GECAFS Southern Africa Food Systems & Vulnerability Workshop

1. VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee GECAFS Southern Africa Food Systems & Vulnerability Workshop Vulnerability in Southern Africa: Insights from the VAC process 6 – 8 December 2004 Oasis Hotel - Gaborone, Botswana

2. VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee Why this presentation? To provide background of the vulnerability analysis in the region To provide background to the SADC VAC system To give an overview of current activities and results of recent assessments; and Define link between information provided through the VACs and program and policy (including risk management)

3. VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee Definition of Vulnerability • “Vulnerability” is a concept that is relevant to a number of disciplines: - health - finance - food security , etc • vulnerability represents “defenselessness, insecurity and exposure to risks, shocks and stress ... and difficulty in coping with them.” It is, therefore, necessary to define vulnerability in terms of three critical dimensions: vulnerability to an outcome, froma variety of risk factors and shocks (external side), because of an inability to cope with those risks (internal side). • Vulnerability = Exposure to Risk + Ability to Cope.

4. Approaches to Vulnerability Assessments • Methodologies focusing on external vulnerability (also termed “shocks” or “hazards”) include: -classic early warning monitoring as undertaken by the SADC NEWUs, REWU, -remote sensing and climate monitoring as undertaken by national meteorology units, the RRSU and the DMC at the regional level, - traditional FEWS monitoring, combining the two. - Poverty studies  2. Methodologies focusing on internal vulnerability include: - the VA baseline by SC(UK), the FEG & recently FEWSNet.   3. Methods combining internal and external assessment include: - VA baseline plus hazard information to arrive at a “problem specification”,enabling outcome scenarios or risk to be assessed, promoted by SC(UK), FEWSNet, WFP/VAM, and FAO and encompasses the “Livelihoods” conceptual framework of the SADC FANR RVAC

5. VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee Application Of VA in Food Security

6. VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee The SADC VAC system… • The SADC VAC system comprises of national VACs and a regional VAC.

7. SADC FANR Regional Vulnerability Assessment Committee (RVAC) VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee • Established in 1999 by FANR • Comprised of a multi-agency group of technical experts working to enhance food security and livelihood conditions within SADC region. • Specifically, to : • Promote VAs in the region. • Harmonize VA methodology in the region. • Provide technical, institutional and financial support to National Vulnerability Committees.

8. VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee The Regional VAC mandate is to… • Strengthen capacity of Member States to undertake and utilise vulnerability assessments for the purposes of food security planning in both emergency and non-emergency situations.

9. VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee Why a VAC? • Given the complex people’s livelihoods and the many factors that impact their food security, vulnerability assessments are conducted in a multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral manner. • This necessitates the involvement of several agencies, both within and outside government so as to achieve good communication, collaboration and networking. • In addition, a VAC fosters and optimises the assessment – response linkages thus ensuring that results are translated into practical interventions

10. Synopsis of VAC Process and VAC Reports Focus

11. METHODOLOGIES APPLIED IN VA IN THE REGION • The “livelihoods based” VA adopted by VACs • Food security (availability and access – coping) covered by all VACs in varied degree of detail • Variation across countries in the collection and analysis of information for sectors such as health, education, water and sanitation and HIV and AIDS as they relate to food security and vulnerability - because of methodology differences • Indicator Approach • The Household or Food Economy Approach, • Structured Survey Methods and • Synergy and combination of approaches • The methodologies being used will be reviewed by a Consultant in 2005 under SADC RVAC

12. Some Short comings of the Data Collection and Analysis Participatory Approaches- HEA • Normally qualitative information • A large range of people in need of assistance and amount required • Notadequately cover the other sectors such as HIV and AIDs, water and sanitation • Normally contacted by external experts Structured Survey Methods • Data quality sometimes questionable • Analytical capacity limited • Surveys designed and structured without follow up monitoring in mind

13. REGIONAL FINDINGS FROM RECENT ASSESSMENTS VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee

14. VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee Cereal Production in the SADC Region (six countries)

15. VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee Food Insecurity Status in the six SADC Countries

16. VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee Findings from recent VA What are the threats to livelihoods? Why are people vulnerable? • Economic decline and stagnation… • Steady erosion of assets and growing poverty reduces capacity to mitigate shocks to livelihoods… • Rising staple food prices relative to income sources erodes HH purchasing power… • Increasing morbidity and mortality associated with HIV/AIDS, induces downward trends in productivity… • Lack of easy access to markets reduces income generation potential… • Poor availability/ affordability of basic services (health, education, water etc) weakens HH resilience.

17. VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee Findings from recent VA Country Reports Where are the highly food insecure? • The majority are in Zimbabwe Lesotho and Swaziland, with all districts being affected to some degree. • About 30 % of rural popn in Zimbabwe is facing shortages. Worst affected areas are in the 2 Mats, and in eastern and northern Manicaland and Mash East and Central provinces (total 2.3 million) • In Swaziland, the worst affected are in the Lowveld and Dry Middleveld regions (total – 600,400). • In Lesotho, affected areas are along the Senqu River valley and the Foothills( total – 948,300)

18. Zimbabwe 2003 – Sources of Food by Province

19. Malawi – Sources of Food Expenditure and Sources of Cash

20. Zimbabwe HH Consumption Patterns HH Consumption Coping Strategies – Zimbabwe 2003/04

21. VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee VAC activities and Links to program and policy

22. VAC SADC FANR Vulnerability Assessment Committee Conclusion • Recommendation outside food security and nutrition have been made helping developmental programmes in HIV/AIDS, Education, Health, Water and Sanitation • SADC RVAC taking stock at the institutional arrangements, information systems, methodologies used in the 6 EMOP countries and how the information generated was used by decision makers. • Through the 3 stage Consultation process it is hoped the information generated by NVACs post the emergency can address developmental issues and be linked to poverty, PRSP and policy • Methodologies and approaches are still being developed eg. Questions of composite vulnerability compared to isolated vulnerability in sectors and handling of multiple stressors

23. Informal Cross Border Monitoring System

24. Observed Trade: July – October ‘04

25. Preliminary Results: Maize Trade

26. Cyclists carry maize across the border into Malawi- an estimated 100 cyclist were crossing every 30 minutes