Climate Adaptation: The Role of Natural Infrastructure in Sustainable Development. September 22, 2011

Transcription

1 Climate Adaptation: The Role of Natural Infrastructure in Sustainable Development September 22, 2011

2 Ecosystem-Based Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation: A Global Assessment Dave Hole, Director, Conservation Priorities Science Conservation International

3 Not looking good mitigate to avoid the unmanageable and adapt to manage the unavoidable

4 What are ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation (EbA)? The use of biodiversity and ecosystem services in an overall adaptation strategy. It includes the sustainable management, conservation and restoration of ecosystems to provide services that help people adapt to the adverse effects of climate change (CBD AHTEG, 2009) EbA is appropriately implemented as part of a suite of adaptation responses including education, training, awareness-raising, and structural and engineering measures where appropriate (IUCN, 2008)

5 Examples of EbA Sustainable water management Watersheds, river basins and their associated ecosystems are natural infrastructure for coping with climate change regulating water quantity and quality for cities, agriculture and industry

6 Examples of EbA Disaster risk reduction Coastal ecosystems act as natural barriers, mitigating the impacts of increasing storm surge and coastal erosion

7 Examples of EbA Food security Agro-ecological production systems utilize ecosystems to protect water supplies, pollinate crops; indigenous farming practices incorporate adaptive knowledge of crop and livestock varieties and sustainable production

8 Global Analysis 1) What potential is there, globally, for ecosystems to help people adapt? 2) Can we identify map priority regions? Guide our global investments Explore synergies and trade-offs Highlight potential for EbA in international policy dialog

9 Defining Vulnerability Using the IPCC definition: Vulnerability is a function of Exposure Sensitivity Adaptive Capacity Many potential indicators!

10 Mapping Exposure Storm tracks (current) Sea-level rise (1m)

11 Mapping Sensitivity Using a modified version of CIESIN s Low Elevation Coastal Zones:

12 Mapping Adaptive Capacity Based on: Institutions; Markets; Economy; Education; Health

13 Mapping Coastal Vulnerability

14 Global Mangrove EbA Potential Global extent of mangrove ecosystems = 140,000km 2 Mangrove extent in regions of highest vulnerability = 45,000km 2 (in SE Asia = 30,000km 2 ) Providing coastal protection services to almost 500 million people Co-benefits Approximately 0.5 Gt of carbon stored (0.4 Gt in SE Asia)

15 Key Messages Systematic methodology for priority setting now applying across multiple development sectors Huge potential, globally, for ecosystems to help people adapt to climate change Some challenges e.g. lack of quantitative evidence base; limited data on cost-effectiveness Many advantages e.g. co-benefits; flexible in the face of alternative futures; can avoid maladaptation Ecosystem-based approaches merit a seat at the adaptation table

16 Contact Dave Hole

17 Ecosystem- Based Approaches to Adaptation in Practice Emily Pidgeon, Ph.D. Senior Director Strategic Marine Initiatives Conservation International

18 Ecosystem Based Approaches to Adaptation The use of biodiversity and ecosystem services in an overall adaptation strategy. It includes the sustainable management, conservation and restoration of ecosystems to provide services that help people adapt to the adverse effects of climate change (CBD AHTEG, 2009) Advantages - Ecosystem service cobenefits - Can address multiple CC impacts - Natural capacity to adapt to some environmental changes Challenges - Very few clear demonstrations of effective implementation - Relative costs effectiveness unclear

19 Developing Adaptation Approaches in Madagascar First Phase: Vulnerability Assessment for Biodiversity and Rural Livelihoods ( ) Second Phase: Feasibility Testing and Refining Adaptation Recommendations ( )

20 Recommended Actions Clarify land tenure Identify resilient areas to include in the marine protected area network Adopt integrated coastal zone management Create a network of marine protected areas including all habitats Restore connectivity in fragmented forests Restore and protect riverine forest corridors Conduct regular risk assessments Support climate-sensitive agricultural practices Currently working on assessing agricultural risks to smallholder farmers through a new project funded by the Gates Foundation.

21 Best Practices: Forest Restoration & Sustainable Livelihood Restoration must be based on strategies designed according to local needs and conditions Local ownership is key Training and capacity building for maintenance of nurseries and plantations Provide access to finance

22 Implementing Ecosystem Based Adaptation

23 Implementing Ecosystem Based Adaptation Vulnerability Assessment Identify impacts of climate change (physical, biological, socio economic) Identify ecosystem services that will be impacted and provide resilience or adaptation to climate change Identify priority Ecosystem based adaptation actions 2. Pilot Projects Support local governments and communities to implement EbA projects 3. Quantify success including cost effectiveness

24 Verde Island Passage, Philippines

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26 Climate Change Impacts 1. Coastal Erosion and flooding 2. Impacts and uncertainty on fisheries 3. Coral reef degradation

27 Key Recommendations Establish marine protected areas to preserve biodiversity and sustain fisheries that act as a buffer and retain regional resilience Protect natural mangrove, seagrass, and coral habitats that act as natural coastal defense mechanism reducing erosion processes and buffering storms and other extreme weather events Instigate use of best management practices for fishing on coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests Diversify livelihoods, particularly for climate change-vulnerable activities such as nature-based tourism Implement No-Take Areas and Recovery/Comparison areas around recognized upwelling zones

28 Adaptation Pilot Projects 1. Securing Coastlines Reforest priority mangrove areas Engage local stakeholders in monitoring and maintenance activities Develop policy for the reversion of abandoned aquaculture ponds to mangrove forests Capacity-building initiatives - awareness of mangrove importance - strengthen enforcement against illegal cutting Implement income diversification strategies, reduce dependence on fish ponds

29 Adaptation Pilot Projects 2. Resilience of Fishing and related Livelihoods Capacity building and policy development for adaptive fishing practices to improve local fishing efficiency. Fisheries Management Area - Protect habitats critical for climate change resilience in fish stocks Establish conservation agreements that allow for adaptive management of the fishery.

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31 What does it looks like? Finding the Softer Side of Water: Towards a Broader Vision of Water Infrastructure John Matthews, Director of Freshwater and Climate Change, Conservation International Photo x Position x: 4.36, y:.18 Photo x Position x: 8.53, y:.18

32 Function Hard Hybrid or Grey Example Flood control Levees, channelizing that harden barriers to floodwaters Wetlands hold floodwaters; agricultural diversions Yangtze; Copenhagen, DK Drought supply Storage dams Aquifer/groundwater storage, riparian wetlands Lower Danube Water supply Downstream storage Upstream headwaters protection, snowpack regulation Seattle; Bogata, CO Water treatment Large municipal facilities or untreated rural sewage Wetlands integrated with some pre/post processing Beijing, CN; Nepal

33 Click to edit Master text styles Water infrastructure: When can we hybridize? Obstacles to mixing ecosystems with built infrastructure: You can t generate electricity from wetlands Key ecosystems may seem distant or distracting Current cost-benefit analyses do not normally include ecosystem-related side effects, such as fisheries habitat and the livelihoods benefits derived from those habitats Many policy and sectoral audiences are unsure of the validity of integrating ecosystems Photo x Position x: 8.74, y:.18 Ecosystems are difficult to optimize operationally in the same way as built infrastructure They don t fit in our decision-making trees very well.

34 Click to edit Master text styles Water infrastructure: When can we hybridize? However, ecosystems have other advantages: Ecosystems tend to have a wide operational range and may not need a lot of optimization Ecosystems, especially relatively intact ecosystems, are naturally dynamic, resilient, and flexible in response to climate shifts and have endured many shifts in the past; they have a built-in set of adaptation responses that can be nurtured and reinforced Monitored appropriately, ecosystems can provide an additional means of evaluating the operational climate fit of infrastructure Photo x Position x: 8.74, y:.18 Ecosystems represent an approach to adaptation that implies facilitating change rather than minimizing change

35 Click to edit Master text styles The Rugezi Crisis: Rwanda 2004: a mild drought threatened the loss of 90 percent of the nation s electricity as a result of the destruction of the hydrological infrastructure Photo x Position x: 8.74, y:.18 Restoration of hydrological function in national wetlands Diversification of energy generation, including more carbon-intensive (but reliable) sources Shifting of land tenure system to protect fragile wetlands Greater emphasis on irrigation over precip-fed agriculture Restitution of national water monitoring Three of four elements in the NAPA focus on flexible IWRM as a vehicle for adaptation Source: 2011 REMA report by Matthews et al. for the GEF.

36 Leaders in Exploring Hybrid Approaches The Netherlands (national and provincial government, Deltares) Room for the river program Colombia (CI, Bogota municipal government) urban-rural PES system Middle Yangtze - TNC + Three Gorges Corp Middle & Lower Yangtze - WWF- China Financial and environmental flows, restoring floodplain wetlands for flood, drought control Pangani river, Tanzania - IUCN, basin authority, national government Robust climate-adaptive IWRM institutional framework

37 Convene Cross-fertilize Promote Implement Serve as a platform for the best thinking and practices around climate and water Develop synergies between engineering, eco-hydrological science, economics, and operations. Use our network to reach all of the water community Influence projects on the ground the World Bank rep: Diego Rodriguez

38 Click to edit Master text styles Additional Resources FlowingForward.org. A World Bank WPP report, prepared in Future of the Pangani Basin Report, IUCN.org. Matthews, J., A.J. Wickel, and S. Freeman Converging Currents in Climate-resilient Conservation. PLoS Biology 9(9). AdaptationAction.org interviews with thought leaders in climate adaptation ClimateChangeWater.org global policy, science, and practice around water and climate change issues Alliance4Water.org home for the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA) Photo x Position x: 8.74, y:.18 j.matthews@conservation.org AdaptationAction.org ClimateChangeWater.org Alliance4Water.org

39 Thank You