Climate Change and Poverty

8/3/2019 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



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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



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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



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Climate Change and Poverty