Thumbnail Image

Evaluation of FAO’s contribution to building resilience to El Niño-induced drought in Southern Africa 2016-2017

Copyright licence

Year of publication 2020

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 72 p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (series)

Category Evaluation report

ISBN 978-92-5-132021-1

Series title Thematic Evaluation Series

Series number jan/20

Synopsis (short abstract) During the 2015–2016 agricultural season, Southern Africa experienced intense drought due to one of the strongest El Niño events in 50 years. With 70 percent of the population reliant on agriculture, El Niño had a direct impact on food security and caused loss of income across crop and livestock value chains. FAO activated a corporate surge support and launched its Southern Africa El Niño Response Plan, appealing for USD 109 million to support government efforts to rebuild and fortify agricultural livelihoods, restoring agricultural production, incomes and assets and increasing household access to nutritious food. FAO country teams translated the regional plan into tailored intervention packages on the ground. But while agro-meteorological and early-warning alerts were timely, they did not trigger early action. The evaluation calls on FAO to initiate a systematic approach to adaptive programming, to conduct an in-depth analysis of the factors that slowed delivery in Southern Africa, to expand on the targeting of different groups, so as to meet the needs of farmers with varying degrees of vulnerability, and to bolster learning, information-sharing and advocacy efforts across countries.

Annex 1. Methodological approach

Management response

Evaluation of the El-Niño response in Zimbabwe: The farmers perspective (Video)

Cite this content as:

FAO. 2020. Evaluation of FAO's contribution to building resilience to El Niño-induced drought in Southern Africa, 2016-2017. Thematic Evaluation Series, 01/2020. Rome.



Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Thumbnail Image
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    Evaluation report
    Evaluation of the project “Strengthening the role of women in peacebuilding through natural resources management at the community level in the rural areas of the governorates of Sana’a and Lahaj in Yemen”
    Project code: UNJP/YEM/038/PBF
    2021
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    Women have traditionally played a role in water conflict resolution in rural areas. The most transformative change the project has achieved is the institutionalization of this role through the Water User Associations (WUAs) so that women gain further acceptance within their communities. The evaluation found that FAO and IOM should further explore the catalytic effect of this project in sustaining local peace prospects, particularly with an enhanced role for women in conflict resolution, and should build a necessary link to the national peacebuilding efforts. This could be done through a cascading programming, i.e. two-three PBF projects to be designed and implemented sequentially so they can have a better chance to contribute to higher order outcomes. The successful resolution of water conflicts and the restoration of water infrastructure through the CfW component had a direct effect on increased crop production and income of farmers. The measures in place to promote the sustainability of the project and the continuation of improved agriculture once the project has come to an end rely on the increased capacity of WUAs to use their conflict resolution skills, maintain the sites and find further support. Youth were not explicitly targeted in conflict resolution activities but they represented the majority of the beneficiaries of cash for work (CfW) activities. FAO and IOM should have a targeted approach if they are to work on youth, peace and security. They should also do a thorough assessment of the socioeconomic impacts of CfW on the Yemen context before rolling about a programme-wide CfW or cash transfer activities in Yemen.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    Emergency response
    Evaluation of the project "Emergency response and support to vulnerable populations in at-risk areas of Burkina Faso" - Phase I
    OSRO/BKF/801/SWE
    2022
    Also available in:
    The project "Emergency response and support to vulnerable populations in at-risk areas of Burkina Faso" is financed by the Swedish International Development Agency. FAO implemented the project in partnership with the Government of Burkina Faso through the Ministry for Agriculture, Hydro-agricultural Development and Mechanisation. The project seeks to improve vulnerable populations’ access to food and to means of food production. This first phase of the evaluation focused on suggesting improvements to the project over the rest of its implementation period, and more particularly improvements as pertaining to relevance, efficiency and efficacy of the project. The implementation of these recommendations should allow the project and more generally FAO, the FAO Office in Burkina Faso and the Government, to close a project that has achieved its objectives
Show more