Regional Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies

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1 Regional Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies Monika G MacDevette, PhD UN Environment Programme Division of Early Warning & Assessment Nairobi, Kenya

2 UNEP s role Overarching mandate: UN s authoritative voice on the environment Keep the state of the environment under review Bring to the attention of member states emerging environmental issues of global concern Catalyse action through partnerships Global normative; regional engagement; national demonstration

3 Today s presentation Environmental foundation for sustainable food security Food security is not just about agriculture Life cycle view and mitigation Ecosystems-based adaptation approach (EbA) Global and regional strategies Thinking outside the environmental box Examples of action (CC DARE)

4 Food and Nutrition Security Food and nutrition security exists when all people at all times have physical, social and economic access to food, which is safe and consumed in sufficient quantity and quality to meet their dietary needs and food preferences, and is supported by an environment of adequate sanitation, health services and care, allowing for a healthy and active life. FAO; Committee on World Food Security, September, 2012 CFS 2012/39/4

5 Messages are clear Pressure from existing, and future demands Today, 870 million people chronically undernourished By 2050, 9.6 billion people Number of people at risk of hunger expected to increase by 10-20% due to climate change 15-20% decline in agricultural production expected due to climate change Dietary changes (increased meat consumption) Up to 30-40% of high quality food produced is lost Doing more of the same is just not good enough

6 Food security in crisis The surge in food prices in recent years has been the most marked of the past century in its magnitude, duration and the number of commodity groups whose prices have increased. The ensuing crisis has resulted in a % increase in selected commodity prices, driven an estimated 110 million people into poverty and added 44 million more to the undernourished.

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10 Food security has an ecological foundation Avoiding future famines: Strengthening the ecological basis of food security through sustainable food systems Cooperation: UNEP with FAO, IFAD, WFP, World Bank, WRI 12 Scientists ations/ebooks/avoidingfamin es/

11 Mitigation Reliance of food production systems on fossil fuels Energy input Fertiliser & pesticide production and use from fossil fuels Role of agriculture in contributing to greenhouse gases Not just in production processes, but methane produced from decomposition of discarded food in landfills

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13 Rethinking waste Post harvest losses and wastage incur huge costs to the environment from inefficient use of nature s resources Shift perceptions of waste as something in need of disposal to a commodity with economic and renewable energy value from the agricultural and food production industries Policy support Technology innovation and transfer

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15 Key Mitigation Messages Increasing food energy efficiency provides a critical path for significant growth in food supply without compromising environmental sustainability. Limit global warming, including the promotion of climate-friendly agricultural production systems and land-use policies at a scale to help mitigate climate change.

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17 Ecosystems approach Strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way Traditional economic approaches: living off natures capital Sustainable economic model based on an ecosystems approach: living off nature s interest Shift away form resource management to ecosystems management

18 Ecosystem-based Adaptation Ecosystem Management: Tomorrow s Approach to Enhancing Food Security under a Changing Climate Global food security under a changing climate is possible if the vital role of healthy ecosystems is recognized. -> Ecosystem-based approach must be integrated with other measures to tackle food security under climate change, and to protect biodiversity and ecosystems and the supply of the essential ecosystem services on which humanity depends.

19 Ecosystem-based Adaptation Using Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Tackle Food Insecurity -> EbA will be one of the most effective ways of meeting challenges in Africa. -> EbA projects are cost-effective, broadly applicable, and their spread would help reduce the occurrence of food crises and face the multiple challenges of climate change.

20 Ecosystem-based Adaptation Avoiding future famines: Strengthening the ecological basis of food security through sustainable food systems -> A detailed analysis of the many factors threatening the world's food supplies and its ability to continue to generate calories and protein in the 21st century, including from fisheries. -> It also provides a series of forward-looking recommendations and remedies to the many grim scenarios that often accompany the food security debate.

21 EbA in Action National demonstration in Uganda Agroforestry and conservation agriculture project Increased soil fertility & yields Reduced time & cost in field preparations More time for diversification eg: livestock Reduced agrochemical use and improved biodiversity 75,000 people benefitted; 31,000 tree seedlings planted; surplus household income generated

22 Key messages from EbA Actions Strengthen ecosystems governance and institutions at local and national levels, including through collaborations between the public and private sectors, civil society and local communities; Value longer-term services provided by ecosystems above short-term gain;

23 Key messages from EbA Actions Incorporate environmental values into economic models in order to move towards sustainable development; and Invest in research to find optimal long-term balance between production and environmental protection.

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25 CC DARE Climate Change Adaptation and Development Programme (UNEP-UNDP partnership) Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda fast track decision-making processes for the implementation of national adaptation priorities. complement and strengthen ongoing adaptation planning and risk management activities on national priorities.

26 CC DARE Strategy 1. Country-driven actions 2. Engagement/participation 3. Fast delivery 4. Flexibility 5. Sustainability 6. Replicability 7. Monitoring and Evaluation Aligned with national priorities; action at sub-national institutions

27 The administrative procedures and bureaucratic processes characterizing government transactions caused lots of delay in project implementation and reporting when compared to NGOs, research and academic institutions and private sectors. Working with local government was considered the most crucial in achieving optimal policy influence and concrete ground implementation.

28 CC DARE Togo: small-scale fiscal stimulus action A small dam was renovated for harvesting rainwater and has improved access to water for the local communities and also expanded rural livelihood activities, e.g., market gardening, brick construction and fisheries, besides uses for domestic and agro-pastoral consumption. The co-benefits of the project action in having year-round water supply to the surrounding ecosystem include natural regeneration and restoration of biodiversity, serving as medicinal products for the households and dietary supplements for local communities.

29 CC DARE Results Using this approach, CC DARE is delivering on the following: Supporting national policy-making processes using demonstration actions Supporting local-scale decision-making and implementation actions Empowering national innovative solutions for adaptation in different sectors Building national capacity by demonstrations that provide the space for learning-by-doing Generating new knowledge build on the inherent knowledge and skills of the community

30 Barriers on mainstreaming adaptation The Republic of Togo identified: (a) inadequate knowledge and awareness of the general public on climate change, weak partnership between Central Government, Local Government, Private Sector, Civil Society Organizations and Local Communities; and (b) acute water stress especially in the northern districts of the country.

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32 The Evidence-Action Anomoly In the face of the preponderance of evidence, why is the action lagging so far behind? Complexity and interrelatedness of the issues with which we need to grapple; Decision and policy makers uncertain in dealing with uncertainties; Economic and social imperatives tend to outweigh environmental concerns; Changing global production & consumption patterns takes time; Altering collective behaviour is a daunting task.

33 Global imperative Regional adaptation Political commitment raise the profile of ecosystems in food and climate change policy settings at local, national and international levels Investment explicit inclusion of investments related to ecosystem management and ecosystem protection

34 Global imperative Regional adaptation Incentives & policies deliberate focus on introducing incentives to ease existing pressures on ecosystems and support changes that increase environmental resilience and resource sustainability Information commitment to establish comprehensive information and foster closer links between ecosystem management, climate-change mitigation and adaptation, as well as between science, education, economics, politics and policy

35 Global imperative Regional adaptation Information sharing between countries, including North-South and South-South exchanges to ensure the flow of new ideas and knowledge, and to have mutual benefit of learning by experience of implementation of new policies and practices

36 What to do about it? Towards sustainable food systems: 1. Sustainable agriculture Farm-scale Integrate! Integrated nutrient management Integrated pest management Integrated feedstock management Agroforestry Landscape Multi-purpose: Food production + wood production + recreation + housing Scaling-up The Green Economy - Invest in research & innovation - Invest 0.16% GDP to 2050 in sustainable agriculture up to 47 million new jobs and environmentally-sound agriculture (Green Economy Report) Smallholders: Rewards for ecosystem stewardship, land tenure rights Conservation agriculture now: 125 million hectares

37 What to do about it? Towards sustainable food systems: 2. Sustainable consumption and supply chains a. Reduce Food Loss and Wastage Assist small-scale farmers set up centralized produce storage, processing, Re-examine food quality standards: Expiration dates? Public education about wastage. b. Move towards a Sustainable Diet 3 kg grain = 1 kg meat; 1/3 crop area livestock In developed countries: less meat more seasonal foods c. Reorient the Food Supply Chain Encourage standard-setting within the food industry Certify and label sustainable production through p/p partnerships Include smallholders in certification and labelling programs.

38 Summing up The greatest challenge for governments and global leaders is to adjust national and international economies in line with climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts whilst maintaining ecosystem health and financial stability.

39 Acknowledgements Richard Munang & Keith Alverson

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