Climate Change Working Group

Trade-offs between global environmental benefits and the local economic benefits to farmers.

Land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) have been estimated to account for at least 20% of total global greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming and climate change (the majority of these LULUCF emissions are released through tropical forest clearing and forest fires). However, a variety of land uses employed by farmers and foresters have the potential to curb the effects of climate change by serving as net sinks of carbon and other greenhouse gases.

The overall objectives of the Climate Change Working Group during Phase II of the ASB Programme was to determine those land-use systems that sequester more carbon and reduce trace gas emissions. These objectives were met through collection of strategic information on changes in carbon stocks and land use; development of a database on trace gas fluxes from different land-use systems; and assessment of land rehabilitation techniques for increasing carbon sequestration. The activities of the Working Group were conducted through a collaborative effort involving numerous international and national ASB partners.