Geneva 18th June 2009 - UNITAR’s Climate Change Programme  and partners presented the results of fourteen pilot projects in Asia and Africa that brought together scientists and local communities in Asia and Africa to develop climate change risk communication materials that support decision making, raise awareness and also implement concrete actions. The results from the project called Advancing Capacity for Climate Change Adaptation (ACCCA) were presented at a side event held  the 12th  June 2009 during the June 2009, Bonn Climate Changes Talks.   Amongst the notable results highlighted by the 14 project managers and the scientific monitoring teams, was the increased awareness within communities on how climate change will impact their lives and ecosystems as well as the increased human capacity within these same communities to translate this scientific research and information into practical actions.   One of the projects in the Kenya Highlands aimed at reducing the vulnerability to malaria impacts and epidemics is one example of how scientific research was translated into practical action. Maggie Opondo from the University of Nairobi in Kenya described how the farmers in the area of Kakamege and Kericho had joined efforts and planted napier grass along watersheds to reduce the breeding sites of malaria vectors. She further elaborated how unfortunately due to a severe and prolonged drought in Kenya in early 2009, the farmers were forced to cut the napier grass to feed their livestock. “This unexpected development in the project was a future lesson in the application of this methodology. We now recognize that napier grass has a cross functional purpose and this should be taken into consideration.” reflected Maggie Opondo.   The climate information data provided by the scientific teams was at the heart of the ACCCA project and indeed the interpretation of this data and the trends it uncovered, allowed the local communities to understand how their livelihoods would be impacted and collaborate together with the scientific teams to identify solutions.   As the projects concluded their activities and reflected upon the results and the way forward, they all agreed that by employing a participatory approach that engaged both the scientific and the local communities, the projects had fostered community ownership essential for sustaining the results of the project in the long term. Subject to the availability of funding the Project Managers intend to expand upon the results and use the methodologies, lessons learned and good practices developed to the benefit of other communities and regions. The Pilot Project countries included: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Bangladesh, India, Mongolia, Nepal and the Philippines. The Scientific teams were from Environment Development Action in the Third world (ENDA) ENDA-TM Dakar, Climate Systems Analysis Group of the University of Cape Town, South Africa (CSAG UCT ), the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Oxford (UK) and the International START Secretariat, Washington D.C and its regional centers in Bangkok (Thailand) and Beijing in China Some of the key development sectors addressed through the Pilot Projects included; Health disaster management, agriculture, pastoralism, fisheries, responsive water management and mainstreaming climate change into sustainable development.   The activities of this project were made possible through the generous contributions of The European Commission Europe Aid Co-operation Office (AIDCO), The UK Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Netherlands Climate Assistance Programme (ETC NCAP) and the Switzerland Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN).   For more information view the Web cast of the ACCCA side event.