The latest on land use, livelihoods and environmental services in the tropical forest margins.
Developing countries can shift to lower-carbon paths while promoting development and reducing poverty, but this depends on financial and technical assistance from high-income countries, says World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change (visit website).
The report’s key messages have important implications for ecosystems and livelihoods in the developing world:
- Developing countries are highly vulnerable to climate change
- Climate change complicates efforts to reduce poverty and promote prosperity
- A “climate smart” world is possible if we act now, act together, and act differently
- An equitable, efficient climate deal that recognizes the needs of developing countries is critical
The report calls on industrialised countries, which have released most of the greenhouse gases, to lead the way in charting a new low-carbon economic path. In addition, the report calls for financial support to enable developing countries adapt to climate change and lay the foundation for low-carbon economies.
In an op-ed to Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper, one of the report’s authors, Calestous Juma, describes how climate change is already a concern in Kenya.
Fragile ecosystems are a dominant feature of sub-Saharan Africa. Nearly two thirds of its surface area is dry land or desert, which makes it highly vulnerable to droughts and floods. Much of the continent’s political instability is associated with the fragility of its ecosystems and low levels of technological competence to compensate for the natural deficiencies.
Africa’s economies are also highly dependent on natural resources. Nearly 80 per cent of its energy comes from biomass and a third of its gross domestic product comes from rain-fed agriculture, which supports 70 per cent of the population.
Stress is already being felt in critical areas such as water supply. Today, 20 African countries experience severe water scarcity and another 12 will be added in the next 25 years. Economic growth in regional hubs such as Nairobi is now being curtailed by water shortages.
Source: Climate change a stumbling block to Africa’s economies. Daily Nation.
How can the agriculture and food security agenda fit into the debate on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD), particularly leading up to the climate change conference in Copenhagen this December? Bruce Campbell, of the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security Challenge Program (CCAFS) looks the evolution of the REDD debate and possible opportunities and challenges for poverty alleviation and agricultural development efforts.
Source: Campbell, B.M., Beyond Copenhagen: REDD+, agriculture, adaptation strategies and poverty. Global Environ. Change (2009), doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2009.07.010 (subscription required)
At a recent meeting convened by the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa to promote a common African negotiating position, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the continent has “no intention to free-ride” a post-Kyoto agreement. Zenawi was chosen to chair a new high-level committee to steer the African negotiation process by heads of state meeting in Libya on 31 August.
Zenewi hopes that Africa can finally speak with one voice at international climate negotiations
“By partnering with us on green development, the developed world could create a more robust market and overall environment for the mitigation efforts that it alone must shoulder,” Zenawi said.
“Our interest is not to claim compensation for climate change and its damages. Our interest is to prevent that from happening. It makes no sense to us for someone to make large parts of our continent unliveable and then pay some compensation for doing so.”
“We want to keep our forests intact and re-afforest those that have over the years been degraded. We want to do so precisely because such an approach is economically more rewarding and sustainable,” he said, but added that the continent was nevertheless “prepared to walk out of any negotiations that threaten another rape of our continent”.
Full story: SciDev.net Africa: Continent’s New Climate Leader Outlines Continent’s Stance
| 10 November 2009 | to | 11 November 2009 |
There is now ample evidence of the ecological impacts of recent climate change from polar terrestrial to tropical marine environments. The Egyptian Society for Environmental Sciences (ESES) will host the fourth international conference on “Impacts of Climate Change on Natural Resources” that will take place in Ismailia, Egypt on 10-11 November , 2009.
More: The 4th International Conference of SCU & ESES: “Impacts of Climate change on Natural Resources”
| 13 December 2009 |
2009 is possibly the most important year for forests in living memory. We are in the final stretch of the road to Copenhagen, and COP 15, where negotiators expect to finalise a post-Kyoto global climate agreement in December. To coincide with the conference, CIFOR, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) and the Government of Denmark will host Forest Day 3. Forest Day 3 will build on the success of Forest Day 1 and 2 in helping to ensure forests are high on the agenda for future climate outcomes, and will pave the way forward in making these outcomes work beyond Copenhagen.
More: Forest Day 3