Post on 08-Aug-2020
Forestry and Climate Change : A
Regional Perspective
Forestry Indaba 2010Forestry Indaba 2010
October 12October 12--14, Mpumalanga 14, Mpumalanga
H.O. Kojwang PhD
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Placeholder: brief on 3 countries
Climate Change - Should we be worried ?
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� At 2.5 – 3 0C increase – productivity in savannas trees decline with
drying. Some savanna trees die at extreme temperatures
� C4 Plant survive better (eg sugar cane, reeds)
�With 1-2 0C increase above 1990 levels – 40-50 % loss of plant
endemic species richness
�With 2.5 – 3 0C increase –
oExtinction of 10 % of endemic plants,
oSucculent Karoo could be reduced by 80%
oSome parks could loose 40% plant species
o40 – 50% loss of the fynbos
oKruger could loose 66% of species
Ref : Lobovikov 2009, Clare 2009
Placeholder: brief on 3 countries
Climate Change in the Context of Forest
Management in SADC
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�Large Forest Reserves provide products & services such as climate
regulation, repositories of biological diversity, genetic resources.
�Resilience to disturbances works better in sufficiently large areas –
chronic or episodic events
�Protection of key water towers such as Zambia and Angola –
Zambezi, Kunene, Kavango, Cuando River Catchments
�Carbon sequestration – a mitigation factor against global warming
since deforestation and forest degradation is responsible for about
20% of total global emissions of GHG
Placeholder: brief on 3 countries
It is mainly twofold:
i) Adapting forests to climatic changes – predictions / projections
by modeling current trends – Implications to production /
productivity
�Fire management - dealing with increasing fire risk
�Disease spread as a result of predisposition by the physical
environment
�Expansion of range – Pests, Vectors, Diseases
�Increase in aggressiveness or virulence in diseases
�Breeding – tree improvement - as a major response
�Matching provenances to sites – critical to maintain productivity
Responses to Climate Adaptation to Climate
Change
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Placeholder: brief on 3 countries
ii) Using Forest Ecosystems to facilitate adaptation
�Escape corridors for plants and animals
�Resilience - to the extent that it is affected by size
�Repository of genetic variability
�Providing ecological connectivity
�Catchment protection under threat of increasing water deficits
�Carbon sequestration
Adaptation
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Placeholder: brief on 3 countries
�The Forestry Protocol which came into force in 2009
�A Regional Forestry Strategy that was developed in 2009 – 2010
�A SADC Programme on REDD - 2010
Developments in SADC
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Placeholder: brief on 3 countries
ii) Using Forest Ecosystems as a way of facilitating adaptation
�Escape corridors for plants and animals
�Resilience as a factor of size
�Repository of genetic variability
�Providing ecological connectivity
�Catchment protection under threat of increasing water deficits
�Carbon sequestration
Adaptation
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Placeholder: brief on 3 countries
� Promote the development, conservation and sustainable
management and utilisation of all types of forests and trees
� Promote trade in forest products throughout the Region, in order to
alleviate poverty and generate economic opportunities for the peoples
of the Region; and
� Achieve effective protection of the environment, and safeguard the
interest of both present and future generations
SADC Protocol on Forestry : Objectives
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Placeholder: brief on 3 countries
Strategic Programme Areas
� Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
� Protection of Key Catchment Forests and other ecosystem services –
invasive species
� Forestry and poverty reduction – Increased trade, value addition
� Community forest management
� Fire management and cross-border cooperation
� Forest Assessments & regional database
� Capacity development
� Cross-cutting – Policies, laws, gender
Regional Forestry Strategy : An
implementation Mechanism
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Placeholder: brief on 3 countries
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation – Engagement in
International Processes
�Objective: To improve the capacity of SADC member
states to engage in International Processes and also have
viable adaptation and mitigation projects in the forest sector
�Results – participation in int’l processes, increase in CDM
eligible plantations, REDD projects, REDD expertise in the
region, adaptation projects e.g. ecological corridors
Regional Forestry Strategy : An
implementation Mechanism
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Placeholder: brief on 3 countries
Protection of Key Catchment Forests
�Objective: To safeguard and enhance the capacity of
SADC forests to mitigate the effects of climate change and
protect key water catchment areas
�Results: e.g. proclamation of catchment forests in DRC and
Angola, additional new ecosystems under protection,
Regional Forestry Strategy : An
implementation Mechanism
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Placeholder: brief on 3 countries
• Forestry - poverty reduction context
�Objective: To increase / enhance production levels from
natural and man-made forests to create more employment
and help reduce poverty
�Results: new manufacturing, new eco-friendly plantations &
food security investments, plantation and bio-fuels policies,
increased production of NTFPs
Regional Forestry Strategy : An
implementation Mechanism
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Placeholder: brief on 3 countries
� Political support for the Implementation of the Protocol on
Forestry, particularly on issues of regional interesto Water towers (catchment forests)
o Support Payment for Environmental Services (PES) schemes
o Increased intra-regional trade
o Value added manufacturing in forest rich countries
� Initiate REDD+ related Projects o Getting into REDD readiness – Identifying drivers, estimating reference levels
o Enhancement of carbon stocks in degraded forests
o Seek opportunities for CDM projects – South African Private Capital
o Active engagement in international REDD Processes UNREDD, FCPF
� Concentrate on poverty reduction and increased production as
a coping strategy in a climate change vulnerable region
Policy Responses in SADC Countries
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© WWF-Canon / Martin Harvey
ls
THANK YOU !