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30 November 2012

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Forests, desertification and climate change in Sudan

A delay in key decisions at Doha could see REDD+ lose its climate change focus

out reach.

contents.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

OUTREACH EDITORIAL TEAMOUTREACH IS PUBLISHED BY:

Stakeholder Forum is an international organisation working to advance sustainable development and promote democracy at a global level. Our work aims to enhance open, accountable and participatory international decision-making on sustainable development and climate change through enhancing the involvement of stakeholders in intergovernmental processes. For more information, visit: www.stakeholderforum.org

Outreach is a multi-stakeholder publication on climate change and sustainable development. It is the longest continually produced stakeholder magazine in the sustainable development arena, published at various international meetings on the environment; including the UNCSD meetings (since 1997), UNEP Governing Council, UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) and World Water Week. Published as a daily edition, in both print and web form, Outreach provides a vehicle for critical analysis on key thematic topics in the sustainability and climate change arenas, giving a voice to individuals and organisations from all stakeholder groups. To fully ensure a multi-stakeholder perspective, we aim to engage a wide range of stakeholders for article contributions and project funding.

If you are interested in contributing to Outreach, please contact the team (acutter@stakeholderforum.org or jcornforth@stakeholderforum.org ) You can also follow us on Twitter: @stakeholders

Tariq Al-Olaimy AYCM Coordinator for the Kingdom of Bahrain

Talaat Dafalla Abdel Magid University of Bahri

Angel Hsu Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy

Bruno Maia, Luisa Santiago Earth Childand Maria Fernanda Gebara Institute

Jay Mistry Royal Holloway University

Catriona Moss Center for International Forestry Research

Mboneko Munyaga Journalist, Tanzania

Tore Nankoris You and I Kenya

Wouter Veening Institute for Environmental Security

Jian-Chao Wang British Council Climate Champion

Gerda Wolfrum International Union of Forest Research Organizations

Editor Amy Cutter Stakeholder Forum

Editorial Assistant Jack Cornforth Stakeholder Forum

Editorial Advisor Farooq Ullah Stakeholder Forum

Print Designer Faye Arrowsmith www.flogo-design.co.uk

Web Designer Matthew Reading-Smith Stakeholder Forum

1 Opportunities and risks of REDD+ actions for forest biodiversity, carbon and people

2 Forests, desertification and climate change in Sudan

3 Community-owned solutions in the Guiana Shield forests

4 A delay in key decisions at Doha could see REDD+ lose its climate change focus

5 Can a new smartphone App hold leaders more accountable in the Doha climate talks?

6 Diminishing forests in Kenya

7 Empowering children and youth to deal with climate change: An exchange case between the states of Amazonas and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

8 When earth supports life no more

9 COP18 side event calendar

10 Reflections from COP18, Thursday 29 November

pic: Arian Zwegers

7

3

6

COP 18 | DAY 5

1

The loss of forest to deforestation

is the second largest source of

carbon dioxide emissions generated

by humans. Actions under REDD+ (the

Climate Convention’s mechanism for

reducing greenhouse gas emissions from

deforestation and forest degradation,

and enhancing forest carbon stocks in

developing countries) focus primarily

on carbon goals, and might disregard

biodiversity and social implications.

A new report published by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), the world’s largest network of forest scientists, points out that forest and land management intervention undertaken in the framework of REDD+ will only succeed in the long run if they go beyond mere carbon calculations and include biodiversity goals and social considerations as well.

More than 60 scientists from around the world collaborated on the peer-reviewed publication entitled “Understanding Relationships between Biodiversity, Carbon, Forests and People: The Key to Achieving REDD+ Objectives. A Global Assessment Report", which was coordinated by IUFRO on behalf of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF). The report, together with a policy brief, will be formally presented on Forest Day 6, 2nd December 2012, from 13:30 – 14:30, in the Al-Areen Ballroom (1, 2 & 3), Renaissance Doha City Center Hotel.

“The study comes at a crucial point in time as climate negotiators and forest stakeholders ponder ways to move forward with REDD+ agreements reached at the previous climate summit in Durban. The goals, to secure social and environmental benefits, good governance and long-term financing, are critically important", said Alexander Buck, executive director of IUFRO.

While REDD+ actions can provide clear benefits, it is not always easy to predict or measure all impacts of such interventions on carbon and biodiversity, as they are dependent on a variety of factors. “There is no one-size-fits-all solution to forest loss and degradation. Impacts of REDD+ interventions are likely to vary significantly across different forest types and landscape conditions. These impacts may occur outside the area of management or in the future, and they can also evolve over time", said John Parrotta, an IUFRO scientist with the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the chair of the Global Forest Expert Panel on Biodiversity, Forest Management and REDD+, which prepared the report. "Therefore, every REDD+ project should be designed to best fit the characteristics of the forest and surrounding landscape at hand."

The report also points out that the way in which REDD+ is implemented will determine its social and economic impacts. In many countries in tropical and subtropical regions the people who are most dependent on the forest are also often the most vulnerable. “There is clear evidence that including objectives to improve the livelihoods of forest-dependent people and local communities will strengthen local involvement and acceptance, and thereby support REDD+ goals”, said Christoph Wildburger, the coordinator of IUFRO’s Global Forest Expert Panels (GFEP) initiative. "Socio-economic impacts should thus be considered early on in REDD+ planning and implementation."

Moreover, as the effects of REDD+ interventions are likely to go beyond their immediate surroundings, an integrated landscape management approach will be most useful to define and address resulting trade-offs between environmental, social and economic factors and to ensure that the interests of the most vulnerable groups are adequately considered. This approach, together with regionally customised strategies that involve all stakeholders, is key to reconciling the many environmental, social and economic aspects relevant to REDD+.

MORE INFOThe IUFRO is the only worldwide organisation devoted to forest research and related sciences. Its members are research institutions, universities, and individual scientists as well as decision-making authorities and other stakeholders with a focus on forests and trees.

The IUFRO-led GFEP initiative of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) established the Expert Panel on Biodiversity, Forest Management, and REDD+ with the aim to provide a comprehensive assessment of scientific knowledge regarding the relationship between biodiversity, forest management and REDD+.

www.iufro.org/science/gfep/biodiv-forman-redd-panel/report

Opportunities and risks of REDD+ actions for forest biodiversity, carbon and peopleGerda WolfrumInternational Union of Forest Research Organizations

pic: Angela Marie

2

COP 18 | DAY 5

Trees and forests in Sudan help

maintain the soil and water resource

base, as well as the ecological

balance essential to food and

agricultural production.

Gum Arabic, which is obtained from Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal, is the most important Non-Wood Forest Product (NWFP) in the Sudanese economy, both as a cash earner for farmers and as a foreign exchange source for the country. It provides employment for approximately 2.5 million of the rural people in the Gum Belt of the country during the dry season, when other cash-earning opportunities are scarce. Trees and forests comprise the main source of energy at low cost. Most of the energy consumed in the Sudan (about 80%) is obtained from the trees, used by all segments of the population. Forest products provide the foundation of many local and national economies in addition to ecological and social services.

The supposed ‘development’ of the country’s agricultural sector, through the unremitting, unplanned or illegal expansion in mechanised farming activities, and also of forestry, in which government protection of reserves – including preventing people from entering certain forest areas – have together led to overgrazing, deterioration and degradation of land and other natural resources both inside and outsides reserves. Mechanised farming has had devastating effects in eastern Sudan, swallowing up traditional cultivation lands and livestock grazing areas, devastating the forest wealth. Oil operations since the 1980s have also had an injurious impact both on the environment and on rural people’s livelihoods. Oil facilities (drilling sites, pipelines and roadbeds) were planned and built without giving enough consideration to the impact on local livelihoods.

NWFPs for food and medicines have been recognised as forest-related priorities for climate adaptation strategies. The importance of governance underpins the effective integration of forest and climate change objectives. Integrating climate change objectives in government and community-based forest programmes will generate further benefits and livelihood opportunities as stipulated by the Sudan Draft National Forest Policy Statement 2006.

A 2007 UNEP study determined a ‘baseline climate’ for North and South Kordofan, Sudan, using rainfall and temperature data from 1961 to 1990. A range of global warming scenarios were then modeled to predict changes in temperature and rainfall from the baseline to the years 2030 and 2060. The climate model results indicated a 0.5 to 1.5°C rise in the average annual temperature and an approximate 5% drop in rainfall, though results varied across the study area. These findings were then used to project the scale of potential changes in crop yields for sorghum, millet and gum arabic. The final results are

Forests, desertification and climate change in SudanTalaat Dafalla Abdel MagidUniversity of Bahri, Sudan

alarming: the crop models show a potentially disastrous decline in crop production for Northern Kordofan and lesser, but significant, drops further south.

A reduction in the destruction of forests is one of the primary means of preventing the potentially catastrophic scenario projected in the UNEP study. This can be realised by an increase in the sustainable and economically viable use of forest resources, and a closer harmony between forestry and other forms of land use, particularly agriculture. Since the formulation of a number of national forestry acts and institutions, from 1986 onwards, a number of significant changes have taken place within Sudan’s forestry sector, and thus also its operating and societal environment. It is, therefore, essential for the Forests National Corporation (FNC), as the focal point for the forestry sector, to realise and interact with these changes by making the best use of emerging opportunities and also adapting to challenges and threats endangering the sector’s very existence.

Collaborative forest management in different natural forests in Sudan symbolises a progressive shift towards state recognition of the interdependence between the safety of forests and the welfare of the local people whose lives and livelihoods remain dependent on them. Systematic changes from government authorities are required to increase benefit sharing with forest communities and give local people the support and confidence to become more involved in forest conservation and rehabilitation. These factors are essential to the achievement of effective, long-term and community-controlled systems of forest protection.ABOUT THE AUTHORDr. Talaat Dafalla Abdel Magid is from the College of Natural Resources - University of Bahri, Sudan and is Chief Editor of the Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies

pic: Usamah Mohammed

COP 18 | DAY 5

3

As talks at COP18 in Doha take place

on REDD+ and other forms of climate

change mitigation and adaptation,

further discussions need to be focused

on identifying and supporting solutions

that come from the grassroots.

Established community-owned solutions for the management of ecosystem services, including carbon, have the potential to act as showcases for the world and help determine the most effective and efficient use of emerging funding streams, in order to maximise social justice and ecological sustainability.

The Guiana Shield, stretching between the Colombian Amazon, Venezuela, the three Guianas and the adjacent areas of Brazil, contains 250 million hectares of pristine forest. It is characterised by the highest density of forest cover and lowest rate of deforestation on the planet, which is in stark contrast to the devastating deforestation evident in the southern and western parts of the Amazon basin. The region also contains 10-15% of the world’s fresh water reserves and is home to an extremely rich diversity of plants and animals, most of which are unique to the region.

Most importantly, the region is still largely inhabited by thriving indigenous communities, whose knowledge and skills are indispensable for effective conservation of the region. Yet, indigenous peoples have different degrees of national recognition amongst the six countries of the Shield, with Colombia being exemplary in this regard. The international regimes recognising the titles and roles of indigenous communities (International Labour Organisation Convention 169, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human rights, and the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent ) are either poorly ratified or non-binding, which means that land tenure rights (in practice) differ among the countries.

This has consequences for the REDD+ negotiations in Doha, as land tenure rights are related to forest carbon rights, where national governments as negotiating Parties may claim that the forest carbon as a basis for benefits (and liabilities!) under a future REDD+ arrangement, are a national asset, thus imposing limitations on local communities’ ways of ensuring their livelihoods. In addition, for countries willing to provide funding for REDD+, a strict Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system to assess forest carbon maintenance or changes is a conditio sine qua non to disburse funding. Local indigenous peoples will be at the heart of this monitoring, as is already being seen in some Guiana Shield countries, such as Brazil and Guyana. It is therefore crucial that the local indigenous communities – either as direct contract partners in REDD+ projects or as partners in national REDD+ programmes –

are enabled to establish and protect their land titles and participate optimally in the new arrangements.

However, although land rights is an urgent priority, decision-makers also need to understand that simply allocating land rights is not going to solve all outstanding issues of policy implementation. There are concerns and doubts regarding whether local indigenous peoples have the knowledge, skills and capacity to deal with the complex demands of higher level policy procedures and rules. A key aspect of any REDD+ implementation must be an understanding and an engagement with local cultures and practices and the incorporation of these into policy-making.

An innovative project using visual methods: “Local solutions for future challenges: Community Owned Best practice for sustainable Resource Adaptive management in the Guiana Shield, South America” (COBRA) is engaging with indigenous communities in the Guiana Shield forests that have well established community-owned processes in order to learn how, and under what conditions, they have created and enforced original rules that have led to, or are currently leading to, successful and sustainable social-ecological governance models. This can support rights-based approaches and other cross regional initiatives such as the Guiana Shield Initiative (www.guianashield.org), which has trained communities in the use and field verification of satellite-based imagery of their lands. The COBRA project has enabled the full participation of communities through the use of visual recording and dissemination techniques, including participatory photography and video.

Through these accessible communication models, it is hoped that decision-makers at all levels will be able to engage and support community owned solutions for the sustainable management of forest ecosystem services in the Guiana Shield, and beyond.MORE INFOj.mistry@rhul.ac.ukwww.projectcobra.org

Community-owned solutions in the Guiana Shield forestsJay Mistry Wouter VeeningRoyal Holloway University, UK Institute for Environmental Security, Netherlands

Emerald Tree Boa in French Guiana, by: cliff1066™

4

COP 18 | DAY 5

While significant progress is being made

at the local level to move ahead with an

international scheme to reduce carbon

emissions via decreasing deforestation

(REDD+), countries at the Doha UNFCCC

climate summit need to “think big on

emissions targets and funding” to ensure

the scheme does not lose its focus, say

leading climate change experts.

“I don’t think there is a lot of political will at the moment to make significant emission reductions commitments. Politicians in the US have not educated the population on the issue or explained what would be accomplished in the long-term by accepting economic sacrifice now. So there is little popular support for action", said Louis Verchot, a leader of forests and climate change research at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).

"If these big players are willing to get involved, then other countries will be willing to take on firm emissions reductions and to commit financially.”

Deforestation and forest degradation account for about 12% of global emissions, so keeping trees standing is an action that forest-rich countries can undertake to significantly reduce their emissions.

REDD+, a scheme that will see funds channelled to developing countries, has emerged as a key strategy in efforts to mitigate against climate change.

Over 340 REDD projects are being carried out across 52 countries around the world, the majority of which have been driven by sub-national governments who have been making significant strides despite the recent negotiations stalemate.

This week negotiators from 193 countries across the globe will meet in Doha at the COP18 to continue discussion on how to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions responsible for climate change.

Doha will be the last chance for many developed countries to commit to a second round of emissions reductions under the Kyoto Protocol, which has been extended to 2017.

As an emissions reduction mechanism, REDD+ is not recognised under the Kyoto Protocol, however there has been a strong push to include the scheme in the new climate deal under the Durban Platform.

Progress on an overarching climate agreement at Doha hoped to encourage REDD+ funding

Brokered by the US and hailed as one of the few

successes of last year’s climate conference, the Durban Platform will encourage both developed and developing countries to set and commit to GHG reduction targets by 2015, be met by 2020.

However a key factor is whether the superpowers in terms of GHG emissions – the U.S. and China – will set an example for others and sign up to an emissions reductions agreement. Verchot, however, is sceptical:

“For China, there will likely be no movement unless the U.S. goes first. Without the support of the U.S. and China, there is little incentive for other countries to move.”

Finance has to be linked to an overall agreement, Verchot said. The demand for emissions reductions will be tied to national commitments. Whether REDD functions as an offset or a national action by developing countries, it is unlikely to mobilise adequate funds and resources to fulfil its mandate without emissions reductions targets.

Although developing countries have seen some of the US$4.5 billion pledged by donor countries for REDD+ readiness activities over the last two years, disbursements have been slow. According to a recent report, the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) has only disbursed 8% of its funds since 2008 and the UN-REDD programme has disbursed only 20% of its funding to date.

While bilateral funding, private investment and forest bonds were discussed as alternative sources of long term funding at Durban, decisions at Doha will need to focus on ‘who pays?’ for climate mitigation activities here and now. Whether developed countries or emerging economies contribute most of the cash will also be significant to get funds flowing into the Green Climate Fund – the only long term climate financing mechanism in place.

These decisions are needed, says Verchot, if countries are to feel reassured that their huge investment in REDD will pay off.

“Without the long term guarantee of investment, why would countries build new institutions, invest in training personnel, reorganise their ministries and technical offices to respond to a programme that may be over in two or three years time?”

A year for learning from the experiences of REDD+ countries

Despite the future uncertainty over emissions reductions and finance at Doha, national and sub-national governments have already been looking to other sources of funding and implementing their own mitigation activities, said Verchot.

“An awful lot has been put in place sub-nationally. Money is beginning to flow and policy processes are being undertaken and institutional change is happening.”

A delay in key decisions at Doha could see REDD+ lose its climate change focusCatriona Moss, Center for International Forestry Research

COP 18 | DAY 5

5

Despite the lack of leadership from the U.S. federal government, many American states have joined together to create mechanisms to reduce GHG emissions, such as the Western Climate Initiative, North America 2050, and California’s cap and trade programme.

And emerging economies are also implementing policy and legislation that is having a positive impact on emissions reductions independently of the UNFCCC. In Brazil for example, the state governments of Mato Grosso and Pará have been working towards developing REDD+ projects, while Acre hopes to link its pilot project to an international cap and trade programme. This has contributed to deforestation rates in Brazil being slashed by over 70% between 2004 and 2011.

Tony la Vina, UNFCCC negotiator for the Philippines and REDD facilitator, said: “This is a year for learning from the experiences of REDD+ countries.”

While such bilateral agreements are allowing many countries to move ahead with REDD+ projects and demonstration activities, in many cases such funding has come with its own set of development objectives that could compromise the focus of REDD+ as a climate change mitigation tool.

"In some places, we are already seeing REDD+ projects focused more on meeting development objectives in order to access alternative funding sources.”

In the absence of climate funding, will REDD+ become just another development project?

According to a recent CIFOR publication Analysing REDD+,

two-thirds of REDD+ funding has already come from developed country aid budgets alone, where objectives are strongly focused on economic development and poverty alleviation.

“There is no doubt that REDD+ must meet development objectives, but without emissions reductions commitments from the big players like US and China, the big funding won’t be coming in for REDD+ anytime soon," said Verchot.

“These are, of course, very nice objectives, but it is part of this dilution or pulverising of the original REDD+ objectives and the REDD+ idea, which is to reduce carbon emissions,” says Arild Angelsen, an environmental economist with CIFOR, Professor at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the book’s main editor.

Furthermore, although development projects and REDD projects are designed differently, they do have similarities, which could mean that programmes labeled as ‘REDD+’ could in fact become more development orientated and lose their emissions reduction focus.

“Agencies that are on the ground implementing REDD are already finding themselves in an awkward position. If they move forward with the REDD+ idea and create expectations that can’t be met they will lose the confidence of the communities that they are serving. They may feel the need to look at alternative development models that do not have the reduced emission impact,” said Verchot.MORE INFOCIFOR overview of REDD+ map: http://bit.ly/usPK9a CIFOR publication, Analysing REDD+: http://bit.ly/Ms35Cn

Will anyone be following the latest round of global climate negotiations that began this week in Doha, Qatar? Expectations for the talks are already dismally low, as only incremental steps toward a new climate deal to be decided by 2015 are hoped to be made. Major political transitions between the world's two largest emitters of global-warming inducing gases – China and the U.S. – mean that we cannot expect much by way of greatly-needed game-changing proposals in Doha. So what are the more than 7,000 civil society members and 1,500 journalists (myself included) in attendance going to do to make their opinions count and to hold their governments accountable for accomplishing something in Doha? Well, there's a new App for this, and it's called DecisionMakr.

I came up with the idea of a smartphone app that leverages crowd-sourcing via Twitter to give observers a way to assess the quality of negotiation statements and policy proposals with ratings that could then be averaged

to produce a final score. In this way, both observers and negotiators can have a real-time record of a speaker or country's actions at a conference, and a ranking that provides an indication of how the public felt about their statements in relation to others'.

The App provides documentation of the shifting positions of countries to allow outsiders to better understand how the end result came to be. We hope that leaders will see their ratings and feedback, and respond as a result.

The DecisionMakr app launched in Doha on Monday 26th November and is available free for download at the Apple iPhone App Store. All of the action can also be followed on Twitter @DecisionMakr.

This article was adapted from one originally published on HuffPost Green. You can read the full article here: http://huff.to/UVndQ5.

Can a new smartphone App hold leaders more accountable in the Doha climate talks?Angel HsuyYale Center for Environmental Law and Policy

6

COP 18 | DAY 5

It is a known fact that forests can be

an effective, natural way to reduce the

effects of greenhouse gases on the earth.

If the world focused more on forests

and reforestation the effects of climate

change on earth would be minimised.

In 2010, a Climate Investment Funds (CIF) Forest Investment Program (FIP) Committee sitting in Manila, Philippines, observed that; there is strong evidence that the warming of the Earth over the last half-century has been caused largely by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and changes in land use, including agriculture and deforestation. The FIP committee proceeded to recommend that decision makers should have access to climate science of the highest quality, and must take account of its findings when formulating appropriate local responses.

The FIP committee added that changes in climate have significant implications for present lives, for future generations and for ecosystems on which humanity depends. Consequently, climate change has been, and continues to be, the subject of intensive scientific research and public debate.

The committee recommended that effective, continuous participation of indigenous peoples and local communities in the design and implementation of climate change mitigation strategies is necessary. This participation is highly dependent on strengthening the capacity of these groups to play an informed and active role in national climate change management processes in general, and forest preservation processes in particular, as well as on recognising and supporting their traditional forest management systems.

Current forest cover in Kenya is approximately 3% of the total land area; however the government is working hard to increase this to at least 10% and is urging the public to ensure that 10% or more of all privately owned land is reserved for trees. This government policy is far from being achieved for various reasons. Top of these include; widespread poverty in the population and a lack of government incentives to encourage people to take the necessary action. Today, many people in Kenya depend on trees for their daily food needs and many more depend on forest related businesses like charcoal making, trading, transporting or selling. Such activities are vital for generating income to pay for essential goods and services such as children’s school fees.

Other sections of Kenyan populations see forests as havens for various ‘nuisances’ like wild animals that invade the farms and attack domestic animals, thus destroying their livelihoods. For these reasons, people often clear the forest around them to drive away the likes of baboons, monkeys, elephants, lions, leopards and wild pigs, amongst others.

Huge chunks of natural forest in Kenya are in the hands of the people and are found mainly in pastoral areas, which also happen to hold world renowned animal sanctuaries

Diminishing forests in Kenya Tore NankorisYou and I Kenya

A charcoal dealer on the Kenya-Tanzania border in Namanga, working on charcoal bags to be transported to Nairobi or Arusha.

pic: joxeankoret

like the Masaai Mara Game Reserve and Amboseli National Park. Nonetheless, these forests remain under threat as they represent a primary source of charcoal fuel, not just for the people living in communities local to the forests, but also for populations in neighbouring districts and even major cities. Every day lorries can be seen carrying thousands of charcoal bags to the likes of Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisii. With Kenya’s population continuing to increasing in size, the demand for charcoal is rising and putting ever more pressure on the existing natural forest resources.

If those with large forest areas within their land are given incentives to conserve these vital natural resources, then the government target of 10% forest cover will be achieved in no time at all, since the people will see the value in forest conservation. But if the current situation continues, then forest cover in Kenya will remain at 3% or below, seeing the devastating effects of climate change continue to take their toll on its people.

The participants in the ongoing COP18 in Doha should emphasise the need for national governments, especially in Africa, to provide incentives for communities to protect natural forest within their control. Incentives can be in the form of schools fees and classes for children or fencing materials to protect farms and animals enclosures from wild animals in the forest, among others. The international communities should also support the African governments to achieve this.

COP 18 | DAY 5

7

pic: joxeankoret

Deforestation and degradation account

for nearly one fifth of all global

anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG)

emissions and represent the most

significant proportion of total emissions

from many developing countries.

The growing global concern about the impact of climate change has led to an international dialog around the creation of a sound mechanism to slow deforestation and degradation. This mechanism, referred to as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), includes the provision of sustainable forest management, the enhancement of carbon stocks and the generation of co-benefits for forest stakeholders.

REDD+ offers an unparalleled opportunity to channel capital into economically impoverished forest regions, putting forward a simultaneous solution for drastic cuts in emissions, as well as forest conservation. Aside from this double benefit, REDD+ also provides a possible method to foster livelihood co-benefits, which have been of critical importance in the debate. The possible synergies between reducing deforestation and poverty reduction are abundant.

Brazil, for example, has become a testing ground for the design and application of schemes like REDD+. One of these cases is the Juma Sustainable Development Reserve Project, in the State of Amazonas, Brazil. The Juma project for reducing GHG emissions aims to address deforestation in an area of Amazonas, which is under pressure from land-grabbers and loggers. The overall project is being coordinated by the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (Fundação Amazonas Sustentável – FAS), an institution with the aim of promoting environmental conservation and improvement in the quality of life of communities. Community development, scientific research and education are, among others, strategies of the project to reduce deforestation. With such an aim, education centres were constructed to train and transmit scientific information to local communities in conservation efforts, as well as to provide opportunities for the training of forest-related professionals.

Recently, the Earth Child Institute (ECI) in Rio de Janeiro, implemented the Global Action Classroom (GAC) project with children from the JW Marriot School, one of the education centres established by the Juma project. GAC is an innovative, digital, and hands-on ECI project in collaboration with the Environmental Conservation Education Program at New York University (NYU), focused on connecting children and youth from different realities in order to share environmental ideas and stories through videos exchanges and to empower them to take action to improve their local environments.

ECI's mission is to engage with and empower children and young people today toward a sustainable tomorrow. Already implemented in six countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Nepal, Qatar, United States and Seychelles), the Brazilian version of GAC resulted from ECI’s partnerships with two schools in two very different realities: JW Marriot School, in the Boa Frente Village in Amazonas, and Escola Parque in Rio de Janeiro. ECI articulated their connection through exchanging videos in which both groups could express their aspirations for the future as well as their positive and negative interpretations of the present. The interesting reflections that came up in the videos provided each of the communities the opportunity to reflect on the other group’s perspective, leveraging an important dialectical process in which it was possible to better comprehend the needs of others, as well as the impact of one groups’ actions on others. As this example has shown, the GAC is a consistent way of helping the youth of Rio and Amazonas to understand and develop the vital skills of reflection, critical thinking and action! .

ABOUT THE AUTHORSBruno Maia is a member of ECI in Brazil and the coordinator of Global Action Classroom in the country. He holds a Master's degree in Education for Sustainability from Griffith University and a bachelor degree in Social Communication from PUC-Rio.

Luisa Santiago is a member of ECI in Brazil and has been working with environmental issues and inclusive businesses in many countries since 2007. She has a postgrad in Environmental Management and a degree in Communication and Journalism.

Maria Fernanda Gebara is a member of ECI in Brazil and has been working with climate change and forest research since 2005. She is also a researcher in Fundação Getulio Vargas and is a PhD candidate in the same field.

Empowering children and youth to deal with climate change: An exchange case between the states of Amazonas and Rio de Janeiro, BrazilBruno Maia, Luisa Santiago and Maria Fernanda GebaraEarth Child Institute, Brazil

pic: Daniel Zanini H.

8

COP 18 | DAY 5

I was born and raised on Ukerewe Island

on Lake Victoria, the world’s second

largest fresh water lake. The vegetation

was extremely lush and green and the

water romantically clear for a good two

metres. It was fun beyond imagination

to hook the tiny, but extremely

delicious, silver fish that flourished

in abundance in the lake then. The fish

darted in all directions, changing

their shades in the process, which to a

child’s mind was pure fantasy.

The earth too was a rich black cotton soil on which almost everything grew effortlessly. During June and December, children literally lived on nothing but fruit; bananas, oranges, mangoes, papayas and pineapples, to mention but a few. Wild fruits and berries added to the joy of life in harmony with nature.

But all that has now changed. My island is slowly turning into a desert. The present generation knows nothing about the silver fish, as over 80% of fish species have disappeared. Meanwhile, the population of inhabitants has more than quadrupled, resulting in the severe damage to the environment, as trees are wantonly felled for cooking fuel and energy. Life, in a place that was once pure paradise, has never been more endangered.

The water level has dropped dangerously low. Scientists say the lake has dried up completely at least twice in the past, yet Lake Victoria is the legendary source of life for many people up north along the River Nile. As tourists cruise on River boats in Cairo it must be hard to imagine the storm that’s building slowly but steadily upstream. “Whoever tastes the waters of the Nile shall return,” is thus an Egyptian cliché that is dangerously threatened as well.

The Ulugulu Mountain ranges about a thousand kilometres south east, used to be another marvel of creation. A mere 200 kilometres from the hot and humid Indian Ocean coast, the Ulugulu Mountains offered climatic relief in the way of cool weather and winds that blew from their permanently misty peaks. The Mountains are now patches of scorched earth as houses and human settlements compete for space with trees. True, humans need shelter and settlements, but why kill the source of life that man depends on for his very existence?

The Ulugulu Mountains form part of the Eastern Arch of Africa’s Mountain Ranges that include the Udzungwa and the world famous Usambara Mountains, also in Tanzania. It is the same system that curves northwards to Ethiopia and Eritrea’s rugged mass of legendary Mountain Ranges

When earth supports life no more Mboneko MunyagaJournalist, Tanzania

pic: Michell Zappa

that form the western ridges of the Red Sea. I guess from the beaches of Qatar, these mountains are easily visible!

The destruction taking place on the Ulugulu Mountains is particularly significant as they are crucial for the Kilombero Rufiji River System and its rich biodiversity. The river is often dubbed the Amazon of Africa. There can be no doubt that disturbing the Kilombero ecosystem could have far reaching global climatic ramifications.

National boundaries are the biggest fallacy that we dogmatically cherish. But, from space, earth is just one small green ball clothed in a garment of clouds, once that garment is removed the Earth becomes nothing more than a rock in space open to assault by all the elements. That is how naked our common fate is. As much as nations want to discuss climate change from a perspective of protecting ‘national’ interests – this is undeniable.

Without concrete measures to save the planet, the future is very bleak indeed. Popularising solar energy could be part of the solution, except that the technology is in the hands of the rich North. If it could be made affordable in the developing world there would be less need for chopping trees to provide fuel for cooking and energy needs.

The combination of emissions released by the global North and deforestation occurring in the global South has resulted in a struggle for the seven billion people on earth to survive in this world. This struggle is characterised by unequal consumption and utilisation of global resources. Given the limited scope of current frameworks to address this, there must be hope that our climate negotiators convening in Doha can change this reality beyond 2020.

ABOUT THE AUTHORMboneko Munyaga is a veteran journalist based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He can be reached at mmunyaga@gmail.com

COP 18 | DAY 5

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11:30—13:00 Side Event Room 6 Side Event on GEF Innovation and Reform Global Environment Facility (GEF)

11:30—13:00 Side Event Room 7 Bridging the Gap between Transport and Climate Change in Africa Transport Research Foundation (TRF) and UITP

13:15—14:45 Side Event Room 4 REDD+ Readiness: Lessons Learnt and Way ForwardUnited Republic of Tanzania and William J. Clinton Foundation

13:15—14:45 Side Event Room 8Public-Private Partnership for Forest Rehabilitation & Sustainable Forest Management in Asia

Korea Green Foundation (KGF)

13:15—14:45 Side Event Room 6Lebanon’s path towards Low Emission Economy – The 12% renewable energy target of 2020 and beyond

Lebanon

18:30—20:00 Side Event Room 6 Biofuels – getting rid of the hype International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF)

18:30—20:00 Side Event Room 7Promoting the Busan Building Block on Climate Finance and Development Effectiveness

Ibon Foundation Inc. (IBON) and Republic of Korea

18:30—20:00 Side Event Room 5Joint Mitigation and Adaptation Mechanism for the Integral and Sustainable Managemente of Forests

Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN Bolivia) and Bolivia

20:15—21:45 Side Event Room 7Opportunities to advance fossil fuel subsidy reform within the UNFCCC and beyond

Oil Change International (OCI)

20:15—21:45 Side Event Room 2Comparative studies of climate change adaptation in the globe: from LDCs to Africa and Small Islands

Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI)

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11:30—13:00 Side Event Room 7Observed climate and new Met Office Hadley Centre Earth System model projections

Met Office Hadley Center

13:15—14:45 Side Event Room 2 Ambition and markets – working hand in hand to deliver global benefitsWorld Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)

13:15—14:45 Side Event Room 8The renewable energy revolution - Lessons applied in the Middle East and Africa.

Heinrich Böll Foundation (HBF) and World Future Council (WFC)

15:00—16:30 Side Event Room 7 Agroecological Parks and bioeconomy COBASE and Gherush92

15:00—16:30 Side Event Room 4 Funding the transition: A trade union approach to climate finance International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

16:45—18:15 Side Event Room 7Creating synergies and reducing barriers between voluntary certification standards in A/R and IFM

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and CarbonFix e.V.

18:30—20:00 Side Event Room 4 Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

18:30—20:00 Side Event Room 7Pakistan's increasing vulnerability and opportunities for Climate Compatible Development

Pakistan

20:15—21:45 Side Event Room 4 National adaptation planning processes in Least Developed Countries Gambia and IIED

20:15—21:45Side Event Room 10

Climate Forced Migrants : On the question of Rights and Responsibilities COAST Trust

20:15—21:45 Side Event Room 8 Mobilizing LULUCF in the Post-Kyoto Framework Swedish University of Agricultural Science

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DATE TIME VENUE TITLE ORGANISERS

COP18 side event calendar

pic: Michell Zappa

COP 18 | DAY 5

In the negotiations, discussions around the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) are getting very serious with two roundtables on ambition today, and one roundtable on a 2015 agreement, as well as a planned roundtable on finance for later on in the week. During long-term finance discussions, the Filipino negotiator took the floor saying, "I am surprised we still don't have long-term finance in 2012. With proposals put forward such as the Green Climate Fund Forum, and the context of the global economic situation, it doesn't seem that there is much scope within COP18 for concrete pledges.”

From civil society, today was future and young generations day. Arab Youth undertook actions asking Arab countries, and Qatar especially, to submit concrete pledges for mitigation targets at COP18 in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Whether from civil society or government delegations, a lot of questions have been raised on the direction of the COP18 President, Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah. In a meeting with youth today, he answered questions on his role as a president and his hopes for COP18:

"There are many complicated issues; how to balance the world, how to tackle climate issues, as well as how to balance between interests and decision. The challenge is to produce a text that brings together everyone, and is not just representative of Qatar."

"The world should move quick, failure will be not be individual failure, but to the whole world. Success will also benefit the whole world."

Outreach is made possible by the support of

Reflections from COP18, Thursday 29 NovemberTariq Al-OlaimyAYCM Coordinator for the Kingdom of Bahrain

Today, on the fourth day of COP18, youth groups held several important events. Because today was the Young and Future Generations (YoFuGe) Day! First, a youth moderated discussion with H.E. Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, the COP18 President, was held in the morning, on the state of COP18 and the role of youth in the climate talks. The president actually cancelled the NGO-wide briefing yesterday evening but decided late last night to hold a briefing for youth only, after hearing it would be YoFuGe day today.

During the briefing, H.E. Abdullah mentioned to the youth he still remembers being a young student, and expressed the strong opinion that:

"If we don't support youth, who should we support?"

in response to questioning on his support of the youth. He told the young people in attendance that action against climate change is an affair of all ages and all nations. Instead of pointing blame at each other, the Parties should take action and work as a team to move forward. Regarding Qatar's national situation, he described the investment Qatar has put into science and technology on areas such as renewable energy and CO2 emissions reduction. The President also presented on how the COP panel and Qatar are supporting women to be a solution to climate change.

The Inter-generation Inquiry took place later in the day and was attended by Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, Christiana Figures, former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson and Representative to the UN for Grenada, Dessima Williams. Mary Robinson's speech about the importance of responsibility and justice to climate change won a big applause from the youth:

"as a youth you should feel angry about what is happening and throw your shoes at the TV next time you see it".

I am happy to witness such active involvement of this stakeholder group in all parts of the Conference and hope that the youth of today become key decision makers in the future.

Jian-Chao WangBritish Council Climate Champion

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