Ecosystem-based Adaptation to climate change in Central...
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Context The highly diverse ecosystems of Central Asia provide important services for the people. They preserve soil ferti- lity, regulate climate, provide clean water and protect against floods and erosion. However, impacts of climate change, which mainly mani- fests in glacier melting and the resulting changes in water flow regimes, put them under increasing pressure. At the same time, ecosystems are being increasingly degraded by unsustainable land use management. This also has negative impacts on economic development in the Central Asian region, which depends to a large extend on water originating in the mountains of the region: food security is largely based on irrigated agriculture and in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, energy is almost exclusively (98% and 94%) produced by hydropower. The ecosystems of the high mountain regions buffer the impacts of climate change and are also biodiver- sity hotspots of global importance. At the same time, the high mountain regions of Central Asia show one of the world’s highest vulnerability to climate change. Aside from the expected impacts of climate change, the very low adap- tive capacity of the countries is crucial factor determining the high vulnerability. Against this background, ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is a promising approach to generate sustainable solutions for the described problems. EbA is a holistic approach to pre- serve ecosystem functions in order to improve the adaptive capacity of local communities towards climate change. Since its introduction on the 14th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2008, the concept of ecosystem- based adaptation (EbA) has become an increasingly impor- tant aspect of the international climate policy debate. In Central Asia, EbA measures could become part of adapta- tion strategies and National Adaptation Plans of Action (NAPAs). The German Federal Ministry for the Environ- ment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) specifically promotes the approach through the International Climate Initiative (IKI). Rationale and challenges Using ecosystem-based approaches for adaptation to climate change adaptation is a new concept in Central Asia. Never- theless, there is already abundant experience with measures that potentially qualify as EbA. In most cases, however, these measures are rooted in respective sectors and are not integrated in a wider strategy of EbA. Hence, they do not live up to their full potential. One of the main challenges of EbA in Central Asia is to develop a common understan- ding and start a process of intense cooperation between the different actors. By bundling the existing measures and integrating them into climate change adaptation, land-use and biodiversity policies, a regional synergetic strategy for EbA can be created. Therefore, it is necessary to embed and mainstream EbA into policy dialogues and thereby enhance and strengthen intra- and intersectoral communication and coordination. EbA addresses complex issues by comprehen- sive analysis beginning with the planning phase of an inter- vention. By the coordination of ecosystem-based adaptation among sectors, local communities are enabled to manage GIZ in Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Ecosystem-based Adaptation to climate change in Central Asia Seminar on sustainable pasture management in Min Bulak, Kyrgyzstan
Transcript of Ecosystem-based Adaptation to climate change in Central...
ContextThe highly diverse ecosystems of Central Asia provide important services for the people. They preserve soil fertility, regulate climate, provide clean water and protect against floods and erosion.
However, impacts of climate change, which mainly manifests in glacier melting and the resulting changes in water flow regimes, put them under increasing pressure. At the same time, ecosystems are being increasingly degraded by unsustainable land use management. This also has negative impacts on economic development in the Central Asian region, which depends to a large extend on water originating in the mountains of the region: food security is largely based on irrigated agriculture and in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, energy is almost exclusively (98% and 94%) produced by hydropower. The ecosystems of the high mountain regions buffer the impacts of climate change and are also biodiversity hotspots of global importance. At the same time, the high mountain regions of Central Asia show one of the world’s highest vulnerability to climate change. Aside from the expected impacts of climate change, the very low adaptive capacity of the countries is crucial factor determining the high vulnerability.
Against this background, ecosystembased adaptation (EbA) is a promising approach to generate sustainable solutions for the described problems. EbA is a holistic approach to preserve ecosystem functions in order to improve the adaptive capacity of local communities towards climate change. Since its introduction on the 14th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2008, the concept of ecosystembased adaptation (EbA) has become an increasingly important aspect of the international climate policy debate. In Central Asia, EbA measures could become part of adaptation strategies and National Adaptation Plans of Action (NAPAs). The German Federal Ministry for the Environ
ment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) specifically promotes the approach through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
Rationale and challenges
Using ecosystembased approaches for adaptation to climate change adaptation is a new concept in Central Asia. Nevertheless, there is already abundant experience with measures that potentially qualify as EbA. In most cases, however, these measures are rooted in respective sectors and are not integrated in a wider strategy of EbA. Hence, they do not live up to their full potential. One of the main challenges of EbA in Central Asia is to develop a common understanding and start a process of intense cooperation between the different actors. By bundling the existing measures and
integrating them into climate change adaptation, landuse and biodiversity policies, a regional synergetic strategy for EbA can be created. Therefore, it is necessary to embed and mainstream EbA into policy dialogues and thereby enhance and strengthen intra and intersectoral communication and coordination. EbA addresses complex issues by comprehensive analysis beginning with the planning phase of an intervention. By the coordination of ecosystembased adaptation among sectors, local communities are enabled to manage
GIZ in Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Ecosystem-based Adaptation to climate change in Central Asia
Seminar on sustainable pasture management in Min Bulak, Kyrgyzstan
their natural resources and create solutions for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem conservation, mitigation of greenhouse gases, enhanced food security and development in the face of climate change.
Projects
Typical elements of EbA projects are participatory approaches to generate alternative income, climatesmart management of forests, pastures or water resources accompanied by a strong focus on capacity building. Examples for projects that make already use of these elements can be found as shown in the following.
The regional Programme for Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Central Asia is acting in the region on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is implemented by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). One part of the programme is the bilateral project „Adaptation to Climate Change through Sustainable Forest Management“ in Tajikistan. It aims to strengthen the capacity of the forest agency, enterprises and users to sustainably use forests.
The „Biodiversity Conservation and Poverty Reduction through Communitybased Management of Walnut Forests and Pasture“ project develops a modern and rational model of resource management in Kyrgyzstan for both, the forest and pasture sectors. Both projects contribute to the country’s climate change resilience, biodiversity conservation and livelihood improvement in the project areas.
The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety of Germany (BMUB) has been supporting manifold relevant activities in the Central Asian region. As examples can be stated the GIZ Project on sustainable rehabilitation of riparian forests in Gorno
Badakhshan (Tajikistan) or the ICARDA projects on pastoral groups and community reforestation.
An explicitly regional approach is followed by the Regional Environment Programme of the European Union for Central Asia (EURECA 2009) in which the project “Forest and Biodiversity Governance Including Environmental Monitoring“ focuses on regional cooperation and collaboration with European countries in the protection and sustainable use of forests, pastures and wildlife, as well as in environmental monitoring. This is achieved through close cooperation with sectorial ministries, governmental and nongovernmental organizations in all five Central Asian states. Implementation is conducted by the Regional Programme for Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Central Asia.
Moreover there are some small scale pilot climate change adaptation activities in Vanj District (Tajikistan), which were financed by different climate related GIZ projects. In 2014, the activities were assumed by nongovernmental organization CAMP Tabiat. Specific measures of this project are the collection of structured descriptions of impacts, vulnerabilities, and adaptation mechanisms. As a result of this participatory process, the existing Joint Forest Management approach was linked to climate monitoring in order to better understand the links between changing climate conditions and forest ecosystems.
Apart from this, with the cofunding of the Government of Switzerland for the GEF CommunityBased Adaptation (CBA) project in Kazakhstan, UNDP is supporting the development of a suite of communitybased climate change adaptation measures, facilitating capacity building and enabling activities at the national level and throughout Central Asia. This project engages local stakeholders through training workshops, capacity building, knowledge management activities and roundtable meetings to discuss national and regional climate change adaptation processes.
The Hydrometeorology Modernization Project (CAHMP) is an example of the World Bank’s efforts to improve the accuracy of delivery of weather, climate and hydrological services in the region with particular focus on the Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and to enable regional cooperation in hydrometeorology through information sharing. By this, countries of the region will strengthened the adaptive capacity.A general priority of further steps concerning EbA in Central Asia to increased coordination of existing promising approaches into a common strategy could greatly improve the impact and sustainability of EbA in Central Asia.
Imprint
Published by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbHRegistered offices Bonn and Eschborn, Germany
On behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety of Germany (BMUB)
Contact details Programme for Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Central Asia Erkindik Bvld.22 720040 Bishkek, Kyrgyz RepublicAndre Fabian, Senior [email protected] T +996 312 90-93-40 www.giz.de, www.naturalresources-centralasia.org
Joint forest management approach in Tajikistan: Planting seedlings for reforestation in Ishkashim
