COP 21 Side-event «The relevance of soils for climate change mitigation and adaptation» Tuesday 1 December from 16:30 to 18:00 (room «Brussels»)

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1 Practical work on improving management of organic soils in temperate region (permafrost, peatlands, pasturelands in Caucasus) benefitting climate, ecosystems and people, as demonstrated by Clima East COP 21 Side-event «The relevance of soils for climate change mitigation and adaptation» Tuesday 1 December from 16:30 to 18:00 (room «Brussels») 1

2 Clima East Pilots include 8 pilot projects in 7 countries Project duration: Funding: 11 million from the European Commission with additional cofunding from UNDP in some pilot countries 2

3 - Peat soils are the world s richest carbon soils, which at the same time are the most prone to release of carbon when exposed to degradation - Peatlands cover more than 8% of Russia's territory 7.9% of Belarus and vast areas in Ukraine Clima East Pilots test various methods to improve conditions of peatlands, develop management actions to maintain favourable actions to secure peat soil potential for carbon sequestration - Increased pressures from climate change (more extreme temperatures, reduction in rainfall) intensify affects in vulnerable pasturelands - Wind and water erosion and soil impoverishment further caused through over-grazing Clima East Pilots introduce improved land management practises and support activities to communities to reduce CC impact on land and improve human resilience against the effects of CC 3

4 Southern Russia peatlands in forest steppe and steppe regions Peatlands are not large but especially important under sub humid conditions as in forest steppe zone. They store large amount of carbon which is very vulnerable under high temperatures and human pressure. Protection and restoration measures will mitigate climate change, support local hydrology and biodiversity far beyond their borders. 4

5 Ukraine cleaning of the main channel of the combined irrigation-drainage in Smolianka This work will result in reducing health risks of negative CC impacts for 7,000; 2,800 ha of peatlands with reduced risk of catastrophic fire 5

6 In Belarus bushes and tree vegetation are removed on the territory of 143 ha in Sporava and Zvanec reserves. 35 t of grass vegetation and 470 t of wood are harvested as a result and will be further processed into fuel pellets and chip for energy purposes. 6

7 Northern Russia permafrost peatlands The pilot in Northern Russia is aimed on permafrost peatlands which are the most common carbon rich ecosystems in the Arctic. Оbserving climate change induced changes, monitoring GHG emissions in natural and disturbed sites and introducing solutions for ecological restoration will support to maintain water balance, prevent surface erosion, protect and enhance soil carbon accumulation.

8 Pasture ecosystems in Azerbaijan are vulnerable to climate change impacts. Increasing anthropogenic impact as a result of mismanagement and overgrazing of pastures only doubles the problem. Clima East is assessing the problem and looking for possible adequate adaptation actions for pasture ecosystems. 8

9 Moldova planting on the 40 hectares of degraded lands in Peresecina village from Orhei National Park 9

10 Armenia forest restoration (new forest belt) pilot site in Tsovak community. The pilot in Armenia is dealing with both forest and pasture restoration in order to improve conditions for carbon accumulation in soil and vegetation and adaptation to CC impacts in mountain ecosystems. 10

11 Georgia Significant degraded area (480 ha) migratory route within Vashlovani National Park used to access water Work centers around degraded territories which have developed so due to climate change and intensive agricultural use (pastures). The emphasis is to address issues through management plans, thus improving the capacities of communities to improve their resilience to adaptation 11

12 IPCC 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Provides general guidance for different land categories including pastures and wetlands IPCC 2014, 2013 Supplement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Wetlands Provides more specific guidance for wetlands (with special attention to peatlands) Clima East Pilots are applying IPCC guidance to estimate carbon storage in the pilots areas in order to improve data and information on peatlands and pastures in the region 12

13 Data obtained by Clima East Pilots clearly indicate that through peatland protection and restoration we can mitigate loss of soil carbon and mitigate climate change CO 2 Balance vs GWL Greenhouse gases (CO 2, CH 4,) flux measurements on different drained and wet peatlands in forest steppe in Republic of Bashkortostan (Southern European Russia) 13

14 Ukraine degraded agricultural land. As a result of the pilot, information on emissions from organic soils are included in the national inventory as 160,000 t/co2 equivalent emissions sequestered or avoided over a 20-year period. Improved understanding of peatland carbon cycle applicable to 300,000 ha of peatlands. Regional landscape park Nizhynskiy established to result in 6,100 ha of peatlands with improved status; 35 key species with reduced threats or improved status. Established cooperative Chernigovshchyna ecological will support improvement of 1,600 ha of pastureland; 9 households with direct economic benefit as initial members of cooperative; 150 households with indirect benefits based on work of cooperative in three villages. 14

15 Belarus degraded peatland territory Harvesting and processing of excessive reeds, shrubby and woody biomass for subsequent production of heating briquettes and pellets is one of the best ecosystem-based climate mitigation approaches that can be implemented at peatlands. This prevents spontaneous peatland fires with subsequent release of carbon accumulated in the soil giving retention of fen peatland carbon capacity at 360 tc/ha and gives alternative fuel source avoiding emissions of 15.6 tco2-eq/ha/year. 15

16 Protection of Forest Peatland Ecosystems on Permafrost could protect both permafrost and carbon storage mitigating climate change Komi Republic (Northern European Russia) Forest and peatland pools protection through developing Specially Protected Areas Fire prevention and protection

17 Testing restoration experiments of permafrost peatlands in Nenets Autonomous Region (Northern European Russia) Keeping water in Surface erosion prevention Enhancing organic accumulation

18 The results of work in Armenia is the rehabilitation of over 25 ha of degraded natural forests, establishment of 34 ha of new forest belts and support measures for natural regeneration of 7 ha of degraded forest. Sampling and lab analysis of soil, timber and other forest vegetation has been conducted to obtain data on carbon stock in soil (including pastures) and mountain forests. 18

19 Georgia work with pilot farms to increase adaptation and decrease level of degradation The work in Georgia on soils in agriculture includes: - Installation of natural flow based water supply system with 2 watering points - direct impact on 8 farms; - Water supply system in-place for farms adjacent to the Vashlovani national park using territory for watering (3 watering points, impact on 8 farms) - meteorological monitoring stations installed to track weather events and changes in climate conditions 19

20 In Moldova monitoring activities on 500 ha of restored pasture lands showed that the average quantity of the carbon is 58,7 t/ha with the productivity of 2,16 tones of hay per hectare. Estimations was based on the average quantity from 70 plots which were collected during 2014 year. Sampling and lab analysis of soil and vegetation will be conducted in 2016 year in order to assess the progress on carbon stock in soil, species composition and pasture productivity. 20

21 baijan community tree nursery established to produce seedlings indigenous species seeds, grown near the site by locals for inability. Increasing capacity in pasture management will reduce re erosion in Azerbaijan. Along with this, pasture restoration s increase adaptive capacity of local pasture users which creates ibilities of replication of similar actions in future. 21

22 Further implementation Currently the Clima East Pilots project is a little more than half way through implementation of the project (to be finalized at the end of 2016, latest mid-2017) Contribution to IPCC: Working on systemizing carbon work to produce information on carbon value of pastures and peatlands on the practical level in these territories; Pilot communities dependent on the quality of soil and land: Through various management and engineering solutions will improve resilience to adapt to climate change Peatlands, forests, pastures: Knowledge and scientific data on specific ecosystems and their carbon pool potential will be increased to facilitate improved management Agricultural sector: awareness of linkages to climate change improved in the Clima East Pilots countries and practices on land management introduced to reduce impacts on soil and land 22

23 For further information is available on the website: or for individual contacts or specific information from specific pilots, please contact 23