13 th World Lake Conference

Transcription

1 13 th World Lake Conference Wuhan, China 1-55 November 2009 Ecosystem Approach to Lake Management 4 November 2009 Takehiro NAKAMURA Director UNEP International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) 1

2 Need for an Ecosystem approach Integrated Lake Basin management Multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approach Lake/River Basin - a Unit for management Wider stakeholder participation Multiple management objectives Does this work? What benefits for whom? 2

3 Ecosystem-based approach to water management Ecosystem-based River/Lake Basin Management The ecosystem-based approach is essentially to utilise and maximise ecosystem services for human benefits and to mitigate human impacts on the functioning of ecosystems, for environmental and local economic benefits. Water related benefits; Economic benefits; and Global environmental benefits (carbon sequestration, biodiversity, etc.) 3

4 Ecosystems The ecosystem is a dynamic complex of plant, animal, and micro organism communities and the nonliving environment interacting as a functional unit (MA). Agro- or cultivated ecosystems; Forest and woodland ecosystems; Inland water or wetland ecosystems; Mountain ecosystems; and Grassland ecosystems. 4

5 Ecosystem Services Food Freshwater Fiber and fuel Biochemical Genetic materials Climate regulation Water regulation (hydrological flows) Water purification and waste treatment Erosion regulation Natural hazard regulation Pollination Comments and Examples Groundwater recharge/discharge Retention, recovery, and removal of excess nutrients and other pollutantsp Retention of soils and sediments Flood control, storm protection Habitat for pollinators Provisioning services Production of fish, wild game, fruits and grains Storage and retention of water for domestic, industrial, and agricultural use Production of logs, fuelwood, peat, fodder Extraction of medicines and other materials form biota Genes for resistance to plant pathogens, ornamental species, and so on Regulating services Source of and sink for greenhouse gases; influence local and regional temperature, precipitation, and other climatic processes Cultural services Spiritual and inspirational Recreational Aesthetic Educational Source of inspiration; many religions attach spiritual and religious ious values to aspects of wetland ecosystems Opportunities for recreational activities Many people find beauty or aesthetic value in aspects of wetland ecosystems. Opportunities for formal and informal education and training Soil formation Nutrient cycling Supporting services Sediment retention and accumulation of organic matter Storage, recycling, processing, and acquisition of nutrients 5

6 Ecosystem-based River Basin Management: Planning Classification and inventory of different ecosystems; Identification and assessment of ecosystem services; Quantification and economic valuation of the ecosystem services; Official recognition of the ecosystem services and their values; Preliminary identification of lake basin management objectives; Analysis of trade-offs between the ecosystem goods and services identified and between the ecosystem services and the river basin management priorities; Clear statements of lake basin management objectives and management objectives for wise and optimal use of ecosystem services identified and recognised; Identification of necessary actions and their prioritisation; Actual implementation of actions to use, conserve or enhance ecosystem services with their increased awareness; and Monitoring of the ecosystem services and of the progress in the 6 implementation of the river basin management objectives.

7 Example the Yangtze River basin, China After the 1998 floods in the Yagtze and Songhua basins, the Government of China introduced the policy tool, Ecosystem Function Conservation Areas (EFCAs), aimed to maintain a sound ecological balance in areas essential for ensuring environmental safety, and those critical for alleviating and preventing natural disasters 7

8 Yangtze River floods (1998, 1999) Relationship between floods and environmental conditions of the catchment: Sharp decline in water retaining capacity of forest and grass lands due to deforestation and overgrazing, Decrease in water storing capacity in middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River due to loss of lakes and wetlands, and Silt-up of the rivers and wetlands in the Yangtze basin due to serious soil erosion. 8

9 Ji al i ngj i ang wat eshed Nanj i ng Shanghai LAND USE Yi chang Chongqi ng Locat i on of t he Ji al i ngj i ang wat eshed ( Ar ea: 160, 000km 2 ) i n t he Changj i ang Ri ver Basi n Topography Paddy f i el d Farm l and Forest area Shr ub and Bush Gr assl and( hi gh dens. ) Grassl and( mi ddl e and l ow) Ri pari an ara Urban area I ndust r i al and mi mi ng Sal i ne l and Bare l and Rock l and Ot hers Wat er body Ratio(%) Farm:38.6 Rock:0.5 Forest:20.2 Water body:0.1 Paddy:12.8 Urban:0.1 Shrub and Bush:12.4 Riparian:0.04 Grass (middle & low) :7.9 Bare:0.03 Grass (high):6.8 Industrial:0.007 Others:0.5 Saline:0.003 Land Landuse Use i n in tthe Ji Jialingjiang i i ang wat Watershed 9 250m X 250m digital elevation model

10 Yangtze River basin - Catchment situation 10

11 Ecosystem Function Conservation Areas (EFCAs) in China Human activities negatively impacting key ecosystem functions, such as agriculture, animal husbandry and mining, can be restricted or regulated. Note totally prohibit economic activities, but to encourage and promote human activities to alleviate poverty of local populations that are also compatible with the ecosystem functions. To achieve the river basin management goal (in this case, flood control), while achieving other global environmental benefits, such as biodiversity conservation, land degradation and climate change. 11

12 EFCA demonstration project 12

13 EFCA demo Institutional set up for Integrated Ecosystem Management; Designation of ecosystem functioning conservation areas; Alternative livelihood (e.g. eco-tourism) and alternative energy sources (e.g. biogas); Biological corridors also connected with income generation activities; and Agro forestry. 13

14 Conclusion for lake basin managers Room to utilise ecosystem services in Integrated Lake Basin Management Downstream areas may go upstream to contribute to the environmental work to enhance ecosystem services for the benefits of the downstream population (e.g., catchment management of upstream for mitigating flood risks of downstream cities). Payment for Ecosystem Services, partnership with private sectors 14

15 UNEP International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) Ryokuchi koen Tsurumi-ku, Osaka tel fax