USAID-CIFOR-ICRAF Project Assessing the Implications of Climate Change for USAID Forestry Programs...

USAID-CIFOR-ICRAF ProjectAssessing the Implications of Climate Change for USAID Forestry Programs (2009)

Forests for adaptation

Topic 3, Section B

Learning outcomes

2

In this presentation you willlearn how ecosystem servicescontribute to human well-being.

You will also learn about the links between ecosystem services and adaptation to climate change, and ways to mainstream forests into adaptation policies.

Topic 3, Section B, slide 2 of 32

1. Ecosystem services and human well-being

2. Forests for the adaptation of society

3. Mainstreaming forests into adaptation policies

Outline


1. Ecosystem services and human well-being

Ecosystem services are benefits that people obtain from ecosystems. Three types directly contribute to human well-being:

Provisioning services (also called ecosystem goods), such as food and fuel wood

Regulating services, such as regulation of water, climate or erosion

Cultural services, such as recreational, spiritual or religious services

Supporting services are necessary for the production of other services, such as primary production, nutrient cycling and soil formation


Ecosystem services


Provisioning servicesEcosystems produce diverse goods for local people

Wood is an important economic forest commodity for many tropical countries. Fuel wood meets about 15% of energydemand in developing countries - more than 90% in 13 countries

Non-wood forest products are extremely diverse, from fodder for animals and food for people to medicines and cosmetics

• The livelihoods of 250 million to 1billion people depend on these products

• Edible forest products include bushmeat, fish and plants

• Traditional medicines and the development of modern medicines

Topic 3, Section B slide 6 of 32

Regulating servicesEcosystems provide global services They regulate the global climate and store carbon

They also provide local or regional services Purification of water, mitigation of floods and drought, detoxification and

decomposition of wastes, generation and renewal of soil, pollination of crops and natural vegetation, control of agricultural pests, dispersal of seeds, and moderation of temperature extremes and the force of winds and waves


Of particular importance in the context of climate change is the role forests play in regulating water volumes andquality

Cultural services

For many local communities, ecosystems have spiritual and religious value

Ecosystem changes can affect cultural identity and social stability

Other services, such as aesthetic, recreation and heritage, are enjoyed by local people, visitors and those for whom the ecosystem has a symbolic importance


Ecosystems and human well-being


Ecosystems and human well-beingEcosystem services influence all aspects of well-being by:

Increasing the security of people living in the vicinity, for example through the protective role played by regulating services against natural disasters

Determining incomes, food security and water availability - the basic materials for life

Preserving human health

Influencing social relations, for example by offering people the aesthetic and recreational activities and and to express cultural values if they are linked to some habitats or species

Providing freedom - the ability to decide on the kind of life to lead


Vulnerability of ecosystem services

Ecosystems are threatened by various human-inducedpressures other than climate change

Other pressures include land use change, landscape fragmentation, degradation of habitats, over-extraction of resources, pollution, nitrogen deposition and invasive species

Climate change will increase these pressures over the coming decades

This is a major concern for sustainable development

Households, local communities, local businesses and national and international organisations are all affected by the loss of ecosystem services


Levels of ecosystem services

Ecosystem services are delivered at different ecological levels. For example, carbon storage is a global service, while pollination is local. For this reason, they must be managed at different institutional levels.


2. Forests for the adaptation of society

Many aspects of well-being can be interpreted as dimensions of vulnerability to climate change


Ecosystem ServicesComponents of Vulnerability to Climate Change (Exposure, Sensitivity, Adaptive Capacity)

Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem Society

Exposure(climate change)

Adaptive capacity of the ecosystem (e.g., ability of the

ecosystem to conserve its integrity in a changing

climate)

Ecological sensitivity (e.g., effects of climate

change on flooding or the emergence of diseases)

Adaptive capacity of the society (e.g., capacity to prevent

damages from flooding or diseases)

Societal sensitivity (e.g., effects of

flooding or diseases on society)

Vulnerability of a coupled human–environment system

Supporting services

Regulating services- Disease regulation- Water regulation- Water purification

Regulating services- Climate regulation

Cultural services

Provisioning services


Ecosystem ServicesComponents of Vulnerability to Climate Change (Exposure, Sensitivity, Adaptive Capacity)

Ecosystem Services



Ecosystem

Supporting services



Cultural services


Ecosystem Society




climate)








Society

Ecosystem servicesComponents of Vulnerability to Climate Change (Exposure, Sensitivity, Adaptive Capacity)

Ecosystem Services


Supporting services



Cultural services


Ecosystem Society




climate)








Ecosystem servicesEcosystem servicesEcosystem servicesComponents of Vulnerability to Climate Change (Exposure, Sensitivity, Adaptive Capacity)

Ecosystem Services


Supporting services



Cultural services


Ecosystem Society




climate)








Ecosystem servicesComponents of Vulnerability to Climate Change (Exposure, Sensitivity, Adaptive Capacity)

Ecosystem Services


Supporting services



Cultural services


Ecosystem Society




climate)








All sectors vulnerable to climate change benefit from ecosystem services

Ecosystem Services

Vulnerable Sectors

WATER

ECO- SYSTEMS

FOOD

COASTAL AREAS

HEALTH


Exercise

For the country where you are currently working:

Identify five specific examples of ecosystem services provided by forests or trees

How do those services contribute to human-wellbeing and reduce human vulnerability to climate change?


Examples of relevant ecosystem services for vulnerable sectors


Assessing vulnerability of coupled human and environment systems The vulnerability of economic sectors depends on

the vulnerability of the ecosystems they rely on

Most vulnerability assessments use a sectoral approach, which overlooks the linkages between sectors and ecosystems.

Vulnerability assessments should:

• Deal with the vulnerabilities of both human and environment systems at the same time

• Consider the linkages between them


Climate change Other drivers of change

Vulnerability of a coupled human and environment system to the loss of ecosystem services

Ecosystem Services

Management

Adaptive capacity

SocietyEcosystem

Sensitivity

Adaptive capacity

Sensitivity

Adaptive capacity

Assessing vulnerability of coupled human and environment systems


Vulnerability of ecosystem services to climate change and other threats

Human system and its vulnerability to the loss of ecosystem services

Capacity of human systems to reduce the loss of ecosystem services

Exposure

3

1 2

Exercise

Considering a concrete example, answer the following questions:

Who benefits from ecosystem services?

Which ecosystem services are more important for people?

Which ecosystems deliver these services?

How does people’s vulnerability depend on these services?

How could ecosystem changes affect people?

What to do?


3. Mainstreaming forests into adaptation policies

In addition to mainstreaming adaptation into development, projects and programmes should include forests in adaptation strategies using two complementary approaches:

Adaptation for forests• Designing adaptation policies that encourage the adaptive

management of forests

Forests for adaptation• Recognising the role of forests in reducing societal vulnerability

and encouraging the sectors that benefit from forest ecosystem services to participate in forest adaptation.


Mainstreaming forests into adaptation policies

Forest policies

Adaptation policies Bring forests into the

adaptation arena by: Forests should be

included in National Adaptation Programmes of Action

Forests should be included in the Adaptation Fund and other financing schemes

Bring adaptation into the forest arena by: Integrate adaptation in

National Forest Programmes


Mainstreaming adaptation into forest policies

Current place of forests in adaptation policies

Forests play a secondary role - if any role at all - in adaptation policies, despite their importance. Forests are not usually a priority in National Adaptation Programmes of

Action or in National Communications. National adaptation policies propose traditional instruments without

analysing the “lessons learned” of past failures in the forest sector There has been no success so far in mainstreaming adaptation and

integrating forests There are no linkages between adaptation and political issues such as land

tenure reforms and property rights There is a lack of horizontal and vertical institutional coordination Innovative policy approaches are needed for adaptive management of

forests and for engaging other sectors that benefit from forest ecosystem services in forest adaptation.


Promoting adaptation for forests

National policies should be designed to:

Reduce non-climatic threats to forests Encourage large-scale decision making Consider climate change threats in

conservation policies Promote information sharing and

monitoring Promote partnerships in the forestry sector Strengthen local institutions by capacity

building and funding

Climate change can be a catalyst for achieving better forest management or conservation


Policies promoting forests for adaptation

Forest ecosystem services are of great importance for the livelihoods of local populations, national development and the international community

Yet, the sectors depending on forest ecosystem services are currently not involved in forest adaptation. Natural resources management is often done by stakeholders with few - if any - links with those benefiting from ecosystem services or bearing the consequences of the loss of ecosystem services.

Ecosystem-based adaptation policies should link non-forest actors with those engaged in forest management or conservation

Engaging non-forest actors can take many forms, for example, participating in decision making, capacity building, monitoring and financing using incentive-based policy instruments.


The role of policy-relevant science

Science should play a fundamental role in mainstreaming forests into adaptation policies by:

• Informing policy-makers about vulnerabilities,• Identifying response options and designing adaptation strategies

Assessment of vulnerabilities should prioritise places or sectors with the highest vulnerabilities and demonstrate how forest adaptation can contribute to reducing the vulnerability of non-forest actors

Building a policy-science dialogue is essential

Scientists must analyse structures and identify responses


ReferencesSee references in “Facing an uncertain future: How forests and people can adapt to climate change”

www.cifor.cgiar.org


http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/

Thank you for your attention

USAID-CIFOR-ICRAF Project Assessing the Implications of Climate Change for USAID Forestry Programs...

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