Climate Change, Biological Diversity and Poverty, THE LINK

PRESENTED AT National Stakeholders Workshop on Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change Alagie MANJANG Department of Parks and Wildlife Management

OUTLINE
Understanding the key Terminologies

Facts on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Poverty

Understanding the linkages between Climate Change, Biodiversity & Poverty What Can Be Done

Understanding Key Terms

Climate Change In the context of environmental policy, the term "climate change" is often used to refer only to the ongoing changes in modern climate, including the average rise in surface temperature known as global warming

Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of all life, from genes to species that form the complex interactions of life and habitats that make up ecosystems

POVERTY

Poverty is not going empty for a single day and getting something to eat the next day. Poverty is going empty with no hope for the future.

Facts on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Poverty The Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change (IPCC) fourth assessment report states that the next two decades, about 0.2 C of warming per decade is projected

Knock-on effects Includes: Sea level rise of more than 50 centimetres by 2100. Some 20 to 30 per cent of plant and animal species assessed are at risk of extinction if the rise in global average temperatures exceeds 2-3 C.

Facts Cont
People living in poor countries are disproportionately vulnerable to the loss of biodiversity and reduced ecosystem services. Many areas of Africa are among the most variable in the world on seasonal and decadal time scale . Floods and drought can happen in the same area within months of each other Leading to famine and wide spread disruption of socio-economic well being.

Facts Cont
Reports indicates one third of African people already live in drought prone areas and 220 million are exposed to drought each year.

Facts Cont
Biodiversity is key to how well people can adapt to climate change, how effectively landscapes absorb and store carbon, and how effective vegetation and ecosystems are in reducing the adverse impacts of climate change

The over exploitation of land resources including forest, population increase, desertification and land degradation are compounding the problem.

Climate change is already an added stress to habitats, species and ecosystems, it can trigger species migration, and lead to habitat reduction. Up to 50% of Africa total biodiversity is at risk due to reduced habitats

Sea level rise can threaten lagoons and mangroves forest of both eastern and western Africa.

The Vital Link

Poor countries and their people depend heavily on climatesensitive sectors and natural resources.. These include agriculture, fisheries, water supply, animal husbandry, forestry and tourism.

This dependence means the impact of climate and other environmental changes on biodiversity and ecosystem services poses a real threat to the livelihoods, food security and health of the poor.

Biodiversity is intimately linked to the earths climate and inevitably to climate change as it is the foundation for the natural processes of climate regulation.
Biodiversity and poverty are also inextricably connected

Changes to ecosystems influence both the climate and peoples ability to cope with its adverse impacts. In return, climate change and peoples responses to it, affect biodiversity.

Understanding these inter-relationships clearly shows that conserving and managing biodiversity protects the resilience of natural systems and so helps all people, particularly the most vulnerable, to cope with a shifting global climate.

What Can Be Done

So the need to adapt to climate change impacts is inevitable It is already happening across the globe People use natural resources and biodiversity, including genetic diversity, as part of the adaptation process. For instance, wild relatives of food crops are used to breed new varieties that can cope with changing conditions

What Can Be Done Cont

Farmers may plant crop varieties resistant to floods, drought or saline conditions Vegetation used as live hedges protects agricultural land from excessive water or wind erosion in times of heavy rainfall or drought Conserved ecosystems offer many other services vital for adapting to climate change. E.G Wetlands are important reservoirs for floodwater. Biodiversity conservation and the maintenance of ecosystem integrity are Therefore central to Improving the ability of the poor to cope with climate change

Mangroves are coastal buffers renowned for dissipating the energy of waves braking onshore and therefore protecting against cyclone damage to coasts and seaside communities

What Can Be Done Cont

ACTION NOW !!!

Coastal protection Sea walls and infrastructure designed to protect coastal areas NO from rising sea level and extreme weather events.

YES

The rehabilitation of coastal mangroves havens for biodiversity

What Can Be Done Cont

Boosting agricultural and rangeland productivity

NO

common approach to droughts or floods resulting from climate change is to both provide aid and attempt to increase agricultural production by using more intensive farming methods soil and water conservation, cover cropping to ensure land was never bare, integrated pest management, and reduced or zero grazing

YES

What Can Be Done Cont Protected areas

With biodiversity under threat from climate change, some are calling for the establishment of protected areas, as havens for species at risk

PROTECTED AREAS play an important role in sequestering carbon as well as supporting sustainable natural resource use, local livelihoods and biodiversity conservation