This ACCRA brief summarises learning from the  research and capacity-building activities conducted by the Africa Climate Change Resilience Alliance (ACCRA) in three sites in Ethiopia in 2010-11. The brief provides some recommendations for local government and  explains why adaptation planning matters, why community participation is vital and examines key areas where planning and decision-making could be improved.

Recommendations suggest:

• Strengthening capacity for  disaster risk management (DRM) and climate change adaptation (CCA) planning and cross-sectoral coordination at local level
• Identifying  a clear methodology for implementing participatory DRM and CCA planning at wereda level.
• Ensuring women and marginalised groups are involved in planning
• Using climate finance to develop longer-term, decentralised funding mechanisms that ensure communities and wereda develop and own the implementation of long-term adaptation plans.
• Ensuring contingency finance can be used to link to all aspects of the disaster cycle