A review of local climate measures to increase resilience of East African agroecological systems

Climate change poses significant risks to global agroecosystems. This paper reviews the underexplored impact of small-scale interventions on the local climate by examining their influence on the surface energy balance. It highlights these practices as overlooked opportunities for climate adaptation and mitigation. East Africa, increasingly vulnerable to climate change, serves as a case study. This review paper analyses historical and current local climate management practices implemented by East African communities, drawing on academic and grey literature, and insights from regional field experts. Documenting five distinct adaptation strategies encompassing management of soil moisture, evaporation, surface water dynamics, vegetation, and soil properties, the review enriches the repository of diverse practices and advances our comprehension of the underlying processes. The results of this review contribute to the conceptualization of systematic, community-centric frameworks for local climate management.