Transcript Document

Climate Change & Resilient Ecosystems
Securing ecosystem services for human well-being
E-parliament hearing, Mabula Lodge, South Africa 12-13 April 2008
What legislators can do for the sustainable use of
THE DRYLANDS
Dr. Juliane Zeidler, IECN, Namibia
What is special about drylands?
• Naturally arid climates, prevailing droughts are
normal
• Water is scarce and often the limited factor for
sustainable development o f drylands
• Traditionally, people mainly live on livestock
(pastoralists), game and some plants and fruits relatively low impact
• Agriculture depends heavily on water - drylands
agriculture is seldom sustainable and requires
high inputs
• Biodiversity is uniquely adapted to the climatic
and environmental conditions
Map of world drylands
Did you know ….
• That drylands occupy approximately 50% of the
Earth’s land surface around the world? (excl. the
Arctic and certain Tundra areas)
• That about 70% of the drylands worldwide are
affected land degradation and loss of biodiversity?
• That all drylands are faced with climate change
impacts and have to adapt to them accordingly?
• That more than 35% of the world’s population is
living in drylands, many directly depending on natural
resources and biodiversity for their daily survival –
food, water & health?
• That a majority of people living in drylands are living
poverty?
A majority of people living in
drylands are living in poverty:
people’s development and ecosystem
objectives need to be addressed
together!
CC Risks and Impacts to be
expected
(a) Increase in temperature; reduced rainfall
(b) Increased rainfall; increased temperature
(c) Increased rainfall
(d) More extreme events (droughts & floods)
(e) Changes in growing season; ecosystem shifts
CCA action areas
(a) Water resources
(b) Food security and agriculture
(c) Health
(d) Disaster preparedness and risk management
(e) Infrastructure
(f) Natural resources management
(g) Community level adaptation
Some policy
responses: Case
examples
Some case studies from Africa
1. Namibia: Wildlife as drylands compatible
land use
2. Eritrea: Options for water usage and range
development
1. Namibia: Wildlife as drylands
compatible land use
A Growing Land Management
Option: CBNRM & Wildlife
• 50 Conservancies
gazetted to date
• ~118,276 km2 (13%
of Namibia’s land
mass) now falls
within communal
area conservancies
• 212,000 people
living in
conservancies
Results – Game Populations
Results – Economic Impacts
CBNRM Program Benefits 1994 - 2006
Year
Conservancy / Enterprise Committee Income
Conservancy Non-Financial Benefits
NR-based Household/Wage Income
06
20
05
20
04
20
03
20
02
20
01
20
00
20
99
19
98
19
97
19
96
19
95
19
19
94
28,000,000
24,000,000
20,000,000
16,000,000
N$
12,000,000
8,000,000
4,000,000
0
Source of Benefits - 2005
CBNRM Program 2005 - Source of Benefits
Thatching Grass
11%
Interest Earned
Ow n Use Game
1%
5%
Live Game Sale
1%
Campsites/CBTEs
26%
Game Meat Dist.
4%
Crafts
3%
Trophy Hunting
12%
Joint Venture Tourism
36%
2. Eritrea: Options for water usage
and range development
Some key policy option
areas
Some key policy option areas
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Community Empowerment and strengthening of
adaptive capacities incl. Community-based Natural
Resources Management (CBNRM)
Appropriate and compatible land uses
Safeguards: SEA/EIAs; feasibility assessments;
“red flags”
Mainstreaming CC and drylands concerns into key
national development policies; focus on adaptation
Reducing carbon emissions: SLM, sustainable
energies and energy efficiency, watershed
management and conservation