Climate Change and Ecosystem Management Jian Liu UNEP-IEMP Lecture ISCS, Chengdu, 2016
Topics
• Ecosystem, its Services and Management
• COP13, REDD
• COP14, Ecosystem-based Adaptation
• Synergies of Ecosystem-based Adaptation and
Mitigation
Ecosystem
• An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system;
• Main functions: nutrient cycling and energy transformation
Ecosystem Services
Benefits from ecosystems to humankinds
• Provisioning Service: food, fiber, water, …• Regulating Service: carbon, hydrology…• Supporting service: sanctuary to biodiversity and
species• Culture service: spiritual, tourism…
Ecosystem Management
• Ecosystem management: An integrated process to conserve and improve ecosystem health that sustains ecosystem services for human well-being
• Through “Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), based on Economic Valuation of these services.
Topics
• Ecosystem, its Services and Management
• COP13, REDD
• COP14, Ecosystem-based Adaptation
• Synergies of Ecosystem-based Adaptation and
Mitigation
2 Degree Celsius (900 Gt CO2)1.5 (250 Gt CO2)
INDC/Stocktaking Progressive targets every 5 yrs
Ecosystem (4 times), No EBA/REDD
IPCC-AR5, 95%, >50%, RCP 2.6
UNFCCC Paris Agreement :
Climate and ecosystem–REDD, Why?
• Deforestation and forest degradation account for nearly 20% of global GHGs, more than that of transportation
• Ecosystem management– most cost-effective way of mitigation
• Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)
The Action - REDD
• Least controversial topic approved at COP13 of UNFCCC (2007) , supported by Norway (2.7BN)
• REDD, a mechanism to create an incentive for developing countries to protect, better manage and wisely use their forest resources, contributing to fixing carbon
• REDD+ strategies include the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in reducing emissions.
The Action: UN-REDD,
• The UN-REDD Programme is the United Nations Collaborative initiative on REDD in developing countries.
• To assist developing countries prepare and implement national REDD+ strategies
• FAO, UNDP, UNEP
• More than 50 countries
Topics
• Ecosystem, its Services and Management
• COP13, REDD
• COP14, Ecosystem-based Adaptation
• Synergies of Ecosystem-based Adaptation and
Mitigation
Adaptation is an i terat ive process, including understanding climate variability as well as patterns and dynamics underlying societal vulnerabilities, evaluating costs and benefits, building capacity and continuous learning from monitoring and evaluation of actions.
Why ecosystem is Important?Survey of adaptation priority in Asia
• 65% Water
• 63% Agriculture
• 57% Coastal-zone
• 37% Forestry
• 28% Fisheries
• 22% Disaster Reduction
• 17% Biodiversity
• 11% Mountain
• 9% Urban
Key Messages from Africa☁ Ecosystem services are integral to the African economy, underpin large parts of GDP and are key to local livelihoods
☁ Estimates of the costs of ecosystem-based adaptation require investigation of several lines of evidence
☁ There are many stresses on these ecosystems already and climate change will add to these pressures
☁ Tackling these impacts requires management of ecosystems within interlinked social-ecological systems, to enhance ecological processes and services, essential for resilience to multiple pressures, including climate change.
☁ EbA pathways result form the combination of ecosystem management strategies supported by flexible mechanisms and enabled through adaptive processes.
☁ At the aggregated scale, responses are primarily targeted at addressing current vulnerability: good practice and accelerated development rather than specific addressing future climate impacts.
☁ Bottom-up studies complement aggregated top-down estimates. However, extrapolation is not always possible, difficult to deal with overlaps between multiple bottom-up strategies.
☁ Further research is needed to estimate costs associated to soft measures (e.g. institutional capacity, adaptive governance, social learning, knowledge sharing, innovation, etc) and the additional costs needed to specifically tackle future climate impacts.
☁ Ecosystem-based adaptation remains a fairly limited area of study, and the economics of this approach for Africa is seen as a key priority for future adaptation work following from the AdaptCost project.
Key Messages from Africa
Role of Ecosystem Management
• Climate change increases the frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters and causes ecosystem degradation.
• Ecosystem regulating services are critical for climate change adaptation, mitigation and and disaster risk reduction.
Simplified illustration of the complicated interactions between climate change, ecosystem degradation and increased disaster risk
Climate Changeincreases the frequency and intensity of climate related disasters, and exacerbates
ecosystem degradation
Ecosystem Degradationtriggers more disasters,
reduces resilience and releases more GHGs to the atmosphere
Increased Disaster Riskundermines ecosystem and community resilience and
exacerbates impacts of climate variability and change
Vulnerable Communities
Climate Change A & Mincreases the resilience of
ecosystems to climate change impacts, supports disaster risk
reduction, and fixing carbon
Disaster Risk Reductionincreases the resilience of
ecosystems to disasters and complements
climate change adaptation efforts
Ecosystem Management
increases the resilience of ecosystems and communities
to climate change impacts, protects them from disasters,
and sequestrates carbon
Central role of EM in responding to climate change and disaster risk reduction
COP 2 (1996)
• National communications
COP 7 (2001)
• LDC Support (LDC Work Programme) NAPAs, LEG, LDCF), SCCF and AF
COP 11 (2005)
• Nairobi work programme
COP 13 (2007)
• Bali Action Plan
COP 16-18 (2010-12)
• Cancun Adaptation Framework (Adaptation Committee, NAPs and L&D work programme)
Observing impacts,
assessing risks and vulnerabilities
Moving to planning and
pilot implementation
Sharing knowledge and lessons learned
Scaling up implementation and forging enhanced
engagement
Full scale implementation.
Balance with mitigation (?)
COP 22 2015 & beyond New Agreement. Importance of LTGG
Evolution of adaptation under the UNFCCC
National Adaptation
Programmes of Action
Nairobi work programme
Work programme on
loss and damage
Adaptation Committee
Decision at COP 19 on the work programme that could also support the scientific and technical work under the Cancun Adaptation Framework
National Adaptation
Plans
Current evolution of adaptation under the UNFCCC
COP14, EBA
• Parties to UNFCCC at COP14 agreed to include Ecosystem-based adaptation(EBA) as one approach for adaptation, many definitions, yet,
• EBA is an approach to work with nature to – build resilience of vulnerable ecosystems through
adaptation,– maximise ecosystem services for adaptation.
Framing EBA
• Enhancing the resilience of ecosystems to climate change– Addressing climate change impacts on ecosystems,
and ensuring continued benefits from interventions for maintaining & promoting ecosystem services
• Using ecosystems as a means for reducing vulnerability and enhancing adaptation to climate change– Ecosystem services help to manage climate risks – and
support resilience of human socio-economic systems
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The space of EBA approaches – some examples
Ecosystem services
Climate risks & impacts
Storm surge (coasts)
Flooding (urban, riverine)
Food, fiber and biomass production
Heat waves (temperature extremes)
Supporting Soil formation for stabilization & reducing run-off
Sustainable land management
Provisioning Agroforestry
Regulating Reforesting or afforesting with mangroves
Stormwater run-off regulation
Green cover to reduce urban heat island
Cultural
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Challenges• Mind set of decision-makers
– First and foremost think of hard infrastructure options
– Cost-benefit analyses biased against it• EBA varies with context and ecosystem –
– hard to get a single message to decision makers
– reaching most vulnerable communities• Limited data showing benefits of combining
ecosystem management and social resilience– Quantification of costs & cost effectiveness– Multiple sectors and stakeholders involved– M&E – attribution, time lag, duration, etc.
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Source: climatechwiki.orgOvercoming entrenched hard
infrastructure thinking
Source: Andrade et al. 2010
Recognizing ecosystem boundaries and thresholds
Looking ahead• Explore synergies between EBA and other approaches
– EBA is complementary to DRR / DRM, NRM, livelihoods• Develop approaches and tools to support design and
implementation– Multiple benefits / multi-criteria evaluation
• Emphasize learning and integrated M&E– Practice is leading theory; empirical validation of constructs and
filling knowledge gaps• Place EBA within the broader context of climate resilient
development– Natural infrastructure, green economy
• Recognize that there are multiple entry points– Cities are often on the front-lines of innovation
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Examples of Using Ecosystem Services
Mangroves in Vietnam:• An investment of US$1.1 million dedicated to adapting to sea-
level rise through restoring nearly 12,000 hectares of mangroves on the coast of Vietnam
• Saved US$7.3 million annually in dyke maintenance and repair.
• Other ecosystem services: replenishment of local fisheries, carbon sequestration, restoration of livelihoods, and reduced risk of some climate-based disasters.
Recognition of EBA
• UNEP EBA Flagship Programme since 2010• GEF Guideline on Ecosystem-Based Approach
for Adaptation 2013• Resolution of the 1st United Nations
Environment Assembly (UNEA) 2014• CBD and UNFCCC Parties increasingly
recognizing EbA and its multiple benefits
UNFCCC
Relevant action pledges made by NWP partner organizations
Compilation of Ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation
(FCCC/SBSTA/2011/INF.8)
&
Database on ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation
(40+ examples-ongoing)
A technical workshop on
ecosystem-based approaches for adaptation to climate change
Ecosystem Based Adaptation in Mountain Ecosystems Programme
• Partnership of UNEP, IUCN & UNDP under broader EBA flagship programme
• BMU provided 10 million Euro for Mountain Ecosystems Programme
• Steered by Global Steering Committee• Dec 2010 – Dec 2014• Pilot phase: Nepal, Peru & Uganda.• More countries to be added in next phase
Programme’s objectiveThe objective is to strengthen the capacity of countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts (Nepal, Peru and Uganda) to build ecosystem resilience for promoting ecosystem based adaptation (EBA) options and to reduce the vulnerability of communities with particular emphasis on mountain ecosystems.
Programme components and lead agencies
Components Lead Agency
1. Development of methodologies and tools for EbA decision-making in mountain ecosystems
UNEP
2. Application of methodologies and tools at ecosystem level
UNEP/UNDP
3. Implementation of EbA pilots at ecosystem level UNDP/IUCN
4. Development of Business Case for EbA at the national level
UNDP
Expected outputs• The value of ecosystem based approaches
demonstrated;• Informed national climate change and development
policies and strategies, and their delivery supported; • Economic assessment of Ecosystem services valuated;• Scaling up learning: the pilot project Adapting to
Climate Change in Mountain Ecosystems will form the basis of further EBA activities in other mountain areas around the globe.
Programme partners• National and local governments
• Research institutes• Civil society
• Local communities
Topic and Location Funder, Timeline, PartnersEbA in Mountain Regions: Uganda, Peru, Nepal
Germany (BMU). $14M. 2011-14.Implemented w/ UNDP, IUCN
Adapting to Climate Change Induced Water Stress in the Nile River Basin
Sweden (SIDA). $3.5M. 2010-13.Implemented w/ DHI, NBI
Regional Gateway for Tech. Transfer and CC Action: L. America & Caribbean
Spain and Norway. $5.3M. 2011-14
EbA in Coastal Ecosystems. Building Adaptive Capacity in Vulnerable Coastal Communities: Seychelles, Grenada, SIDS.
European Commission. $3.5M. 2013-16
Building Resilient Ecological Food Systems using Ecosystem-based Adaptation in agriculture-dominated landscapes in Africa
UNDF 9th Tranche $650k Seed $ 2014 ICI $6M submitted , GEF?Implemented w/IFAD
Readiness for National access to the Green Climate Fund
Germany 1st Phase $400k Seed $ 2013 $ 11M. 2013-15 Implemented w/UNDP, WRI
EbA in peri-urban areas of Asian mid-tier cities – reducing the climate vulnerability of the urban poor.
UNEP $150k Seed $ 2013ICI $6M submitted, GEF $5M submittedImplemented w/ UNDP (PEI), UN-Habitat.
GEF Portfolio
Overall objective:– Support developing countries in
accessing GEF supported finance through the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), and indirect access to the Adaptation Fund (AF) in order to reduce their vulnerability to adverse impacts of climate variability and change.
– The strategic focus is on innovative approaches applied through pilot studies and enhanced country responsiveness.
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– Approx. 120 M USD – approved / under implementation
– Mainly in Africa and Asia
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The UNEP EBA Portfolio
OverviewOverview & objective
Project components - interregional - pilot countries
Way forward
Official Title Enhancing Capacity, Knowledge and Technology Support to Build Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Developing Countries
Funding Programme
GEF Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF)
Implementing Agency
UNEP
Executing Agency
NDRC through IGSNRR, CAS
Duration 48 months (2013 - 2017)
Scale Two regions (Africa and Asian-Pacific), 3 pilot countries (Seychelles, Nepal and Mauritania)
ObjectiveOverview & objective
Project components - interregional - pilot countries
Way forward
To build climate resilience in developing countries in Africa and Asia-Pacific
using ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation through capacity building, knowledge support and concrete, on-the-ground
interventions
Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA)
Ø an approach to work with nature to maximize ecosystem services for adaptation and build ecosystem resilience for human well-being
Ø widely recognized as a cost-effective adaptation option
through South-South Cooperation
Ø developing countries are more dependent on ecosystem services and are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change
Ø not only common challenges, but also common solutions for conservation and livelihoods
Recognized as first mover in catalysing global and regional collaboration on EbA
under GEF guidelines, in particular within the framework of South-South cooperation
Overview & objective
Project components - interregional - pilot countries
Way forward
Project componentsOverview & objective
Project components - interregional - pilot countries
Way forwardTECHONOLOGY TRANSFER
Concrete, on-the-ground EbA interventions, implemented within a long term research
framework
KNOWLEDGE SUPPORT
Web platform for the sharing of EbA knowledge and good
practices
CAPACITY BUILDING
Interregional coordination activities and thematic
training workshops
Interregional coordinaton & capacity building
Overview & objective
Project components - interregional - pilot countries
Way forward
Online knowledge supportOverview & objective
Project components - interregional - pilot countries
Way forward
heart of the web
platformGood
PracticeCase Studies
Database
Pilot countriesOverview & objective
Project components - interregional - pilot countries
Way forward
MAURITANIAArid/semi-arid ecosystem
NEPALMountain ecosystem
SEYCHELLESCoastal ecosystem
Desertification control, multi-use greenbelts
Community-based watershed restoration
Mangrove restoration, wetland rehabilitation
Highlight: long term researchOverview & objective
Project components - interregional - pilot countries
Way forward
EbA South documents very well
how ecosystem-based adaptation is
taking place in three different countries
with three different ecosystems and
stimulates research to build on that and to
make it suitable and replicable in other
contexts
Youssef Nassef, UNFCCC
Topics
• Ecosystem, its Services and Management
• COP13, REDD
• COP14, Ecosystem-based Adaptation
• Synergies of Ecosystem-based Adaptation and
Mitigation
Convergence of REDD and EBA
• Trade-off of ecosystem services (MA), provisioning, regulating, supporting…
• Co-benefits of both actions REDD and EBA
• Needs to be conceptualized in one framework of ecosystem management
Benefits (and impacts) include:– Biodiversity– Improved livelihoods– Landscape restoration etc.
• Case studies in Vietnam, Indonesia, Tanzania, Bolivia, Ecuador... Etc
UN-REDD is supporting countries to: – Maximize socio-economic and
environmental benefits– Improve equitable benefit sharing
Multiple Benefits
Climate Change impactsPopulation
increaseEcosystem
degradation
Loss of biodiversity
&ecosystem
servicesLoss of human
wellbeingSocial disruption
Increasedpressure on ecosystems
Ecosystem protection and management
Climate Change Mitigation
Ecosystem resilience &
reduced vulnerability
Secure biodiversity & ecosystem
services
Human well-being
Sustainable economies
Poor Ecosystem Protection
Good EcosystemProtection
Ecosystem-Based AdaptationDrivers and impacts of ecosystem
degradation