addressing climate change-iucn

8/9/2019 Addressing Climate Change-IUCN

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Addressing ClimateChangeIssues and solutions from around the world

International Union for Conservation of Nature


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IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): Addressing Climate Change Page 2

The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply theexpression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country,territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN.

Published by: IUCN, Gland, Switzerland

Copyright: 2010 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercialpurposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source isfully acknowledged.

Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes isprohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

Citation: Elizabeth Willetts, Lorenzo Guadagno, Ninni Ikkala, Editors. Gland, Switzerland:IUCN. 40pp.

ISBN: 978-2-8317-1278-9

Front cover photo: Natalie Stalenberg

Back cover photo: Senja Vtinen

Layout by: Daniel Shaw, IUCN

Produced by: IUCN

Printed by: Electronic version only.

Available from: IUCN (International Unionfor Conservation of Nature)Publications ServicesRue Mauverney 281196 GlandSwitzerlandTel +41 22 999 0000Fax +41 22 999 [email protected]/publications

A catalogue of IUCN publications is also available.


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Addressing ClimateChange

Table of contents

IUCN and Climate Change 4

1. Climate change around the world 5

Climate change in Africa 6

Climate change in Asia 9

Climate change in the Mediterranean 13

Climate change in Oceania 17

Climate change in South America 20

2. Selected climate change issues 23

Genderand climate change 24

Climate change and environmental law 26Oceans, coasts and climate change 27

Social policy and climate change 31

Species and climate change 33

Waterand Climate Change 36

Climate change and IUCN commissions 39


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IUCN and Climate Change

The evidence of climate change is compelling: sea levels are rising, glaciers are retreating,precipitation patterns are changing, and the world is getting warmer. According to theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions is

likely to cause average temperatures to rise by 0.2C per decade, reaching by 2050 the threshold of2C above pre-industrial levels. Recent evidence suggests even more rapid change, which will greatly,and in some cases irreversibly, affect not just people, but also species and ecosystems.

Climate change is one of four priority Thematic Programme Areas (TPA) in the IUCN Programme for2009-2012. IUCNs climate change work focuses on bringing biodiversity considerations into climatechange policy and practice. Nature can offer immediate, sustainable solutions to mitigation throughcapturing carbon in forests and other ecosystems. Ecosystems also play a key role in increasing theresilience and reducing the vulnerability of livelihoods in the face of climate change, for examplethrough integrated water resource management, sustainable agriculture or coastal zonemanagement. We also work to ensure that equity considerations, in particular the role of women andindigenous peoples, are integrated into climate change policy and practice.

This publication synthesizes information on IUCNs work in this domain, particularly highlightingprogrammatic work in projects at local and national level, implemented by IUCNs Global thematic andRegional Programmes and Commissions. It serves as an introductory where we are at on climatechange response in some areas of our work.

About IUCN

IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to ourmost pressing environment and development challenges.

IUCN works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human livelihoods and greening the worldeconomy by supporting scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, and bringinggovernments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.

IUCN is the worlds oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,000government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCNswork is supported by over 1,000 staff in 60 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO andprivate sectors around the world.

www.iucn.org

For more information, pleasecontact :

Ninni IkkalaClimate Change CoordinatorIUCN World HeadquartersRue Mauverney 281196 GlandSwitzerlandTel: +41 22 999 0106Fax: +41 22 364 [email protected]/climate


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1. Climate change aroundthe world


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training on the use of participatory adaptationtools such as CRiSTAL. We have supportedcoastal zone management plans in the face ofclimate change across coastal West Africa.IUCN has convened policy dialogues andhelped prepare national delegations to the

UNFCCC. We have also initiated REDDReadiness projects.

Case Study 1: Adaptation in BurkinaFaso

In Burkina Faso, IUCN has led with itsmembers and partners a country wide processof collecting information and lessons onendogenous adaptation strategies to climatechange. These strategies include various

combinations of soil and water conservationtechniques (za, stone barriers, woody barriers, perennial grass, rain water collection andstorage, half moons, compost, mulching, etc.), production systems (agro forestry, crop-livestock integration, small irrigation) and production techniques (improved crop seeds,intercropping, mixed cropping, animal fattening,type of tillage, etc.). Forms have been filled foreach strategy, discussed and validated througha national forum gathering a hundred localstakeholders together with decision makers.

This collection of forms and the utilization guidewill be published soon to inspire nationaladaptation strategies and engage all types ofstakeholders including the women and thepoorest ones. The Burkina office has set a poolof trainers on the CRiSTAL toolkit from differentinstitutions to facilitate vulnerability analyses atcommunity level. The appropriate adaptationstrategies identified through these analyses willbe supported through a small grants program.In particular, communities of the Central Westregion have asked IUCN to support the use andeconomic value of non-timber forest products to

improve their livelihoods and capacity to facenatural hazards and climate variability.

Case study 2: Regional adaptation plan

IUCN, among other stakeholders, hascontributed to the elaboration of a regionalclimate change adaptation plan, through whichECOWAS, the West Africa regional economiccommunity is leading a regional approach toclimate change. The plan builds on

strengthening the regional institutions to enablethem to support the states and the regional

economy on the one hand, and harmonizingand coordinating approaches of stakeholdersand mainstreaming climate change into priorityregional and multi-country investments,programmes and projects on the other hand.

Parliamentarians are amongst majorstakeholders in the governance processes atcountry level, but also at regional level, inmainstreaming environmental concerns such asclimate change into national laws and policies.Since 2007 IUCN has supportedparliamentarians groups for environment invarious countries, including Senegal, CapeVerde and Guinea Bissau, in recruitingassistants to help them collect information,facilitate contacts and make statements to theirParliaments. In Central Africa (REPAR) and inWest Africa coastal zone (REPES) two regional

networks of Parliamentarians for Environmenthave been created with IUCN support. In 2009,parliamentarians from seven countries of WestAfrica coastal zone met in Cape Verde to betrained on climate change issues and the scopeand stakes of the international agenda. IUCNstaff also supported the national delegations ofBurkina Faso and Senegal to the Copenhagenclimate change convention.

Case study 3: Mangroves and coastalmanagement

While mangroves have been recognized as oneof the best protection against coastal erosion, itis also established that they may have a strongrole in carbon sequestration. Manystakeholders are implementing activities at localand national levels to protect, preserve andmanage mangrove ecosystems. IUCN andWetlands International have initiated a regionalcoalition of actors to develop a vision on themangroves of seven countries of West Africa,from Mauritania to Sierra Leone. Together they

have drafted a Regional Charter on mangrovemanagement, which is about to be validated atthe country levels.

In recognition of this important result, UEMOA,the West African Economic and MonetaryUnion, has committed IUCN to support all the11 coastal countries of West Africa, fromMauritania to Benin, to build a regional coastalmanagement plan and a regional mechanismfor long term monitoring of sea level rise andcoastal erosion. Based on national data,institutions and regional dialogue, the plan will

include a regional map on coastal sensibilityand related risks, a characterization of the


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challenges that the countries will have to face,and recommendations to be considered in theframe of the adaptation and mitigationstrategies and the territorial management policyfor coastal zones, in order to reduce the costs

and the impacts of climate change. It will alsogive a comprehensive analysis of the threats tothe coastal area, should they come from thesea or from the inland, such as river basinmanagement.


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Climate change in

AsiaDuring the last decades, Asia has beenexperiencing unprecedented rates of economicand demographic growth. Its huge populationhas been steadily increasing, largelyconcentrated in urban areas, making its citiesamong the most densely populated in the world.Three of the world's top five emitters ofgreenhouse gases (China, India, and Japan)are Asiatic countries. Stresses on the localenvironment are increasingly severe.

The continent presents an extreme diversity ofclimatic zones, ranging from tropical rain foreststo deserts. Most Asian countries are highlyvulnerable to natural hazards (e.g. floods,droughts, sea-level rise, cyclones anddiseases) and ecosystem degradation (e.g.coral bleaching, deforestation and forestdegradation). Global climate change on the onehand is making communities more exposed toextreme events and environmental change, andon the other is further reducing their resilienceand coping capacity, drastically exacerbatingexisting vulnerabilities.

Water is a critical factor for the future of peopleand economies in the continent. The vastTibetan plateau is the water tower of Asia andsource of nine of the great river systems ofChina, South-East and South Asia. These riversare fed by glaciers that are experiencing aretreat process, due to temperature increases,that tend to be above average in mountainousareas. Glacier melt will affect water supply, foodand energy production for billions of people.Over-extraction of ground water, increase insalinity, and desertification will further threaten

water availability, undermining food security inlargely agricultural economies.

Climate change effects are already beingexperienced. Despite factual evidence and themagnitude of possible consequences, climateobservation in the region is poor, with the IPCCcalling the greater Himalaya a data white spot.The little information that does exist is rarelyshared, limiting each countrys ability to model,predict, and prepare for changes. Forums suchas the Mekong River Commissions ClimateChange Initiative, UNEPs Sustainable

Development Strategies, and Regional Climate Adaptation Platform for Asia, as well as thecapacity building programme, Cities at Risk:

Developing Adaptive Capacity for ClimateChange in Asias Coastal Megacities, are nowaiming to reverse this situation.

The IUCN response

IUCN has offices in Bangladesh, Cambodia,China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal,Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Viet Nam,and is otherwise working in Korea andMongolia. It has collected considerableexperience on climate change adaptationinitiatives in Bangladesh; increasing work ontechnical and strategic advice in Pakistan; andmainstreaming adaptation into the developmentframework in Viet Nam and in China. It is alsoworking with the Mekong River Commission ontheir Climate Change Initiative in the Lower

Mekong. IUCN Pakistan has facilitated aconference focusing on Climate Change:Challenges and Opportunities for South Asia.

In order to build resistance and resilience to theimpacts of climate change, IUCN Asia isadopting a newapproach, by movingfrom reactive responseto proactive activitiesthat address long-termsustainablemanagement needs

and developcommunity copingcapacity, including thedevelopment ofawareness andstrategies for improvedfood and livelihoodsecurity, disasterpreparedness, andclimate changeadaptation.

Case Study 1: Rana Bhai the frog

climate change adaptation ambassadorin Bangladesh

Inspired by the success of the EntertainmentEducation approach of UNICEF MeenaCommunications Initiative, IUCN Bangladesh,in partnership with the NetherlandsGovernments Char Development andSettlement Project, has developed severaleducational materials aimed at raisingawareness of climate change and appropriateadaptation measures among school children.


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IUCN Bangladesh has created a charactercalled Rana Bhai, a clever frog who canconvey positive climate change and adaptationmessages to primary, secondary, andmadrasha students in Noakhali District,southern Bangladesh. Rana Bhai acts as a

climate change ambassador and appears onstickers, posters and books advocating climatechange adaptation messages, encouragingschool children to engage with adaptationmeasures in their community and discussingthem with their families and friends, acting asinformation disseminators.

Focused discussions with school children in thedistrict revealed that many had basic levels ofawareness of climate change, but wereconfused about appropriate adaptation actionsand overwhelmed by the hopelessness of thesituation. Rana Bhai has proved effective inovercoming both the obstacles, and reactionsfrom the target audience have been highlypositive. IUCN Bangladesh is considering usingthe character in other climate change

adaptation and awareness raising projects, andis planning to reach out to a wider audiencethrough a short play to be performed byschoolchildren and filmed as part of adocumentary.

Case Study 2: Mangroves for theFuture (MFF) initiative

Coastal ecosystems, especially mangroveforests and coral reefs, act as buffers againstextreme weather events, reducing vulnerability

of coastal communities and their investments.Sea grasses are indispensable nursery grounds

for many fish species and feeding habitats forturtles and dugongs. In several Asian countriesmangrove loss has exceeded 60% in recentdecades, mostly due to the clearing of forestsfor shrimp farming and other forms of coastaldevelopment. Even if global stresses, such as

climate change, will increasingly affect thesefragile ecosystems, the minimization of theirdegradation due to local human activities willstill be crucial to their survival.

MFFs objective is to strengthen theenvironmental sustainability of coastaldevelopment and promote sound investmentsin coastal ecosystem management, as a meansof enhancing resilience and supporting locallivelihoods.

It is an IUCN-led partnership-based initiative

that includes all coastal ecosystems, seeking toguarantee a more prosperous future for allcoastal populations in Indian Ocean countries.

It conducts activities that mobilize localcommunities and governments to undertake joint actions to ensure food security, buildknowledge to better understand the linksbetween livelihoods and climate systems, andincrease adaptive capacity to meet the long-term development needs of coastalcommunities, while securing their livelihoodsagainst climate change impacts and helping

them prepare for potential climate-relateddisasters.

Considering climate change adaptation andenhancing adaptive capacity of coastalcommunities is crucial to ensure long-termsustainability of projects. MFF has integratedclimate change considerations as a cross-cutting theme in its activities, based on existingclimate proofing tools, and conducts regionaltraining courses on the use of these tools andmethods at the field/project level. The aim is tofollow up with national training courses to buildin-country capacities in the region. MFF aims toadd value by linking up with training institutions

and universities, to help gather:


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coastal and marine conservationpolicy-makers who are trying to decidehow to proceed in addressingadaptation challenges without creatingnew laws or programmes,

planners and/or project managers who

want some practical approaches to actimmediately, as well as

communications and outreachprofessional seeking to make theconnection between information,needs, and action.

MFF also organizes study-tours to promotecross-country exchanges of lessons learned inthe region.

MFF seeks more effective and inclusiveinstitutions, policies and mechanisms for

cooperation at national and regional levels byprioritizing coastal climate changeconsiderations across national developmentagendas, policies and budgets.

For more information see:www.mangrovesforthefuture.org .

Case Study 3: Promotion of adaptationto climate change and climate variabilityin Bangladesh

The Noakhali district in South Bangladesh, anextremely poor and densely populated area, isseverely exposed to cyclones and stormsurges. Vulnerable local communities generallycant rely on sound climatic and meteorologicalforecasts, and lack the resources to cope withhazardous events. They frequently experienceclimate- and weather-related disasters.

In collaboration with the Netherlands ClimateAssistance Programme (NCAP), IUCN hasestablished the Promotion of Adaptation to

Climate Change and Climate Variability inBangladesh project, to assess disaster risk,

introduce pilot adaptive measures amongstcommunities, enhance the target audienceawareness, and influence national policymakers. This approach has been used inawareness raising and influencing policyamongst stakeholders from the community levelup to the political institutions.

The risk assessment has highlighted that theclimate in Bangladesh is becoming moreunpredictable every year. Precipitations are

becoming more erratic, dry spells longer,frequency and intensity of cyclones isincreasing, causing an increase in floods andcoastal inundations, saline water intrusion, soilsalinization and loss of lives and livelihoods.These impacts have been identified andquantified for the communities in Noakhali.Table 1 lists some of the main impacts andrelative adaptation options established throughthe risk assessment.


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Table 1 - Impacts and adaptation options

Impacts Adaptation options

Shift in fishing grounds Promote sustainable fisheries and aquaculture

Changes and disruptions in fish migratory routes Promotion of salt tolerant species

Decline in fish production and species abundance Rehabilitation of degraded habitat and maintenance of fishmigratory routes

Deaths and injuries from increasing number of shipwreckscaused by bad weather conditions

Improved boat quality and safety

Loss of housing due to structural fragility Improved house structure quality using local material for

affordability and integrity

Frequent water logging in crop fields Floating bed agriculture, adaptive cropping, improvedweather forecasting

Soil salinity Capacity building in saline soil management


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Picture: The building of more dams in the region results in an unsustainable over-exploitation of natural resources.

Climate change in the

MediterraneanIn recent decades, the Mediterranean regionhas been experiencing a clear shift towards awarmer and dryer climate. Evidence suggeststhat:

- average annual temperatures have risenby 0.75C during the 20th century;

- summer warming trends in the westernpart of the basin are more pronounced,with increases up to 3C over the last 50

years;- since 1970, winter precipitation havedecreased in average by 20% in thebasin;

- in coastal areas of Italy and Spain, thetotal number of wet days is decreasingand rainfall events are becoming scarcerand more intense;

- maximum temperatures have increased atlarger rates than minimum temperatures.

Extreme weather events and summer waterscarcity are among the main threats for wildlife

and people in the Mediterranean region, whichholds 3% of the world's freshwater resources

and 50% of the world's water-poor population.Droughts, common phenomena in the area,have increased in frequency and intensity in

recent decades and will become even worsewith rising temperatures and decreasingprecipitation. Temperature records confirm thesame trend for summer heat waves. Essentialshifts in policy are required to helppreparedness for drought events and preventsituations of chronic water scarcity. Currentmanagement responses call for more dams,more desalinisation plants, and more boreholesin order to guarantee water supply for anincreasing demand, which result in anunsustainable over-exploitation of naturalresources.

The complex interrelation between humanimpacts on natural ecosystems (badmanagement practices, intensification of naturalresources exploitation, and rapid unsustainableland-use changes) and the predicted increaseof heat waves are responsible for the alarmingincrease in frequency and intensity of harmfulfires, with catastrophic effects on ecosystemsdegradation and biodiversity loss, peopleslivelihoods and human lives, and hugeeconomic costs.

The ability that Mediterranean species andecosystems have demonstrated to survive


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Picture: Soil carbon pools play a significant role in sequestering atmospheric carbon, while at the same time improving site productivity (e.g.water retention and soil productivity).

under adverse and unpredictable conditions islinked to the evolution of cultural landscapes.Mediterranean mosaic landscapes tend to berelatively stable socio-ecosystems with highbiodiversity levels, strong regional identities andculturally rich societies. This variety can reduce

the likelihood of abrupt changes leading toirreversible ecological and socio-economiclosses. Nevertheless, there is plenty ofevidence of the local or regional disappearanceof species or ecosystems in prehistoric times,caused by the synergetic combination ofclimate change (i.e. increase in temperatures)associated with too intense and/or rapidanthropogenic changes in land cover andmanagement practices (i.e. extensive andsevere fire activity for land clearance).

The IUCN response

The IUCN Centre for MediterraneanCooperation has its office in Mlaga (Spain),and is supporting regional members andpartners on climate change adaptation issues.On terrestrial and freshwater adaptation issues,IUCN, in collaboration with FAO and WWF, hassupported regional case studies and

discussions with scientists, nature resourcemanagers, decision makers, NGOs,governmental aid agencies and UN regionaloffices, resulting in a joint position AthensStatement and a number of recommendationsfor climate change adaptation to build resilience

of Mediterranean socio-ecosystems which werepublished and disseminated in severalinternational events. The publication is availableat:http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/adapting_to_global_change.pdf)

IUCN will support similar participatoryprocesses to define common positions onclimate change impacts, adaptation needs andoptions for drylands, and marine/coastal socio-ecosystems. IUCN support for mainstreamingadaptation into the Forest Law in Lebanon has

been instrumental in the official approval of anew national strategy on forest fires, with amultisectoral and integrated approach tobuilding ecological and social resilience and toreducing the risk of harmful fires, whilst allowingfor fire regimes that are socially, economically,and ecologically sustainable.

In order to build ecological, social and culturalresilience to global change, i.e.the combined


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effect of climate change and socio-economicimpacts, IUCN is supporting a regional initiative,Mediterranean Mosaics aiming at theidentification and implementation of adaptationmeasures influencing land management,markets, and policy frameworks in

Mediterranean rural landscapes withoutstanding ecological diversity and culturalvalues. This initiative brings together a numberof projects in northern and southernMediterranean countries and incorporates atrans-national component, mainly on capacitybuilding and policy issues, as well as forexchanging/sharing know-how and joint actions.

Case study 1: Building fire-smartlandscapes: a joint venture

Large scale fires are increasing as aconsequence of climate change. Nationalstrategies allocating resources to fire fighting(i.e. buying of hydroplanes and helicopters)have proved inefficient when faced with thegrowing trend of devastating events. Integratedfire risk reduction strategies are needed whichtake into account the predicted increase of heatwaves and dry spells as well as anthropicimpacts on natural ecosystems, in order toincrease ecological and social resilience andadaptive capacity. IUCN, WWF, FAO, andseveral partners in the region, agreed in April

2008 on the Athens Statement, a blueprint tointroduce climate change adaptationconsiderations in forest conservation andmanagement practices, with a special focus onincreasing resilience against majordisturbances.

In order to respond to the catastrophic effects ofthe forest fires of recent years, the PrimeMinister of Lebanon launched in 2007 aparticipatory process for the revision of theNational Forest Fire Strategy, in coordinationwith the Ministry of Environment and the

Association for Forest Development andConservation, involving all concernedgovernmental agencies (Ministries ofAgriculture, Interior and Defence),representatives of civil society, IUCN Centre forMediterranean Cooperation and Regional Officefor Western Asia, as well as variouscooperation agencies.

The new strategy aims at reducing the risk ofintense and frequent forest fires, whilst allowingfor fire regimes that are socially, economically,and ecologically sustainable. IUCN is

supporting pilot actions to start implementingthe new national strategy, mainly looking at

building ecological and social resilience againstclimate change impacts in high fire risklandscapes, by:

developing a participatory planning processto design fire-resilient landscape patterns

(type of uses and territorial distribution),and prevent land use changes which mayalter their traditional mosaic structure andincrease fire risk (i.e. the current trend ofintensification of pine plantations);

identifying fuel reduction opportunitiesthrough traditional (i.e. livestock grazing inhigh fire risk areas) and innovative landuses (i.e. bio-energy production fromagriculture, forest waste products and drybiomass from shrub-land);

developing and exploring opportunitiessuch as innovative management systemsand economic incentives, to support fireresilient land uses and landscape patterns;

restoring healthy forest conditions,diversifying forest land with a highernumber of native re-sprouting specieswhich regenerate better after fire, and fruittrees/shrubs which attract seed-dispersalfauna. Restoring riparian forest corridorsnot only supports species migration needs

in the face of climate change to climatechange, but also reduces the capacity offire to spread over the landscape;

preventive silviculture and fuelmanagement aiming at reducing the highlyflammable biomass and the landscapesusceptibility to fires, including grubbingand pruning, tree thinning, brushwoodcrushing, prescribed burning, controlledgrazing and species selection.

Case study 2: Climate changeadaptation in nature conservation:research on Mediterranean forestecosystems

Mountain areas around the Mediterraneanbasin host an outstanding number of plantendemics and are a refuge for relict conifer treespecies and other genetically valuable, isolatedpopulations. Climate change and land use

modifications are now having increasingimpacts on habitats and species.


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Picture: More frequent and intense droughts together with bad forestry practices cause intense forest dieback events: Dieback of cedar trees in the Middle AtlasMountains (Morocco).

Dieback processes in the relic Pinsapo firpopulations in southern Spain coincided withthe forest canopy closure that followed theadoption of protection measures in the 1960s.Both climatic and intra-specific competitionfactors account for the observed increase in fir

mortality. The reconstruction of changes in thewater-use efficiency of trees during recentdecades, and the implementation ofexperimental management practices byresearchers from the University of Jaen (Spain),suggest that adaptation options for the SpanishPinsapo fir population include:

a) the enhancement of the forest structuraldiversity at the stand level, through theimplementation of a minor perturbation regime,such as low-intensity thinning practices, toimprove water balance and reduce intra-specific

competition;

b) the opening of forest gaps in previously toodense and homogeneous areas affected bypathogens, accelerating the subsequent naturalregeneration (also from other tree species, suchas Quercus faginea, Q. rotundifolia, and Pinus

halepensis) and promoting processes thatincrease heterogeneity and resilience at thelandscape level.

The reduction of the higher respiration rates inMediterranean forests, induced by global

warming, appears to be crucial to reducingfrequency and intensity of drought periods.Results from the SilviStrat EU projectempirically proved that the reduction of densityin re-sprouting evergreen oak coppice forests isa useful management technique to overcomethe climate change induced forest dieback.


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Picture: Sunset Suva soccer game, Photo Natalie Stalenberg

Climate change in

OceaniaOceania includes the Pacific Islands, Australia,and New Zealand, all connected by the PacificOcean, the worlds vastest body of water, theveritable engine room to the Earths climate.The coastal and marine ecosystems areessential for the regions provision of ecologicalgoods and services supporting biodiversity andpeoples livelihoods, including food, timber,freshwater, medicines, shoreline protection, andnurseries for marine organisms.

Climate change is now putting at risk the verysurvival of nations, traditions, beliefs, andecosystems throughout the area. The IPCCsFourth Assessment Report indicates that evenan immediate stabilization of greenhouse gas

concentrations would not prevent Oceania fromsuffering an extensive range of negative effects.

Biodiversity: Within the next 10 years we willwitness significant species loss in Australia andNew Zealand, especially in the Great BarrierReef and other coral reef systems. On PacificIslands, non-endemic species are expected tobenefit from warmer climate, and changes in

ocean temperature and pH levels will alter localecosystems and force many marine species toleave in search for a new habitat.

Marine and coastal habitats: Mangroves,seagrass beds, and coral reefs will seriously beimpacted, with sea levels predicted to rise bybetween 8 and 25 cm, and ocean temperaturesby up to 2.5C by 2050. Coral reefs usuallytolerate temperatures between 20 and 30C. Inthe Pacific, most of them are located in waterswith temperatures ranging from 26 to 29C. Aslight increase will push temperatures above

30C in some areas. Reef-building corals will befurther threatened by ocean acidification,


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Picture: Building an energy efficient home, Palau, Photo: Clarinda Ziegler

caused by the increase in carbon dioxideconcentration in the water.

People: Sea level rise will force tens ofthousands of people to migrate from smallPacific Islands and other coastal regions. Entire

nations, such as Kiribati and Tuvalu, lying lessthan two meters above sea level, could be lostforever. Such a movement of people is likely tocause conflicts over land and limited naturalresources as well as cultural loss. A rise in sealevels, combined with more frequent and moreintense cyclone events, will also increase thevulnerability of coastal settlements, structures,and activities to storm surges and strong winds,significantly impacting upon peoples basiclivelihoods.

Water security: Climate change will strongly

affect precipitation patterns. It is predicted tolead to water security problems across theregion by 2050, due to lower rainfall levels,higher temperatures, increasing evaporationrates, and salt intrusion in shallow coastal

groundwater supplies. In many Pacific islands,increased incidence of droughts, combined withincreased sea level rise, could lead to the lackof access to any water source. In other areas,more intense precipitations could translate intoincreases in flooding, and loss of access to

water due to damage to infrastructure orcontamination.

Agriculture: Climate change is expected to havemixed effects on agriculture. Some parts ofAustralia and New Zealand may initially benefitfrom climate variations. Average productionfrom agriculture and forestry in the region isexpected to decline significantly by 2030 due toincreases in droughts and fires. In the PacificIslands, coastal agriculture will be affected byincreased soil salinization due to sea level rise.In other areas, change in precipitation patterns

and increasing incidence of extreme weather-related events could mean extensive loss oflivelihoods for long periods of time, and couldeventually cause famines.


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Economy: Natural disasters, such as cyclones,storms and floods, will increasingly undermineeconomic development in the region. Over thelast six decades, an average of 2-7% of thetotal gross domestic products (GDPs) of allcountries in the region, or about US$ 2.8 billion

in total, has been lost to extreme naturalevents. Melanesian countries experienced thelargest relative impacts. These costs will beexacerbated by declining revenues fromagricultural production and tourism, and willworsen the economic conditions of the localpopulation, particularly of its poorest part, whichhas fewer financial assets to quickly recoverfrom similar events.

The IUCN response

Studies on climate change in the Pacificsuggest a multi-pronged approach to themanagement of climate related disasters isrequired. Attention needs to be given toreducing the vulnerability of particularly poorhouseholds living in hazardous areas, byimproving their economic and social well-being,and by enhancing the management ofecosystems such as coral reefs, mangroves,and forests. Vulnerability reduction andenhancement of the peoples coping capacityshould be fundamental concerns in the planning

and implementation not only of disaster riskreduction measures, but, more in general, ofany development activity.

Case study 1 - Energy

Managing the Ecosystem and LivelihoodImplications of Energy Policies in the PacificIsland States is an IUCN Programme workingtowards assisting the countries in the region inconverting to sustainable renewable energy andenergy efficiency systems. It is currentlyworking with six Small Island Developing States(SIDS), supporting the development andimplementation of sustainable energy policies,the management of several pilot projects onecosystem conservation and livelihoodenhancement, and the creation of a PacificSIDS network to share lessons learned, skills,and technology.

In Palau the project targets energy efficiency inthe homes and is being implemented by theNational Development Bank of Palau (NDBP). Itis expected to lower electricity consumption byan estimated 15% in newly-built homes. It will

also create a local market for energy efficientproducts and services.

Case study 2 - GovernanceThe IUCN Oceania Virtual Pacific Centre forEnvironmental Governance comprises three

sub-programs, environmental policy,environmental law, and environmentaleconomics. Since its establishment in 2008, theCentre has focused on increasing awarenesson climate change related issues by conductingliterature reviews on the economic andlivelihood dimensions of climate change,undertaking an assessment of the economiccosts of recent floods in Fiji, as well asconducting a workshop on human rights andclimate change. The program is expected todevelop further as IUCN implements jointresearch, capacity development, and internship

programmes related to climate change with itspartners.

Case study 3 - MarineThe Pacific Ocean is a major source ofseafood, in particular tuna, for other parts of theworld. Nearly 70% of the worlds annual tunaharvest comes from this region. A recent AsianDevelopment Bank report has found the valueof fisheries production from the Pacific Islandsand adjacent high seas to be over US$ 2 billion

annually at the point of production. Climatechange and overfishing are increasinglythreatening these fisheries, and the marine andcoastal ecosystems of the Pacific on which theyrely.

IUCN Oceanias Marine Programme isanalyzing the ecological impacts of longlinetuna fishing in relation to sea mounts. IUCN isinterested in the conservation aspects,exploring whether there are patterns in theamount and/or size of fish around seamounts,and identifying possible spawning oraggregation sites.

It is also working on a regional mangroveinitiative which will help Pacific Islands mitigatehazards related to rising sea level and evolvingweather conditions. This will includeunderstanding the ecological link betweenmangroves and the adjacent coral reefs andseagrass beds. It will also assist Pacific Islandcountries in implementing soundevidence-based policies, plans and actions, andtargeted capacity development in mangrovemanagement that improves conservation andrehabilitation of mangrove ecosystems.


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Climate change in

SouthAmericaExtreme weather events in south America arebecoming more common, as evidenced byintense rainfall in Venezuela, flooding in theArgentinean Pampas, drought in the Amazonand hail storms in Bolivia and the GreaterBuenos Aires area. Historically, climatevariability and extremes have had negative

impacts on population, such as increasingmortality and morbidity in affected areas.

Increases in rainfall in Paraguay, Uruguay, theArgentinean Pampas and some parts of Boliviaand Brazil have affected land use and cropyields, and have increased flood frequency andintensity. On the other hand, declining trends inprecipitation have been observed in southernChile, south-west Argentina and southern Peru.

During the last decades, increases intemperature of approximately 1C among pre-

industrial levels in South America, and of 0.5Cin Brazil, were observed. Glacier retreat isaccelerating, a critical issue in Bolivia, Peru,Colombia and Ecuador, where water availabilityfor domestic consumption, hydropowergeneration, industry, and agriculture hasalready been compromised. Over the comingdecades Andean glaciers are likely todisappear, heavily affecting water availability forall purposes in the region.

Almost 75% of the dry lands in the continent aremoderately or severely degraded. Thecombined effect of human action and climatechange has brought about a decline in naturalland cover in the whole region. Rates ofdeforestation of tropical forests have steadilyincreased during the last 5 years. Biomassburning affects regional air quality, withimplications for human health. Land-use andclimate change acting synergistically willsubstantially increase fire risk.

Replacement of tropical forest by savannas isexpected in eastern Amazonia, along with thereplacement of semi-arid vegetation by aridvegetation in parts of north-eastern Brazil.Seven out of the 25 world biodiversity hotspots

are in Latin America, in areas that areundergoing habitat loss. High altitudeecosystems and cloud forests are of particularconcern.

The IUCN response

South America is a region with a very highpotential for REDD (Reducing Emissions fromDeforestation and forest Degradation) relatedactivities. It is covered by around 50% of theworlds forests. Brazil alone is home to morethan 30%, which makes it extremely interestingto elaborate relevant solutions and key policyrecommendations. During 2008 the officecarried out a regional consultation and aworkshop on REDD, which allowed for the

exchange of opinions, ideas and experiencesamong its member organizations, key persons,and stakeholders, and will be promoting furtherthis kind of regional analysis.

In the Andean highlands, indigenous peoplesand local communities have always facedextreme climate conditions. Consequently, theyhave developed adaptive strategies andtechnologies to cope with these conditions.IUCN SUR, IUCNs regional office, is analyzinghow customary law and local governance arelinked to supporting local livelihoods under

climate change scenarios.

The Andean inter-tropical glacier retreat hasreached critical thresholds, affecting wateravailability and hydropower generationthroughout the region. Ecosystem-basedAdaptation with specific consideration of thelinkages between water management,development, social equity, and poverty, is anapproach to address glacier retreat impact.IUCN SUR will be carrying out a pilot projectusing the ecosystem approach as a climatechange adaptation tool in the Santa River basin

in Peru. The project, designed using a bottom-up approach in the framework of the Water andNature Initiative (WANI), will start in 2010.

SUR finalized preparing a protected areaproject in the upper watershed of the MaderaRiver between Peru and Bolivia. One of theobjectives is to create awareness among thepopulation about the implications of climatechange and big infrastructural projects. Theproject will promote experiences and proposalsfor mitigation and adaptation at local level. As ithas a regional focus, it will look for the

connectivity between protected areas along the


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eastern Andean slope and the Amazonianlowlands in the south-western Amazon.

Finally, with funds of the EuropeanCommission, through the Biodiversitycountdown 2010 Initiative, a set of indicators on

Climate Change were designed and selected tobe applied in Andean countries. Theseindicators would assess possible impacts ofclimate change on biodiversity in the tropicalAndes, taking into account the 2010 Target. Inaddition, five study cases for the application ofthese indicators were developed through thestudy.

Case study 1 - REDD

To contribute to the complex discussion on howREDD activities should be designed andimplemented, SUR promoted the electronicforum Reduced Emissions from Deforestationand Degradation: What Steps has SouthAmerica Taken?.

A consultation was held on the theConservation and Social Equity Portal(http://www.portalces.org/) on three main topics:1) Approaches to address REDD, 2) Elementsfor effective and fair implementation, 3)Mechanisms and experiences aimed at

reducing deforestation in South America. Morethan 250 people registered, including membersfrom Latin America, USA, and Europe. Theforum allowed for exchange of opinions, ideasand experiences concerning technical, policy,and socio-economic aspects of REDD.Following the consultation, a brief researchabout the state of the art of the REDDdiscussion in the region, and interviews withkey stakeholders, three background papershave been prepared, which present the mainaspects of the REDD technical and politicaldiscussion at the regional and international

levels. LThese documents can be accessedhere:http://www.iucn.org/es/sobre/union/secretaria/oficinas/sudamerica/sur_trabajo/sur_bosques/mecanismos_redd/

The main results and conclusions werepresented at a workshop hosted by SUR andthe Ecuadorian Environmental Minister in Quito,in the framework of the 25

thFAO Latin

American Forestry Commission (COFLAC)meeting. Most participants were nationalforestry directors and/or their representatives;

the workshop provided a platform for informingdecision makers about the state of the art ofREDD discussions.

Case Study 2 - IUCN Member:Sociedad Peruana de DerechoAmbiental

In 2008, the Sociedad Peruana de DerechoAmbiental (SPDA), supported by GTZ and otherdonors, undertook an initiative to document thedaily struggle experienced by indigenous andlocal communities in their efforts to adapt tochanging climatic patterns, and the copingstrategies developed, in the coast, thehighlands, and the jungle of Peru. The idea wasto raise the attention of authorities bypresenting the photos in an itinerant exhibitionin various cities, also contributing to thedefinition of a broader climate change policy.

The publication The climate is changing, so ismy life contains thirty images of the exhibition, apicture of how climate change is impacting both positively and negatively the lives ofpeople living across Peru, and how theseindividuals are changing their own traditionallifestyles and habits to adapt to their newreality. The reference framework for this task isa wide-reaching process of communication andenvironmental education focused on the issueof climate change, where traditional andscientific knowledge complement each other:

http://www.gtz.de/de/dokumente/sp-el-clima-cambia.pdf


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Case Study 3 - Fundacin Natura ColombiaFundacin Natura Colombia promotesCarbonoCero, a voluntary carbon emissionmitigation mechanism in Colombia.CarbonoCero seeks to involve civil society,

private and public actors in climate changemitigation according to the UNFCCCrecommendations. It promotes climate changemitigation activities associated with forestlandscape restoration, sustainable productionpractices which diminish the vulnerability ofagricultural and pastoral systems, REDD, andpro-poor development initiatives in ruralcommunities.

One of its main accomplishments is theinvolvement of private enterprises and publicinstitutions leading the Colombian climate

change agenda. So far, they supportedmitigation projects in the departments ofBoyac, Santander, Cundinamarca andAntioquia. To participate in CarbonoCero, eachperson, company or institution calculates itscarbon footprint and defines its emissionreduction targets, selects the type of project tosupport - or asks for the development of a tailormade project - and pays the amount previouslydefined. All the participants receive a certificateand information about the selected projectdevelopment and results in terms of emissionreductions or carbon storage.

WWF Colombia and CECODES supportCarbonoCero:http://www.natura.org.co/general/carbonocero-un-mecanismo-voluntario-para-la-mitigacion-del-cambio-climatico.html


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2. Selected climate changeissues

Picture: Praying for the rain is at community meeting in Shesheke in Kalobolelwa village. Photo: Senja Vtinen


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Gender andclimate change

Climate change impacts will be differentlydistributed among different regions, ageclasses, income groups, and genders. Thepoor, especially poor women (which sum up to70% of the total), will be disproportionatelyaffected. On the other hand, women are alsopowerful agents of change by playing a key rolein energy consumption, deforestation, burningof vegetation, population and economic growth.

Women are the main producers of staple cropsworldwide, providing up to 6080% of the foodin most developing countries, and up to 90% inpoor, rural contexts. At the same time, they aremore vulnerable to nutritional problems and toepidemics, both of which are on the rise due toclimate variability, and related food and watershortages. Gender significantly affectsvulnerability to natural disasters. In moreinequitable societies men are likely to receivepreferential treatment in rescue efforts andwomen are likely to suffer more from shortagesof food and other resources in the aftermath of

disasters. Women constituted 90% of the140 000 people killed in the 1991 cyclonedisaster in Bangladesh.

Womens empowerment is now being linked toclimate change solutions. In November 2006,Kenyas Greenbelt Movement, founded byNobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai, andthe World Banks Community DevelopmentCarbon Fund signed an emissions reductionsagreement to reforest two mountain areas inKenya. Local groups will plant thousands oftrees, an activity that will also provide income to

poor rural women. This process will also allowto capture 350 000 tons of carbon dioxide,restore soil lost to erosion, and support regularwater flows essential to Kenyas farmers andhydro-electric power plants.

The IUCN response

IUCN is influencing climate change mitigationand adaptation policies to allow for the inclusionof gender and biodiversity concerns from localto global level (i.e. development of gender-biodiversity criteria and guidelines for nationaladaptation policies, capacity building for

decision makers, and elaboration of nationaladaptation platforms). It aims at mainstreaminggender equity consideration into all post-Kyotopolicies (i.e. incorporating gender into financingmechanisms to ensure equitable access toresources and incentives).

IUCN is also supporting more equalparticipation of women in decision making forclimate change mitigation and adaptation at thenational, regional and international level. Weprovide guidance to decision makers toimplement adaptation measures which take intoaccount gender and conduct research ingender-specific resource-use patterns; gender-specific effects of climate change; genderaspects of mitigation and adaptation; womensand mens capacities to cope with climatechange; and gender-related patterns of

vulnerability. Finally, we provide support andcapacity building for women at risk to enhancetheir adaptive capacity (i.e. poverty alleviationprojects, sharing information through networksof women in the South).

Case Study : GGCA

IUCNs work on gender and climate change iscarried out in partnership with the GlobalGender and Climate Alliance (GGCA), along

with the Womens Environment andDevelopment Organization (WEDO) and over25 UN agencies, civil society organizations,governments, foundations, and private sector

institutions.

To develop capacities at the national level,IUCN and GGCA have organized training fortrainers, attended by gender experts fromdifferent regions and countries, including Africa,Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, Arabstates, and Eastern Europe. Several delegatesto the UNFCCC have participated in the IUCN

and GGCA Orientations on Gender and ClimateChange held during the Convention sessions in


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Poznan, Bonn, Bangkok and Copenhagen in2008-2009.

A series of regional trainings have taken placein Asia, Africa, Latin America, Arab states, andSmall Island Developing States (SIDS). The

training sessions combine a three-day training

of trainers and a one-day orientation forgovernment delegates, focusing on capacity-building and highlighting the importance ofmaking the climate policy texts gender-responsive.

IUCN and GGCA partners developed a trainingmanual on gender and climate change whichdeals with gender mainstreaming andinternational law instruments to promote it,gender sensitivity of mitigation and adaptation

actions, technology development, andfinancing. In addition to the background andtechnical sections, the manual includesexercises, case studies, training techniques,and extensive references. It is available inEnglish, French and Spanish:http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll


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Climate change and

environmental

lawThe IUCN Environmental Law Programme is anintegrated programme of activities that assistsdecision makers with information, legalanalysis, advisory services, legislative drafting,mentoring and capacity building at national,regional and global levels. The Programme alsoprovides the opportunity and the forum forgovernments, non-government organisationsand others to network and to share information

and discuss ideas

Case Study 1: TEMATEA - Synergiesbetween Climate Change andBiodiversity

The UNEP-IUCN TEMATEA project aims atproviding a logical framework for theimplementation of commitments and obligationsunder different regional and global biodiversity-related agreements. TEMATEA is used as achecklist of national commitments and hassupported the development of national plansand strategies, facilitated the preparation andimplementation of multi-convention projectproposals and improved understanding of howregional and global instruments interact.

Six issues which have universal relevance andare crucial towards reaching the 2010Biodiversity Target are currently covered, eachby a specific module. ELC developed the oneson Access and Benefit Sharing and on ClimateChange and Biodiversity. Climate change andits associated effects are one of the majorthreats to the conservation and sustainable useof biodiversity. Some measures taken toaddress it, including under the United NationsFramework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol (KP), havebeen identified as having potentially negativeimpacts on biodiversity. This complexrelationship is the focus of the Climate Changeand Biodiversity module.

To provide easy access to a large amount of

information and to facilitate the distribution anduse of the modules, TEMATEA has been madeavailable on a website (www.tematea.org),

available in English, and partly in French andRussian. It includes full text of those articlesand decisions, provides commentaries oncomplementarities and overlaps, and refers tobackground information on the reviewedagreements.

Based on the module on Climate Change andBiodiversity, a study was undertaken in 2007 bythe Department of Environment of theSeychelles, with the objective of analyzing allnational legislation, programmes, policies, andprojects relating to climate change andbiodiversity in the country, and compare thisanalysis to what is required from Seychellesthrough the various signed MultilateralEnvironmental Agreements (MEAs). The resultsof the study were discussed during a workshop,attended by a wide array of stakeholders from

the Environment Management Plan ofSeychelles (EMPS 2000-2010), the mainmulti-stakeholder, comprising governmentofficials, NGOs, and the private sector.

Case Study 2: Reducing Emissionsfrom Deforestation and ForestDegradation in Developing Countries(REDD) legal frameworks

The Environmental Law Centre has finalized anextensive publication on REDD national legalframeworks, including four case studies fromGuyana, Brazil, Papua New Guinea andCameroon. It discusses the main legal issuesrelating to REDD, including ownership of forest,land and carbon; participation and rights;revenue-sharing; and establishing baselinesthat ensure added-value and permanence.

Clear national legal frameworks will beessential for addressing all of the above issuesin both immediate 'readiness' work and longer-

term national strategies for REDD. A clearunderstanding of legal and institutional designissues will be essential for host countrylawmakers developing domestic frameworks, aswell as for international negotiators working toguarantee effective, efficient and equitableREDD approaches in a future UNFCCCagreement.The document can be accessedhere:http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/EPLP-077.pdfbn


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Oceans,

coasts andclimate change

The ocean plays a crucial role in climateregulation. It absorbs most incoming solar heat,is the worlds largest carbon sink, and drivesthe global water and precipitation cycle.Changing its composition and capacity toabsorb these gases has global consequences.Rising atmospheric CO2 levels and climaticchanges are affecting marine ecosystems, thehuman communities that depend on them andthe very ability of the ocean to absorb thisgreenhouse gas. Due to the significantgeophysical time lags, these processes willaffect the state of the worlds ocean formillennia to come.

Rising sea-levels Warming temperaturescause both ocean thermal expansion and land-ice melting processes, triggering sea-level rise.To date, the ocean has experienced anincrease in temperature only in the upperhundred meters. As warming extends,additional rise can be expected. Global averagesea level rose an estimated 0.17m during the20

thcentury, and, if the current trend continues,

is likely to rise by 1m or more by 2100, withcatastrophic consequences for coastal erosionrates, salinization of important aquifers and lossof living space for hundreds of millions ofpeople.

Ocean acidification The ocean absorbs

approximately one quarter of anthropogenicCO2 emissions every year. The uptake ofcarbon, nitrogen and sulphur heavily changesthe oceans chemical composition. Surface-ocean acidity has already increased by 30%above pre-industrial levels, decreasingseawaters capacity to absorb CO2 andseverely affecting calcification of importantorganisms, such as certain types of plankton,scleractinian corals and coralline algae. Thiscould have knock-on effects cascadingthroughout food chains, affecting commercially-important fish stocks and the food supplies of

millions of people.

Coral bleaching Coral reefs are oftendubbed the canaries in the coalmine forclimate change because of their high sensitivityto thermal stress. In 1998, an estimated 16% ofthe worlds tropical hard corals were lost to amass bleaching event, a phenomenon where

corals expel the symbiotic micro-algae thatprovide them with energy and pigment. Suchevents are predicted to become more frequentand more intense due to rising seatemperatures. If current emissions trendscontinue many of the remaining coral reefs maybe lost over the next 20 to 40 years, threateninglives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions ofpeople in developing tropical countries throughloss of billions of dollars worth of goods andservices (including fisheries, tourism, protectionfrom storms and coastal erosion and medicinalvalue).

Melting polar ice Average Arctictemperatures have increased at almost twicethe global average rate in the past 100 years.Since 1978 the annual average Arctic sea iceextent has shrunk by 2.7% per decade, withlarger decreases in summer (7.4% per decade).Arctic sea ice shrank to less than half of itsnormal minimum area in the summer of 2007.Within the next 30 years the Arctic could beentirely ice-free during summer months, withcatastrophic effects on the local biodiversity.The poleward migration of many species and

the lack of displacement options for cold-waterorganisms will mean high rates of speciesinvasions and extinctions in the region. An ice-free Arctic will also allow for new shippingpassages, fishing, and mining activities, whichcould have adverse impacts on the fragilemarine environment.

Changing ocean circulation and current patterns Climate change may slow downocean thermohaline circulation and alter thepatterns of up- and downwellings essential tothe productivity of marine ecosystems. Even

small, localized changes may affect marineecosystem productivity, oceanic CO2 uptakeand oxygen concentrations, and distribution ofcommercial fish stocks. Changing wind andcurrent patterns can put highly productivecontinental shelves at risk of extreme lowoxygen events, and can affect the strength ofdense water exchange mechanisms, crucial tocoastal water quality, nutrient cycling, anddeep-water production in more than 75% of theworlds fishing grounds, possibly devastating amulti-billion dollar industry that feeds billions ofpeople.


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Picture: BleachedAcropora coral in the Great Barrier Reef. Paul Marshall, GBRMPA

The IUCN response

The IUCN Global Marine Programme (GMP) isengaged in a range of cutting-edge researchprojects and analysis on marine climate changeissues, from high seas to tropical reefs,ecosystem-based adaptation and sustainablemitigation measures.

Adaptation and resilience work is a key area forthe GMP. IUCN focuses on synergies betweenscience, management, and policy to enhancecoral reef resilience. It also promotes theestablishment of networks of marine protectedareas as key tools to enhance adaptation andresilience of marine ecosystems to the harmfuleffects of climate change, while also protectingbiodiversity and allowing for the replenishing of

fisheries.

Coastal ecosystems represent a huge andcurrently untapped potential for nature-basedmitigation solutions. In an era where carbontrading and associated credit schemes are

becoming increasingly important in combatingclimate change, growing attention needs to begiven to marine ecosystems and theirpossibilities to store carbon. IUCN GMP hasprovided latest scientific findings on thepotential of natural coastal ecosystems, such as

tidal marshlands, mangrove forests or seagrassmeadows, to act as a carbon sinks. IUCN GMPalso examines proposals for ocean-based CO2sequestration technologies (geo-engineering)as potential climate change mitigation tools,and advocates a precautionary approach inpolicy making. Carbon sequestration throughocean fertilisation, for instance, maydramatically alter ocean chemistry andcompromise important biological cycles.

Case Study 1: Climate Change and

Coral Reefs Working Group (CCCR)

The CCCR was founded in 2006 through thegenerous support of the MacArthur Foundation.Its objective is to use coral reefs as a model


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ecosystem to prioritise climate information gapsand issues to be addressed, provide amechanism to focus scientific contributions fromleading research groups, and to synthesise therelevance of resilience science to managementand policy-making concerning coral reefs and

climate change. It aims to bridge gaps betweentheoretical science and managementapplication in order to accelerate developmentand use of tools that improve the protection ofcoral reefs from climate change and otheranthropogenic threats. It provides a forum tofacilitate the exchange of information betweenscientists and managers, to improverecommended management practices formitigating climate change threats to coral reefs.At government and inter-governmental levels,policy outputs from the CCCR will seek toinform efforts to reduce climate change impacts

on coral reefs, and thereby empower coral reefmanagement at local, national and regionallevels.

Remarkable achievements of the CCCR to dateinclude (a) various synthesis publicationsfocusing on ecological and social resilience toclimate change (including coral reefs,mangroves, seagrasses, dependent humansocieties and ocean acidification); (b) thedevelopment of a protocol for rapid onsiteassessments of coral reef resilience; (c) itsapplication in field assessments in 11 tropical

countries around the world (Indonesia, Kenya,Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, NetherlandsAntilles, Panama, Papua New Guinea, SaudiArabia, Seychelles, Tanzania) with outputsincluding targeted managementrecommendations; and (d) the successfulpromotion of an IUCN resolution Mobilizingaction to build resilience and assist adaptationto climate change of coral reefs and marineecosystems, and people that depend on themat the 2008 World Conservation Congress inBarcelona.

www.iucn.org/cccr

Case study 2: European Project onOcean Acidification (EPOCA)

www.epoca-project.eu

Research on ocean acidification is still quiterecent, but there is already a considerable bodyof work underway. There has also been a rapid

rise on concern at the highest political levels forthe consequences of ocean acidification to ourfuture wellbeing. The challenge is to link these

two strands together, so that the policy anddecision making system is quickly informed onthe latest developments from the scientificworld.

IUCN participates in the Reference User Group

of EPOCA, collaboration between majorEuropean research institutes to produceknowledge on, and assess vulnerability of,marine ecosystems threatened by oceanacidification. It is the largest project of its kind inthe world. Its main activities are to documentthe changes in ocean chemistry andgeographical distribution of marine organismsacross space and time; to quantify the impact ofocean acidification on marine organisms andecosystems; to integrate the impacts of oceanacidification into biogeochemical, sediment andcoupled ocean-climate models; and to assess

uncertainties, risks and thresholds (tippingpoints) related to ocean acidification. IUCNGMP is playing a major role in EPOCA by fillingthe critical communication gap by developingan outreach strategy for ocean acidificationresearch carried out in the NorthernHemisphere.

Case study 3: Greening blue energy

Offshore renewable energy development (e.g.wave and wind power) is expandingsignificantly throughout marine and estuarineenvironments, in both temperate and tropicalregions. The impacts of large-scaledevelopment ventures on the marineenvironment are a cause of concern.Discussions centre on disturbance effects fromnoise, shadows, electro-magnetic fields, andchanged hydrodynamic conditions and habitatstructures, on benthic communities, fish,mammals, and birds, including cascadingeffects at ecosystem levels. Indirect effects of

fisheries exclusion, and environmental hazardsdue to redirection of shipping, are also ofconcern. At the same time, opportunities forcombining Offshore Energy Development(ORED) with fisheries management andconservation interests receive increasingattention.

Large knowledge gaps exist on the impacts ofoffshore wind and wave energy farms, and theexisting knowledge is largely not compiled oraccessible in updated and user friendly formatsfor coastal managers, entrepreneurs, policy

makers, and local stakeholders. This hampersenvironmental impact assessments and the


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issuing of permits. If no pre-cautionaryapproach is applied, this could also put areasand species of conservation interest at risk. TheGMP has produced user-friendly, process-oriented overviews of environmental risks andpotentials, along with guiding principles and

policy regulation options, stakeholder analyses,and annotated bibliographies of large-scaleORED. Areas of conservation interest arepointed out to support strategic environmentalassessments.

The outputs will enable well-balanced science-based discussions and considerations onimpacts on the marine environment of offshorerenewable energy installations at the politicallevel as well as among the conservationcommunity, private business and localstakeholder levels. This will facilitate the further

instalment of offshore wind and wave energyusing due precautionary approaches and assistin good quality assessments, especially whendealing with sensitive areas, as well as advancethe development of mitigating constructionmethods and other measures for the benefit ofthe marine environment. The project alsoincludes important knowledge exchangebetween North and South, and the provision ofcapacity enhancing tools for effective andsustainable ORED in developing counties.


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Photo: Fishermen in Mwansabombwe in Luapula Province in Zambia. (Photo: Senja Vtinen)

Social

policy andclimate change

Climate change has enormous socialimplications, in particular for poverty, equity andhuman rights. The poor and marginalized, suchas indigenous and traditional peoples andwomen, are generally hit hardest by climate

change impacts as they already aredisproportionately vulnerable. Changing rainfallpatterns, droughts, floods, salinization ofaquifers, more frequent and intense winds andfires will specifically impact on livelihoods, foodsecurity and health of poor, natural resource-dependent communities, particularly in thedeveloping world. The disproportionate impactsthose people are suffering are furthercontributing to rising inequalities and making itmuch harder to progress in the achievement of

the Millennium Development Goals.

Indigenous and poor rural peoples have thesmallest ecological footprint and are leastresponsible for global greenhouse gasemissions. Nonetheless, they are amongst the

worst affected, since they often are directlydependent on fragile ecosystems, which arebeing heavily impacted by climate change.They have been historically excluded fromdecision-making processes, face insecurity oftenure on their lands, territories, and resources,and are often not adequately considered bypolitical institutions and legal systems. Somemitigation measures such as REDD (ReducingEmissions from Deforestation and forestDegradation) and biofuels present seriousthreats to some of their rights. On the otherhand, traditional knowledge represents an

important source of adaptation and mitigationstrategies, which could significantly contributeto combating climate change.

Indigenous peoples and rural communities, aswell as future generations, pose some of themost urgent social justice questions. As aconsequence, several international initiativeswhich discuss human-rights based approachesto climate change are now emerging.


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The IUCN response

The climate change related work of IUCNsSocial Policy Unit focuses on understanding thelinks between social and ecosystemvulnerability, as a base for developingconceptual and policy guidance to addressclimate change mitigation and adaptation froma human right and equity perspective, and forhelping communities building up their resilienceand understanding the role of traditionalknowledge.

Specific work includes providing indigenouspeoples networks, as well as institutions like theUN and the European Union, with policy adviceon traditional people and climate change. TheUnit also issued a report on Indigenous and

Traditional Peoples and Climate Change:Vulnerability and Adaptation.

Case Study 1: Climate Change andDevelopment Project

The IUCN Climate Change and DevelopmentProject is working with IUCN members andpartners in Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambiato support community-based climate changeadaptation, and to link practice and policy to

improve national and regional adaptationframeworks. The project is supported by theMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Finland and isbeing carried out by the East and SouthernAfrica Regional Office and the ForestryConservation Programme.

Climate variability and extreme weather eventsare already affecting many communities in theregion, posing significant challenges to povertyreduction and other development andconservation objectives. There is an urgentneed to enhance community resilience and

reduce vulnerability, and equitable and effectiveecosystem management can play a key role inmeeting this need.

This project aims to strengthen the enablingenvironment for adaptation, build awarenessand capacity to reduce risk and enhanceresiliency, and implement community-basedadaptation measures in over ten pilot sites.Activities include:

Analyzing both broad adaptationframeworks and field-level experiences

to develop concrete recommendationsfor enhancing local, national and

regional adaptation policies andinstitutions, including throughecosystem management;

Training project partners in climatechange vulnerability assessments and

adaptation strategy identification usingmulti-stakeholder processes and arange of tools (including CRISTAL Community Risk Screening Tool:Adaptation and Livelihoodswww.cristaltool.org );

Supporting community-basedimplementation of ecosystemmanagement related adaptationmeasures by working with localgovernment, NGO, and CBO partnersactive in pilot sites; and

Facilitating discussion and promoting

the exchange of information,knowledge and lessons learnedbetween local communities, NGOs anddecision makers at the local, nationaland regional levels.


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Speciesand climate change

Approximately 20 to 30% of plant and animalspecies are likely to be at increasingly high riskof extinction as global mean temperaturesexceed warming of 2 to 3C above preindustriallevels, according to Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change (Fourth Assessment Report).Global warming has already been implicated inhundreds of documented cases of speciesdeclines across marine, terrestrial andfreshwater ecosystems globally, including in theloss of amphibian species such as the GoldenToad. Climate change will be one of the majordrivers of species extinctions in the 21stcentury.

The IUCN response

General Circulation Models (GCMs) predict thatclimate change will affect different areas of theworld to different degrees. But it is also widelyrecognized that not all species will respond inthe same way, even to similar levels of climaticchange. Some species are much moresusceptible to climate change impacts thanothers due to their life history, and theirecological, behavioural, physiological andgenetic traits. Species that are in greatestdanger of climate-change driven extinction arethose with high susceptibility to climaticchanges, that also have distribution ranges thatwill experience large climatic changes andwhere their adaptive capacity is low.

IUCN Species Programme is working to identifythose traits that are most relevant for climatechange susceptibility, in order to identify thespecies that are facing the greatest risk ofclimate change induced extinction. The hope isto contribute a practical new conservation toolto help prevent extinctions.

Birds


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climate change. 70-80% of birds, amphibiansand corals that were already classified asthreatened in the Red List are also climate-change-susceptible. Of those that are notconsidered threatened, 25-51% are climate-change-susceptible.

Assessments of climate-change-susceptibilitywill complement IUCN Red List assessments ofextinction risk and serve as a warning flag,highlighting the need for intensive monitoringand potentially conservation action for affectedspecies.

Amphibians

Photo: Cochranella antisthenesilives only in a restricted area of Venezuelan forest. It is currently considered to be Vulnerable and has also been assessed asclimate-change-susceptible. While already considered Vulnerable, Venezuelan forest dwelling Cochranella antisthenesihas been assessed as climate-change-susceptible. Credit: Ariadne Angulo


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Waterand

Climate Change

Climate change impacts will be felt first andforemost through water. Droughts, severestorms, and floods will become more frequentand intense. Mountain glaciers, in the Andesand Himalayas most critically, will melt,increasing the risk of landslides and flooding,and reducing freshwater availability in the longterm. Sea-level rise will bring a higher risk of

coastal inundation and erosion. The numbers ofpeople living with limited access to scarce watersupplies is expected to climb from the current1.7 billion up to 3.2 billion by 2080 (IPCC,2008). Water is crucial both for adaptationpolicies, planning and action, and will befundamental in addressing global economic,security, and social priorities.

The multi-faceted importance of water inmediating the myriad impacts of climate changehas the effect of creating hot spots ofvulnerability These should be the highest

priority locations for adaptation, and include:

low-lying deltas and coastal mega-cities: where higher frequency offlooding and coastal inundation willhave the most acute impacts

drylands: where susceptibility to moresevere or more frequent water scarcityis high because of threats to foodsecurity, health and economicdevelopment

small islands: where sensitivity tocoastal erosion, inundation and salt-water intrusion is high at communityand national levels

mountains and their rivers: whereretreat of glaciers and reduction in thesize of winter snow packs will increasedisaster risk and shift the volume andtiming of downstream water availabilityfor irrigation, industry and cities.

The IUCN response

The IUCN Water Programme aims to helpgovernments, communities and river basinauthorities adapt to the impacts of climatechange. River basins and coasts are naturalinfrastructure for coping with these impacts.They provide water storage, flood control andcoastal defense vital services for reducing thevulnerabilities of communities and economies to

Photo: Women at a pump in Tanzania, IUCN/Taco Anema


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climate change. The IUCN Water and NatureInitiative (WANI) promotes the maintenance ofecosystems as infrastructures that reducevulnerability to floods, droughts and storms,under water governance that empowers waterusers in decision making. Investments in the

environment as critical national naturalinfrastructure should be integral to climatechange adaptation portfolios.

Case Study 1: The Pangani River BasinIn the Pangani River Basin (Tanzania), over-allocation is worsening water scarcity. The 3.4million people living in the area are vulnerableto projected drying of the climate. Efforts areunderway to implement environmental flows,an ecosystem-based method for allocatingwater to different uses within sustainable limits,

based on negotiations among differentstakeholders (Dyson et al., 2003).Implementation entails developing andcoordinating decision-making over waterallocation from local to basin scales.Institutional strengthening is key in enabling thestakeholders participation and joint action.Ideally, authorities should enlist representativesof competing water users farmers,hydropower, fishers, residents, and ecosystemsalike to help decide how to allocate water.

Combining a local sense of who needs what,

when, and where, with scientific data on howmuch water is available now and might beavailable under climate change scenarios, thecollaborators are piloting a new, and flexible,approach to informed decision-making. Theyare learning to allocate water within the limits ofthe rivers flow, also considering the needs ofecosystems in the basin that store water,regulate flows, and support livelihoods.Allocation of water to sustain naturalinfrastructure, such as wetlands and estuaryhabitats, and adaptive governance, providecapacity to deal with uncertain future events.

Through the support of WANI and others, betterwater governance and best practices willreduce pressure on ecosystems and start to

make communities and the economy in thePangani basin less vulnerable to climatechange. (West Africa, IUCN/Taco Anema)

Case Study 2: Mexico Guatemala

In the high-altitude upper watersheds of theCoatn and Suchiate rivers (Guatemala,Mexico), which flow off the slopes of theTacan volcano to the Pacific Ocean,ecosystem degradation and climate change areraising the risk of devastating flash floods.Deforestation, with associated severe erosionof formerly deep soils, has reduced capacity forwater retention, which has contributed to thenarrowing of livelihood options for the

population in the area. Communities in theupper and lower watersheds are vulnerable toflooding caused by intense rainfall. Floodingrisk is exacerbated by the lost water storagecapacity of the eroded soils which leads toincreases in the volume and rate of runoff.Disaster preparedness is now a high priority forauthorities when managing climatic variabilityand climate change adaptation. With supportfrom WANI, local communities have built micro-watershed councils to lead watershedrestoration and development that meet theirpriorities. Empowerment of community-owned

institutions is making watersheds more secureand livelihoods less vulnerable.

Photo: Flood in Mexico, IUCN/Taco Anema


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Case Study 3: Komadugu Yobe River,NigeriaDecades ago, dams and diversions were builton the Komadugu Yobe River that flowsthrough Nigerias arid northeast before draining

into the shrinking Lake Chad. Flow in the riverhas fallen by 35% and eroded the livelihoods ofmillions because of the combined effects ofabstraction of water for large-scale irrigationand regional drying of the climate. Stresses likethese in an impoverished and ethnicallysplintered region have led to resource scarcityand social tensions. Thanks to a joint basin-level intervention by IUCN and partnerorganizations, the federal and state

governments and other stakeholders, includingdam operators and farming, fishing, andherding communities, came together tonegotiate a plan for coordinating and investingin restoration and management of the basin. Inaddition to agreeing to a Catchment

Management Plan, a Water Charter wasdrafted that spells out the principles forsustainable development of the basin and theroles and responsibilities of governments andstakeholders. Reform of water governance isenabling transparent coordination of waterresource development, including remediation ofdegraded ecosystems and, eventually,restoration of the rivers flow regime. Dialogueand investment in natural infrastructure haveprovided people with more than the assetsneeded to make their livelihoods more resilientto future uncertainty related to climate change

(KYB Project, 2008, Smith & Barchiesi, 2009).

Photo: Komadugu Yobe River, Nigeria


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Climate change and

IUCNcommissions

IUCN unites 10 000 volunteer experts within sixcommissions in order to assess the state of theworlds natural resources. Climate change isone of the areas to which commission expertsgive key inputs. IUCN benefits from commissionclimate change expertise and collaboration on

publications, projects, events, and programmes,as described below.

Commission on Education

and Communication

CEC Chair: Keith Wheeler

Focus: CEC champions the strategic use ofcommunication and education to empower andeducate stakeholders for the sustainable use ofnatural resources. Members: 600.

Recent work on Climate Change: The CEChosted high level climate change meetings atIUCN's 4th World Conservation Congress inBarcelona, Spain, in October 2008. It has built a

network of partners from the world ofinternational security and climate change.Meetings with organizations such as NATO,Woodrow Wilson Institute, Centre for Naval

Analysis and other have led to a conference inBrussels and a workshop of top military leaders(October 2009) to send a strong signal toCopenhagen from the perspective ofinternational security. CEC is also collaborating

addressing climate change-iucn

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