Alternative Carbon Investments in Ecosystems for Poverty Alleviation

Below-ground versus above-ground opportunities for the restoration of ecosystem services

ESPA meeting, NairobiMarch 2016

http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu/afsis/mapclient/http://nape.or.ug/http://na.unep.net/Alter team photos

ALTER: Alternative Carbon Investments in Ecosystems for Poverty Alleviation

Why focus on soils?

ALTER: Alternative Carbon Investments in Ecosystems for Poverty Alleviation Ethiopia Southern Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Country Coordinator Hawassa University International Water Management Institute (IWMI)UK James Hutton Institute (JHI), Project Leader University of AberdeenUganda Carbon Foundation of East Africa (CAFEA)

Subsequent collaborations :University of Turin, Italy; Natural History Museum, UK; Ethiopian Institute of Biodiversity; University of Edinburgh

ALTER: Alternative Carbon Investments in Ecosystems for Poverty Alleviation

Study areas

Halaba, Southern Ethiopia Southern Uganda

Contrast between regions• Dryland low carbon soils vs wetland carbon rich soils• Socio-political enviroments – governance, education, policies

Overarching research question

MULTIPLE HUMAN BENEFITS

CULTURAL (history, spiritual, knowledge)

REGULATING (water quality, erosion,

climate)

PROVISIONING (food and fibre,, water

quantity)

POVERTY ALLEVIATION

Can investment in soil (carbon) be used

to alleviate poverty? • By restoring, enhancing or protecting the

goods and services supported by soils in

regions where soils are degraded or under

threat of degradation.

• Is SOC (soil) an alternative to investment in

aboveground carbon or other mechanisms?

How do people benefit from soils within their landscapes and what are their attitudes towards soil?

CROPS, FODDER, DRINKING WATER, FUEL, CLOTHING, BUILDINGS,

FURNITURE, WILD FOODS, CULTURE,

WEATHER & CLIMATE REGULATION, BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION, WATER

FOR INDUSTRY & URBAN AREAS…

Apply models across space and time to

evaluate soil-focussed intervention options

Data collection and model

developmentDevelop storylines and narratives for

locally specific scenarios

Multiple-scale strategies for long-term poverty alleviation through ecosystem services -

reflecting climate change adaptation

New dataNew toolsNew insightsNew guidance

Assess the effectiveness of interventions and investments in soil carbon

Define capacity of soils to supply ecosystem services

Understand the relationships between poverty, people, soils and soil carbon

Enable capacity building and generation of new information

Assess the resilience of poverty alleviation linked to soils-based ecosystem services

Planned Research Outcomes

WP4. Delivery of

development and academic

impact

WP3. Assess the effectiveness of mechanisms to alleviate poverty through

soil carbon

WP1. Understand socio-economic

relationships between soils and poverty

WP2. Assess the capacity of the soil to

supply ecosystem services

Work package 4:

Delivery of academic

and development impact

ESPA AIMS:• Capture relevant change scenarios • Engage stakeholders • Provide facilitation evidence for enablers of change

ALTER: Alternative Carbon Investments in Ecosystems for Poverty Alleviation

Legacy

Led by: Dr. Helaina Black

ALTER: Alternative Carbon Investments in Ecosystems for Poverty Alleviation

WP4 IMPACT

Local Regional National International

NAPAs & NAMAs

AfSIS

Local Regional National International

Impact of this research

Provide sound information to support strategies to alleviate poverty in rural communities of dryland and wetland areas of Africa

Evidence for increased investment in soils

Education and awareness raising of soil values and soil improvement opportunities

Policy and planning for soil use and management

Support project development and implementation

Contribute to advances in science

Evidence for implementation of NAPAs and NAMAs

Evidence to support the development of strategies in natural resource use, management and restoration

Skills, expertise, data and knowledge

International impact routes

• UN IPBES and ITPS– Revised World Soil Charter 2015

• Global Soil Partnership– Pillars of Action

• CGIAR Programmes • Impact orientated scientific fora

http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/c6814873-efc3-41db-b7d3-2081a10ede50/

FLARE conference December 2016

National to local impact routes• Policy,, advisory, research, local communities, farmers…

– Working with well-placed organisations and individuals• If we produce something useful in the right format for them then

people will use it

If we produce something useful in the right format then people will be use it, or not!

Fieldwork- GHG emissions

What are the seasonal and annual C losses from organic soils under potato cultivation? - 3 field plots, 10 sample points per plot- Sampled at time of plot preparation, mid growing

season, post harvest- Developing 3 methods for evaluating losses

Total C losses from organic soils since drainage?- Same sample plots and points- Using 2 of the methods for evaluating losses

What is the variability in GHG emissions within cultivated areas on organic wetland soils?- Measured CO2 emissions for 3x 5-day periods- Measured GHG emissions for 2x 5-day periods

Agricultural Based on HH survey

HH survey:• 3 main categories:

Rich 11%Medium 36%Poor 53%

• 2.6 plots each on average:2 plots 95%3 plots 45%4 plots 13%5 plots 4.5%6 plots 1.5%7 plots 0.5%

Initial strategy:1. ~ 200 locations on agricultural land (~70 HH)2. 2 to 3 plots for each selected HH3. HH selected based on category and possibly

other variables in the survey (e.g. soil quality of the plots)

Non-Agricultural Based on LC and bio-physical

Initial strategy:1. ~ 100 locations on non-agricultural land2. Strata based on

a) clusters of soil properties & morphological featuresb) Land cover classes

3. Locations selected within the strata using random probabilistic approach weighted by area

Household Survey Development

Survey draws upon• ALTER WP1 Ethiopian HH survey• Uganda National Household Survey (UNHHS)• Africa Soil Information Service (AfSIS) • Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)

Administered using Open Data Kit (ODK) on Android Phones

ODK is a free, open source resource • Requires basic programme in Excel• Diverse input data types

(text, date, multiple choice, audio, GPS) • Complete package for survey design, data collection,

data aggregation• Reduces errors, speeds up data processing, and

allows data review/ instant enumerator feedback

Lessons and methods described in Household Survey Tool Kit documentation

Work Package

1.1.5 Qualitative analysis of poverty - dimensions (the SLA five capitals) and dynamics

1.1.6 Quantitative analysis of poverty - dimensions (the SLA five capitals focusing soil ES) and dynamics

1.2.3. Economic model of land use decision

Example of findings (Ethiopia): Complex dynamics of soil erosion

Stuff that came up in the Halaba focus groups

illustrating the complex drivers, interacting factors, impacts and feedbacks that are relevant when talking

about soil erosion and management in Halaba

>20 researchers in 3 countries working together with communities in Ethiopia and Uganda

Learning process for allBuilding new ways of working Learning to work with new people and new organisations

Challenging but fun

“ambitious“ and new science tackling a big issue

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