Download - Climate Change and Poverty
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Climate Change, BiologicalDiversity and Poverty,
THE LINK
PRESENTED AT
National Stakeholders Workshop onCommunity Based Adaptation to
Climate Change
Alagie MANJANG
Department of Parks and Wildlife Management
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OUTLINE
Understanding the key Terminologies
Facts on Climate Change, Biodiversity andPoverty
Understanding the linkages betweenClimate Change, Biodiversity & Poverty
What Can Be Done
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Understanding Key Terms
In the context ofenvironmental policy,
the term "climatechange" is often usedto refer only to theongoing changes in
modern climate,including the averagerise in surfacetemperature known asglobal warming
Climate Change
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Global_warminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Global_warming -
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Biodiversity is the variety of all life, from genes to
species that form the complex interactions of life andhabitats that make up ecosystems
Biodiversity
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Poverty is not going emptyfor a single day and gettingsomething to eat the nextday. Poverty is goingempty with no hope for thefuture.
POVERTY
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Facts on Climate Change, Biodiversity andPoverty The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) fourthassessment report states that thenext two decades, about 0.2 C ofwarming per decade is projected
Some 20 to 30 per cent of plant and animal speciesassessed are at risk of extinction if the rise in globalaverage temperatures exceeds 2-3 C.
Knock-on effects Includes:Sea level rise of more than
50 centimetres by 2100.
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Many areas of Africa are among the most variable inthe world on seasonal and decadal time scale .
Floods and drought can happen in the same areawithin months of each other
Leading to famine and wide spread disruption of
socio-economic well being.
People living in poor countries are disproportionatelyvulnerable to the loss of biodiversity and reducedecosystem services.
Facts Cont
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Facts Cont
Reports indicatesone third of African
peoplealready live in drought prone areas and 220 millionare exposed to drought each year.
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Biodiversity is key to how well people can adapt toclimate change, how effectively landscapes absorband store carbon, and how effective vegetation andecosystems are in reducing the adverse impacts of
climate change
Facts Cont
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The over exploitation of land resources includingforest, population increase, desertification and land
degradation are compounding the problem.
Climate change is already an added stress to habitats,
species and ecosystems, it can trigger species migration,and lead to habitat reduction. Up to 50% of Africa totalbiodiversity is at risk due to reduced habitats
Sea level rise can threaten lagoons and mangrovesforest of both eastern and western Africa.
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Poor countries and their people depend heavily on climate-sensitive sectors and natural resources..
These include agriculture, fisheries, water supply, animal
husbandry, forestry and tourism.
This dependence means the impact of climate and other
environmental changes on biodiversity and ecosystemservices poses a real threat to the livelihoods, food security
and health of the poor.
The Vital Link
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Biodiversity is intimately linked to the earthsclimate and inevitably to climate change as it is
the foundation for the natural processes of climateregulation.
Biodiversity and poverty are also inextricablyconnected
Changes to ecosystems influence both the climate andpeoples ability to cope with its adverse impacts.In return, climate change and peoples responses to it,
affect biodiversity.
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Understanding these inter-relationships clearlyshows that conserving and managing biodiversityprotects the resilience of natural systems and sohelps all people, particularly the most vulnerable,
to cope with a shifting global climate.
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So the need to adapt to climate change impacts isinevitable
What Can Be Done
It is already happening across theglobe
People use natural resources and biodiversity,
including genetic diversity, as part of the adaptation
process.
For instance, wild relatives of food crops are used to
breed new varieties that can cope with changing
conditions
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Farmers may plant crop varieties resistant to floods,
drought or saline conditions
Conserved ecosystems offer many other services vitalfor adapting to climate change. E.G Wetlands are
important reservoirs for floodwater.
Vegetation used as live hedges protects agriculturalland from excessive water or wind erosion in times of
heavy rainfall or drought
Biodiversity conservation and the maintenance ofecosystem integrity are Therefore central to Improving
the ability of the poor to cope with climate change
What Can Be Done Cont
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Mangroves are coastal buffers renowned fordissipating the energy of waves braking onshoreand therefore protecting against cyclone damageto coasts and seaside communities
ACTION NOW !!!
Coastal protection
Sea walls and infrastructuredesigned to protect coastal areas
from rising sea level and extremeweather events.
The rehabilitation of coastal mangroves havens for biodiversity
NO
YES
What Can Be Done Cont
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Boosting
agriculturaland rangeland
productivity
common approach to droughts or
floodsresulting from climate change is tboth provide aid and attempt toincrease agricultural production
by usingmore intensive farming methods
soil and water conservation,cover cropping to ensure land wasnever bare, integratedpest management, and reduced or
zero grazing
NO
YES
What Can Be Done Cont
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Protected areas
With biodiversity under threat fromclimate change, some are calling forthe establishment ofprotected areas, as havens for
species at risk
PROTECTED AREAS play animportant role in sequestering carbonas well as supporting sustainablenatural resource use, local livelihoodsand biodiversity conservation
What Can Be Done Cont
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