Biodiversity in a changing climate: Ecosystem based adaptation and mitigation (UNDP presentation)

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

Adriana Dinu, Regional Environment and Energy Practice Leader, Europe and CIS

© 2010 UNDP. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.Proprietary and Confidential. Not For Distribution Without Prior Written Permission.

BIODIVERSITY IN A CHANGING CLIMATE: ECOSYSTEM BASED ADAPTATION AND

MITIGATION

Putoransky, Taimyr

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

Overview

Nalichevo Park, Kamchatka

Context:- Biodiversity and Climate Change –

linkages- Climate Change Impacts on

Biodiversity

Role of Protected Areas in CC mitigation and Adaptation

Opportunities

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

Biodiversity and climate change are inter-connected

Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity

Changes in Biodiversity affect Climate

Change

Ecosystems play a key role in:- Global Carbon Cycle;- Adapting to Climate Change- Provision of ecosystem services essential

for human beings

Ecosystem degradation:- Reduces the C storage and sequestration

capacity- Increasing GHG emissions- Reducing Biodiversity

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

Climate Change as a key driver of biodiversity loss

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

-Changes in ecosystem structure and function: Aquatic freshwater habitats, wetlands, Arctic and alpine ecosystems;

-Bogs, mires and fens - most vulnerable - 50 % affected (concern as they are important carbon stores);

-Snow, ice and frozen ground: increased number of glacial lakes; increased ground instability in permafrost;

-19 % of habitats and 12 % of species of European interest are threatened by CC over their European range (2008, reports on Habitat Directives);

-Approx. 10% of species at high risk of extinction for every 1°C rise in global mean temperature;

- Amphibians - 45 % of species negatively affected

Current Impacts of CC on Biodiversity

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

Role of selected European ecosystems in the carbon balance

Ecosystem Carbon source or sink

Current Carbon storage (t/ha)

Where majority of Carbon is stored

Tundra Sink 260 Permafrost

Boreal Forest Sink Soil: 120–340 Vegetation: 60–90

Soil

Temperate Forest Sink 260 - 320 Above and below ground biomass

Peatlands Sink 1450 Soil

Oceans and Coast Sink Surface: 1020 Gt C; Deep ocean: 39,000

Deep Ocean

Source: Adapted from Trumper et al., 2009.

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

Ecosystem conversion – second largest source of GHG and first cause of species extinction

Protected Areas the most sensible response to

conversion.

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

Terrestrial carbon stock in the protected area network

13.7% of world’s terrestrial area is protected, but contains 15.2% of C stock

85% Carbon outside

protected areas

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

PAs are essential part of the global response to CC

Mitigation dividend: existing and potential forest PAs are richest

carbon pools.

MITIGATION

STORE: 312 Gt of terrestrial C: If lost - equivalent to 23 times the total global C emissions for 2004

CAPTURE: further sequestration of CO2 - increasing the size of carbon pools (afforestation, reforestation and restoration)

ADAPTATION

PROTECT: maintains ecosystem integrity; reduces vulnerability to Climate Change

PROVIDE : ecosystem services

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

Protected Areas

Convenient Solutionsto an Inconvenient Truth:

Ecosystem-basedApproaches

to Climate Change

June 2009

Environment Department,The World Bank

Contribute to strategies to reduce GHG emissions;

Complement infrastructure investments to reduce vulnerability to climate change: nest the PA agenda into the development agenda

Are an effective means of safeguarding ecosystem services, vital to adaptation, carbon storage and sequestration.

Are a cost effective means of providing these services, relative to the costs of other land governance systems.

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

Opportunities: National and sub-national governments

• Increasing the Roles of Protected Areas in National and sub-national CC Strategies

• Incorporate CC into ecological gap assessments

• Increase coverage, level of protection and management effectiveness;

• Landscape approaches, connectivity - critical to promoting resilience across large landscapes

• Strengthening PA network in areas of high deforestation pressure and high carbon could be one strategy to reduce emissions.

Altai Sayan

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

• 28,000 ha rewetted.

• Reduced annual emission of CO2 by 280,000 tons

Peatland restoration in Belarus: mitigation benefits

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

• Presence of wetland plant associations up by 58-96%

• Water-bird species numbers up by 20-48% from pre-restoration figures

Peatland restoration in Belarus: biodiversity benefits

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

Peatland restoration in Belarus: economic benefits

"Tackling climate change: working with Nature" , Brussels, 7 th October 2010

THANK YOU!