities, the inhabitants
of Santa Cruz and FIPAH made a tax reform proposal
for the Municipality of Otoro. The proposal states that
one percent of the water tax, paid by the inhabitants
in Santa Cruz, should go to FONSAM. The funds will
be used for direct funding of activities identified in the
Santa Cruz climate adaptation plan. FONSAM provides
a structure that can be used to channel funds from
national initiatives to a municipal level.
Water Intake Points
Santa Cruz River
Creek
Main Road
19
ENFORCE CONSERVATION AREAS
Regulations exist, but only on paper
The department of Intibucá in West-Honduras has
around 250,000 inhabitants, and mountains stretching
3000 meters above sea level, with lush forests and fer-
tile soils. The Otoro Valley cuts 300 kilometers through
the landscape, and a river runs from the top of the
mountains and down the valley. Traditionally, coffee
was cultivated and timber harvested on the top of the
mountains. Down the slopes, corn and beans predom-
inate, and in the valley, rice, sugar and bananas are
cultivated.
In the Otoro Valley lies the La Paz conservation area,
which covers the four villages: El Aguila, Crucita, El
Injerto and Maye. The 15 000 inhabitants in the area
have been greatly affected by climate change and envi-
ronmental degradation caused by human intervention.
All inhabitants depend on the same river, which has
its source near the village of Las Aguilas, in the upper
watershed. The water in the river is heavily polluted.
Timber logging in the mountains has created erosion,
and coffee beans are washed in the river polluting the
water even more. In the past none of the families along
the rivers had proper sanitary facilities.
-It will take at least ten years before the river is
clean again, said Omar Gallardo, who works in FIPAH.
La Paz was declared as a nature reserve already in
1987 (Act 87-87, Reserva de Montecillos), but nobody
20
has ever respected this decision. Those who have mon-
ey and power do as they please, and the poorest are
understandably more concerned about providing food
for their families.
– We are working on a plan to make the area along
the river into a public national park. We will provide
training in sustainable management of natural resourc-
es, and together recover and develop new crop vari-
eties; while producing with minimal use of pesticides
and fertilizers. We also like to cooperate with all the
subcommittees along the river to build roads, and to
improve sanitation, health and education, explains
Omar Gallardo.
The Institute for National Extension Services
(Instituto Nacional Agragario INA) participates in the
CAV planning. The local government contributes with
funding through redistribution of taxes collected from
the municipality’s water tariff. FIPAH gathers knowl-
edge and reports back to the government through the
local Forestry College (Escuela Nacional de Ciencias
Forestales - ESCANIFOR).
– If we are able to protect the area by law, it will
open doors for support from the UN and other interna-
tional organizations. Our dream is that our way of or-
ganizing the local communities will become a national
project, says Gallardo.
Declared conservation area,
but not protected:
La Paz was declared as a
conservation area in 1987, but
people are still cutting down the
forests, and still flush sewage,
fertilizer and pesticides directly
into the river – this is also the
case in Biósfera del Plátano,
which is declared a world heritage
landscape by UNESCO.
GREEN WARRIORS
Stronger when organized
– People in La Paz have always been quick to mobi-
lize themselves in order to solve both large and small
problems, says Wilfredo Reyes, secretary of the Steering
Committee of Santa Cruz.
– Each village has committees to provide capacity
building to farmers; for the management of water supply,
seed banks, infrastructure, health, and communication
services. They also have clubs for youths’ education. But
we have never spoken with one voice. We have only
worked for our own little village, continues Wilfredo.
A wealthy engineer in Las Aguilas cut down 7000
square meters of forest just 20 meters from the river. This
is not something you can sneak out and do in the dead
of night - such an operation requires several hundred
workers, and a fleet of trucks. The illegal logging allows
day laborers in the community to get much welcomed
income, but at the same time the laborers become a part Inspiring courage: Wilfredo Reyes was one of the few who
of the illegal activities that destroys the livelihoods of all dared to oppose the illegal loggers, an action that inspired
the inhabitants in the area. the people in the villages to work together and organize
themselves. Here he is holding a lecture on CAV.
Wilfredo Reyes and Atilio Domínguez (president of
the Steering Committee of Santa Cruz), reported the
illegal logging together with the local development
committee in the village, and a public attorney was
appointed to defend the interests of local farmers.
Wilfredo and Atilio were the only witnesses who
dared to testify against the wealthy engineer. The
engineer was fined around 190 US dollars, and had to
replant the trees. But not a single tree has been planted
to replace the seven hectare of forest that was stolen.
At least the incident did generate one positive outcome:
local engagement in environmental issues.
CAV has helped farmers from the four villages to work
together for the a sustainable management of natural
resources in the Santa Cruz micro-watershed. These
villages are formally organized thanks to the support of
FIPAH and The Development Fund Norway. They have
elected a steering committee which is recognized by all
villages. In order to elect a steering committee, general
assemblies were held in each village; two representatives
from each villages (always one man and one woman
from each village) were named as candidates to form
part of the Steering Committee of Santa Cruz. Illegal logging: Las Aguilas is situated 2000 meters above sea
level, the picture is taken in the area where 7000 square meters
of forest was illegally cut down.

21
DATA COLLECTION AND MAPPING
Knowledge about the area and the people
Scarlet Bautista Sánchez is a 22 year old forestry
engineer student. She also works as a volunteer for
FIPAH. Her tasks are collecting data from the field, in-
terviewing locals and providing the training regarding
mapping of natural resources along the Santa Cruz
micro- watershed.
– I come close to the people in the villages. I monitor
local biodiversity, animal husbandry, what people grow,
infrastructure and the community organizations. We
cooperate with all committees, and document as much
as possible, Scarlet says.
Accurate measurement of the territory of La Paz is
one of Scarlet’s main tasks. The aim behind the land
survey is to find out who actually lives in the area,
where the boundaries are, and how each farmer man-
ages her or his land.
FIPAH buys services from a professional land sur-
veyor; his name is Javier Barahona Mairena. Every
day, he and Scarlet uses GPS, maps and yellow paint to
mark the boundaries. Only with a proper map can the
Steering Committee of Santa Cruz secure the rights of
22
those who actually live around the micro-watershed.
With this documentation they can move forward with
the application process to obtain protection for the
whole area.
Atilio Domínguez, a farmer who also works on the
field survey, says – when we began with the field sur-
vey, we discovered that people did as they pleased.We
met a corn farmer that used the herbicide Gramoxone
2455 (an extremely effective herbicide that is highly
toxic to humans and animals). The toxins flow right
into the river, so we have to stop him. We can force him,
but we prefer to teach him how to use organic fertilizer
and herbicides.
More common than the use of toxic chemicals, is
the fact that sewage from households runs straight into
the river. In order to avoid this, the Steering Committee
of Santa Cruz has started the construction of toilets,
cisterns and basins that are environmentally friendly.
At the top of the valley where the river springs, water
filters are installed to remove soil from the water, and
several families are getting water straight into the house.
Marking boundaries: Scarlet
Bautista Sánchez, Atilio
Domínguez and Javier
Barahona Mairena maps
natural resources along the
Santa Cruz micro-matershed.
In the field: Land surveyor Javier Barahona Mairena and volunteer
Scarlet Bautista Sánchez are measuring the area using GPS.

23
BRIDGE BUIDERS
Infrastructure – an important part
of the value chain

Major floods have destroyed many of the bridges in

El Injerto; the bridge that links the village to the main
road is completely gone. The road is vital during the
coffee harvest. The coffee must be transported down
to the city as soon as coffee cherries are harvested, or
it will be destroyed – if this happens the livelihoods of
hundreds of families are threatened.
– We could tell that the bridge was about to crack,
Armando Garcia says. Armando participates in the
Steering Committee of Santa Cruz, and is also a board
member of the local water committee.
– We hired an engineer to survey the damages, and
sent a letter to city hall for help. We did not receive
any reply from the mayor, and before we had time to
do anything, the bridge was taken by the flood. The
coffee is ready to be transported into town, so some-
thing should be done immediately!
CAV funding is not enough, so Armando Garcia and
the other members of the Steering Committee of Santa
Cruz took action. They collected money from the local
coffee growers, in order to hire a truck to transport
timber, and build a temporary bridge. A large team of
workers signed up to help. People volunteering are as
important as money when a job needs to be done.
A team of workers felled trees to use for the tem-
porary bridge. The enormous tree trunks were carried
up on the back of the truck, without equipment other
than rope and raw muscle power. Rain was expected in
a few days, and working in the rain is too challenging,
therefore the bridge had to be finished quickly. The
livelihoods of the coffee farmers rely on the bridge
being built on time. After two days of voluntary work
the bridge was ready, and cars carried freshly harvested
coffee from the farms to the buyers. The next step is to
collect money for a permanent bridge.
– We will manage that, says Armando firmly.

24
 Broken Bridge:
Left: Scarlet Bautista Sánchez
and Luisa Gómez García,
volunteers for FIPAH, they are
looking at the damages after the
flood. The coffee is transported
to be sold to merchants in Jesus
d’Ototro town. It is urgent that a
permanent bridge is put in place.

25
Challenging roads: This is the main road; twelve villages use it to get to The volunteers:
and from town. It is still possible to drive on it, but when it starts to rain Atilio Domínguez, Armando García, Angel Guitérrez and Lorenzo Díaz
heavily the water level will rise by several meters.

26
Further up the valley, a smaller bridge was taken by the flood. Without it, the children Testing the new bridge: Erik
Moisés Hernández Turcios (6) is
in mountain villages can’t get to school, and no one can send fruits and vegetables to
testing the new bridge. If you
Saturday´s market.
run really fast, the entire bridge
The Steering Committee of Santa Cruz had to take action, they couldn’t wait for an moves, but you better stay on
answer from the municipality. With volunteers, fundraising and project funding, the your feet because the railings are
new suspension bridge was constructed. made of barbed wire, it was the
cheapest solution.

27
DIVERSITY ON FARMS
Spreading the risk for better
climate change adaptation

Steering committee member, Ignacia Vásquez, from

El Injerto is passionate about bean cultivation. She
walks from one bean row to another in the steep field,
explaining that she is growing different types of beans.
Over her shoulder she carries a red handbag with yel-
low envelopes. In the envelopes she puts the best seeds,
and delivers them to the local seed bank at FIPAH with
a report on qualities of the beans.
In the local seed bank, the best seeds from all over
the project area are collected, giving the farmers access
to local seed varieties that perform better in a changing
climate.
Ignacia Vásquez is digging in the ground with her
hands, showing how she covers the roots with crop
residues to fertilize the plant. Her whole family avoids
using pesticides and chemical fertilizers. That is the
condition the steering committee has set in exchange
for seeds and plants.
– Most of the neighbors have lost their crops this
year, Ignacia says.
– It is hard for many, but we have very good crops.
Others sow once or twice a year, while I plant new
fields throughout the year. Even last year, when it was a
shortage of beans all trough Honduras, we had plenty,
she says and points to the rows of different types of corn
varieties, radishes and herbs.

Diversity enthusiast:
Ignacia Vásquez sows beans,
corn, herbs and vegetables on
every vacant spot. She sends
the best seeds back to the
local seed bank.

28
Mother of three, Marina Turcios, has also begun to
cultivate several plant varieties because of the unpre-
dictable climate. She has been a widow for two years
after her husband was shot in the street by unknown
assassins. Marina is pointing to her fields; some plants
are burnt, while others have flowers that give promise
of a good harvest. Under the eaves she is drying beans.
- These are the only beans we managed to save.
We didn’t get many beans this year. I tried avocado,
but that failed too. On top of that, all the coffee bushes
got Coffee Rust or “Roya” (a fungal disease that affects
coffee plantations in Central and South America).
However, we have several fruit trees, so things will
probably be fine.
- Giving up is not an option, we just have to plant
new varieties. We can never loose hope, that wouldn’t
help anyone.
Marina’s Uncle, Francisco Turcios, is standing in the
courtyard next to the fruit garden. Beans are laid out
Dead beans
Marina Turcios has only a
single bouquet of beans left.
29
to dry on plastic sheets. From a distance they look fine,
but when Franscisco brings back a handful of beans,
they are discolored by rot. Luckily, bananas and oranges
are growing undisturbed in the fruit garden.
– We only grew corn, beans and coffee before. It’s
better now that we are growing different plant variet-
ies. Soon we will be testing out a sort of bean that can
withstand more rain, we will also use varieties that are
more tolerant to drought, he says.
Below the fruit garden there is a pond, that
Marina’s brother, Valentin Turcios, has stocked with
fish. Valentin throws the net in the water, and just a
minute later it is full off little fish.
Valentin worked as a cattle ranger for many years; he
has noticed that he has gained respect from local people,
due to his job in the Steering Committee of Santa Cruz.
– People used to cut the forest and treat the soil as
they pleased, but now the farmers ask for permission to
chop a tree. Everybody respects the Steering Committee.
Spreading the risk: Francisco Turcios says
that fruit cultivation, in addition to the
traditional maize and bean cultivation, makes
his family better equipped to deal with a bad
harvest, and it also diversifies their diet.
Fish: Valentin Turcios has stocked the pond
with fish fry, something that has diversified
the diet for both humans and animals.

Marina Bautista lives next to the Turcios family.

Together with her husband and children, she runs a
small shop in a room in the house. She grows corn,
beans and coffee for their own consumption.
Because of the humid weather, coffee plants are also
affected by Coffee Rust. The beans and much of the corn
has also failed, Marina says. It’s a hard blow for the family,
who are used to being self-sufficient with both food and
coffee. During good seasons, they sell some of the surplus
on the market, but this year there has not been anything
to put aside.
The local seed bank run by FIPAH, has distributed
different maize varieties to farmers along the river in La
Paz. Marina Bautista has set out to find which of the new
varieties that can withstand heavy rain and drought bet-
ter than the old ones. She saves the best seeds and share
them with other farmers.
– I have not done this for a long time, but I have certainly
found out which varieties grow best, and taste good.

30
Coffee pollution: When coffee producers wash coffee beans in the river, it contaminates the water. The waste from the
coffee beans sucks out the oxygen, and the water changes its color to a greyish yellow. The Steering Committee of Santa
Cruz has taught coffee producers how to build wells in order to filter waste water from their coffee production. Marina
Bautista is one of these coffee produces; here she is standing in front of her well.

Maize experiment: Marina Bautista is experimenting with different Rotten Beans: Marina Bautista shows what is
maize varieties to find which variety is best suited for the growing left from the bean harvest. Most of it is tainted by
conditions on her farm. The seeds that performs best is kept for the fungus and rot.
next season.

31
Experienced farmer: Edwin López (18) has received guidance while testing
different types of coffee to find the ones that are best adapted to the local
conditions. He is ambitious, and dreams of starting his own coffee factory
with a group of friends.

THE YOUTH ARE COMMITTED

Adapting to the future

The local cooperative, Empresa de Servicios Multiples
Cooperativos (ESMUCOL), is vital for CAV in Honduras.
ESMUCOL has taken responsibility for youth projects,
which previously got funding from The Development
Fund Norway. They have established their own cooper-
ative run by youths, and they provide training to other
youths regarding family planning, gender equality,
the dangers of drugs, how to manage one´s economy,
and climate adapted agriculture. The youth work on a
voluntarily basis, handing out fruit trees and plants to
the farmers in the district; they also pick garbage along
the rivers, and help out in the villages when needed.
Twenty year old Olvin Aguilar is a youth leader.
Like everyone else in the surrounding villages, he quit
school after 6th grade of primary school. There is no
secondary school in La Paz; that is the reason why it
is crucial that adolescents receive vocational training,
so they are able to provide an income for themselves.
Above the valley, on a piece of land, the youth
group learns how to cultivate in a climate-smart and
environmental friendly way. Armando, the instructor,
shows how to plant rows of cactus (Espada de San
Miguel) in terraces on the hillside; in this way they
prevent soil erosion when it rains, he explains. Through
FIPAH, young farmers are trained in plant breeding
techniques. They select the best seeds, and share seeds

32
Practical knowledge: The youth group learns how to
create terraces, and plant cactus to prevent soil erosion
on the steep hillsides.

Recycling: Peel from coffee beans is great for

compost-making.

and experiences with other youths.

Edwin López is 18 years old, but he is already an
experienced farmer.
I envision a better future for myself, he said.
– I have to be patient, because I have a lot of
plans, which requires hard work.
Edwin is planting different coffee varieties to face
extreme weather. He is trying to find a coffee variety
that can endure increasing rain, and also varieties
that are more drought tolerant. Many of the com-
mon varieties of coffee have succumbed to extreme
weather. However, Edwin has some coffee bushes
that are covered by red coffee berries.
– We grow organically, that is mandatory if you
want to benefit from CAV activities. But we have
realized that the type of fertilizer we were using
damaged the roots of the coffee plants and that the
herbicide is very toxic to animals and humans - it´s
good that we have abandoned the old ways.
Edwin López and Olvin Aguilar are dreaming of
starting their own little coffee factory with a group
of friends, where they can roast and package gourmet
quality coffee. Today, all the coffee grown in the
project area is bought by middlemen, and then sent
off to large factories. But Edwin has more than one
plan, he points to several large clusters of plantains.
He also grows pineapple, pepper, tangerines, lemons,
oranges and beans.
– In the shop we buy factory made plantain chips. I
plan to make my own that I can sell in the shops here.

33
HEALTH IS A PRIORITY
Marina Turcios spends lots of time and effort
on the voluntary work.
The health clinic: Wilmer Rodulio Turcios is waiting for his
mother and little sister outside the clinic. His sister has
respiratory problems, which gets worse in wet and cold
weather.
Health and climate adaptation are linked, because
being in good health is necessary if one is to participate
and contribute to society. The Steering Committee of
Santa Cruz prioritizes measures that allow women to
give birth safely, and makes sure children receive the
necessary vaccines. The Committee also offers families
training in nutrition, health, and family planning. The
Committee runs the local health clinic. They are raising
money, and looking for more volunteers to run it. The
health clinic is responsible for 87 families in the local
area, but since there are no other health stations in the
area, more than 3500 people get their primary health
care in this little clinic.
34
Volunteering for children’s health
Marina Turcios spends lots of time and effort on
voluntary work.
– We are responsible for mother and child health in
the district, Marina explains.
– We register all pregnancies, and ensure that
all mothers visit the health clinic for check ups. We
receive women about to give birth, and have a doctor
that comes once a month to check on the children.
Many are undernourished, and it is important to diag-
nose it before the children are harmed by it.
Marina is volunteering in a health committee that
offers women from the district training on gender equality
and women rights.
Future generations: Diana Bautista (17) is about to become a mother. The distance to the hospital in town was too long for women about to give
birth; there they were risking their own and the child’s health on the long trip. Because of the health clinic women can now give birth locally, in a safe
environment.

Health is a priority: The local health clinic is important in the area, as the roads are often blocked during the rainy season. The
doctor comes once a month and all pregnant women can come for regular check-ups. All children are weighed, measured and
examined to detect symptoms of diseases and malnutrition. Diana Exely Artioiga and her son Joseph Naum Cabrera are among
those benefiting from these services.

35
WITH THE MAYOR ON THEIR SIDE
The authorities contribute to the future of CAV

José Roger Cantarero Domínguez is the Mayor of Jesús managed by The Steering Committee of Santa Cruz,
de Otoro town. says Cantarero.
– My family depend on agriculture, so I know what The mayor is delighted to see that funds for climate
the challenges are, mayor Cantarero explains. adaptation are allocated locally through CAV.
– This year, many farmers came to town hall asking – The Ministry of Environment in Honduras asked
for help after they had lost their crops. It is worrying, Otoro to provide training to other municipalities on
and we need a long-term perspective in order to solve CAV and FONSAM. We have accepted, and are very
the issues. We observed how The Development Fund proud to share our experiences, Cantarero says
and FIPAH were organizing local people through CAV,
and the Municipality intends to replicate the CAV
model in other villages. – The most important thing
we can do for the future is to cooperate on managing
water, forests and soils, in a way that preserves it for
future generations.
It is absolutely necessary that local and national
governments work together on climate adaptation.
Practical and political support, together with grants
and taxes, make it possible for projects to become per-
manent, and to grow even after The Development Fund
has withdrawn its support.
Mayor Cantarero tells us how farmers in Otoro have
received recognition for their pioneer work, and he is
convinced that the CAV method will spread throughout
the country. He says that the government of Honduras is
already very interested in what is happening in the Otoro
Valley.
– We have a long-term environmental strategy - one
day a new mayor will be in charge, and then the work
will continue. We are dependent on working with vol-
unteers, non-governmental organizations, and spon-
sors, to be able to develop our communities.
A lot of people want CAV to become a permanent
strategy. The establishment of a fund (FONSAM), is an
example of how one can work to ensure financing for
adaptation measures.
– This fund is something totally new for me as a may-
or, but I see that it will be very useful for everyone. As
mayor, I have worked for a municipal tax reform, where
funds from the water tax, collected by the Municipality,
is channeled into the local adaptation fund FONSAM,

36
 People here have ownership of the
environmental work, they are both
well organized and dedicated. The
efforts to create climate adapted
villages are some of the most
important things we do.

Mayor José Roger Cantarero Domínguez

in Jesús de Otoro.

37
 CAV
LESSONS LEARNED

38
T
he key to success for local climate adap-
tation is building strong local institutions,
this is the most important lesson we
have learned after almost three years of working
with CAV in Honduras. A vital part of the CAV-
model is to become sustainable, and the only way
to ensure sustainability is through building local
skills and capacity. That is because those living,
and working, in the areas need special skills to be
able to implement measures for local adaptation.

39 39
Ownership beyond traditional boundaries
The climate adaptation plan from Santa Cruz has bonded
people living upstream and downstream in the micro-wa-
tershed. Management of shared natural resources, such as
forests, water and seeds, requires a broader focus, beyond
individual farms and even single villages, explains the
leader of The Steering Committee of Santa Cruz.
– We did not know each other’s villages, and did not
understand the importance of cooperation. Deforesta-
tion was a problem in the area, but since it took place
upstream, we who live downstream did not think that
it was our responsibility. Now we understand that we
have a shared responsibility to protect vital resources,
such as water, forests and soils, throughout the entire
micro-watershed in Santa Cruz.
Voluntary work and participation
Good participatory processes are crucial for the im-
plemention of climate adaptation measures locally.
Participatory processes build ownership among local
people and show them the value of the common good.
A large part of Santa Cruz’ adaptation plan has been
implemented by volunteers. Bridges have been built
- both physically and mentally. Voluntary work is im-
portant for the projects, and people volunteer because
they see that it benefits all.
Available funds
Conducting a vulnerability assessment and designing
adaptation plans is not enough. Funds should be
available in order to implement planed measures.
Management of financial resources is an important skill
for local adaptation, it is crucial that there is local ca-
pacity to administer the funds. It requires, among other
things, knowledge of microcredit systems. Microcredit
is an important tool in CAV, and has worked well in
Central America, where strong local organizations,
dealing with credits were already in place long before
CAV started. Experience from pilot projects elsewhere
have shown that when local groups lack the necessary
knowledge, and capacity to manage money, the funds
are used for direct investments rather than loans. Thus
the funds are only used once, and it becomes very
difficult to achieve sustainability. Therefore a local
organization, that has experience in managing credit
funds, must be in place before adaptation funds are
allocated locally.
40
Green interests rates
The Steering Committee of Santa Cruz manages funds,
which are used in line with the climate adaptation plan.
Some funds are used for investments in the community,
such as building a bridge or a local seed bank. In Santa
Cruz they follow a model in which 50% of available
funds are used for direct investments, and the remain-
ing 50% is used for microcredit loans to individuals;
in which 50% of loan takers are women. Those who
are granted microcredits repay the loan with normal
interest rates, but the loan is also conditioned on
implementing adaptation measures on the loan takers’
private property. This is known as “green interest
rates”. Some examples of adaptation measures are soil
conservation practices and planting fruit trees.
Once the loan is repaid, the funds become available for
others that are willing to commit to paying green inter-
ests rates. The system provides environmental benefits,
and guarantees cash flow to finance additional private
loans, as well as to finance further investments in
common adaptation measures, such as local seed banks.
Support from the local authorities is
a must
The participation of local authorities is crucial for
making local climate adaptation sustainable in the long
run. Local authorities must be included in the CAV
process from its beginning. In that way, local authorities
gain knowledge and become more aware about environ-
mental issues affecting their communities. Teaming up
with local governments is also important for securing
further funding for local climate initiatives The Steering
Committee of Santa Cruz has involved local authorities
in the entire CAV process. This way they have succeeded
in securing funding mechanisms for local climate change
adaptation for future generations. The establishment
of FONSAM and the introduction of a tax reform are
important elements in this funding scheme. The impor-
tance of implementing local adaptation plans was also
raised at the national level in Honduras, which will
use the experiences and expertise from Santa Cruz to
introduce the CAV model in other counties in Honduras.
41
42
Published by The Development Fund Norway 2015

Authors:
Siv Helén Strømland & Rosalba Ortiz, The Development Fund Norway
Harald Herland, Applaus

Translation:
Nadia Falch Bandak, The Development Fund Norway

Photo:
Harald Herland, Applaus

Design and layout:

Jenny Jordahl, Differ Media

Supported by The Norwegian Development Cooperation Agency - Norad

Local organization
Fundación para la investigación participativa (FIPAH) -Honduras

The Development Fund Norway/Utviklingsfondet

Mariboes gate 8
0183 Oslo
Tlf: 23 10 96 00
E-mail: post@utviklingsfondet.no

The Development Fund Norway offer support and partnership to local organizations in efforts
to combat poverty and safeguard the environment. Our main goal is to support small scale
farmers in their fight against hunger and poverty. Our programs focus on food security,
climate change adaptation and local organization. The Development Fund Norway is an
independent non-profit organization.

www.utviklingsfondet.no/en

ISBN: 978-82-91923-61-1
ISBN: 978-82-91923-62-8

ØMERKE
ILJ T
M
204

48
01
1

Tr y k k s a k
Climate Adapted Villages (CAV) is the
Development Fund’s method for local climate
change adaptation. The method focuses
on building skills and capacity locally, and
assuring that adaptation occurs according
to terms set by local villages, and that the
implementation is sensitive to the needs of the
most vulnerable people of the community. This
report is a review of the method, and shows
how CAV has been implemented in Honduras.

THE DEVELOPMENT FUND’S MODEL FOR

LOCAL CLIMATE ADAPTATION

HONDURAS