Climate Change Adaptation II: Assessing Impacts to Regions and Organizations

The objective of the Capstone is to formulate location specific policy recommendations for climate change adaptation in the Niger Delta. Capstone project will be primarily supported through the Booz Allen Center of Excellence on Climate Change and National Security and a collaborative relationship between Booz Allen’s Diplomacy and International Development practice and the Infrastructure Center of Excellence.

The Niger Delta is known to be particularly vulnerable because of its fragile ecosystem and human activities such as gas flaring that have heightened the propensity of climate change and its impacts in the region. While some individual efforts have been made to adapt to climate change impacts, significant resources and action are needed, at national and potentially international levels, to reduce vulnerability and improve resilience in a supportive manner.

The Capstone team performed an impact assessment with the purpose of identifying the sectors where the region is most vulnerable to climate change, concentrating on: water security, food security, and energy security. Subsequently, the team did an assessment of the current policy efforts led by United States Agency for International Development, World Bank Group and The Nature Conservancy, identifying unattended areas. Finally and most importantly, with the team proposed concrete and feasible adaptation policies to strengthen the role these institutions play in the region, and that lead to sustainable and climate resilient development.