1 OVERALL PROGRESS ON CLIMATE CHANGE: MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION OCTOBER 2012 FOR PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE...
-
Upload
estella-henry -
Category
Documents
-
view
216 -
download
0
Transcript of 1 OVERALL PROGRESS ON CLIMATE CHANGE: MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION OCTOBER 2012 FOR PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE...
1
OVERALL PROGRESS ON CLIMATE CHANGE: MITIGATION AND
ADAPTATION
OCTOBER 2012
FOR PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE MEETING
2
Outline1. BACKGROUND
2. PRIORITIES AND POLICY DIRECTIVES FOR PLANNING ADAPTATION RESPONSE
3. CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAMMES
4. PROGRESS: CLIMATE RELATED PROJECTS
5. DAFF NEGOTIATION THEMES AND POSITION
6. CONCLUSION
3
Background • Scientific observations indicate that the sector in particular the South African agricultural landscape is facing
considerable impacts from climate change; this situation has far reaching implications on livelihoods, trade, job creation and food security.
• This situation is further compounded by the fact that at household level South Africa remains highly vulnerable to food security
• The sector is one of the more sensitive sectors of the South African economy likely to feel any impacts of climate change – both positive and negative - from both food security and livelihoods perspectives.
• Agriculture – source of Green House Gas [GHG] emissions: 4.6% of total net emissions (GHG inventory 2000) mainly from enteric fermentation and manure management; cropland accounting: 3.7% of total net emissions
• Natural forests and woodland ecosystems provide vital ecosystem services and forest goods for the benefit of society as a whole and in particular to neighbouring communities. In the 2000 GHG Inventory forest lands removed about 13 Million tonnes of CO2 , which makes it the single largest sink of greenhouse gasses in the country.
• Both commercial and small-scale recreational fisheries contribute minimally to the South Africa’s GDP (1.8%), however, aquatic living resources have high nutritional value and harvesting thereof contributes to the livelihood of coastal communities.
4
Priorities and policy directives for planning adaptation response
Adaptation:
• Adaptation is essential: we cannot prevent climate change altogether, so we must adapt. That means integrating risk reduction strategies into humanitarian and development strategies.
• Currently developing a Climate Change adaptation strategy for the sector, and become practical in enhancing adaptive capacity to climate change
– Access to means of implementation [finance, technology]– Work Programme to deal with ecosystems, sustainable agriculture and livelihoods– Adaptive research, adaptation programmes, early warning systems and
infrastructure, – Enhanced risk management
5
Priorities and policy directives for planning adaptation response
Mitigation:
Agriculture a contributor of greenhouse gas emissions:
• Require support to reduce emissions associated with new or continued development.
• As climate change increases weather and climate related natural hazards, conventional disaster management and risk reduction strategies need to implement climate change adaptation and mitigation measures and vice versa in order to approach truly integrative disaster risk reduction.
6
Climate Change programmes
• Awareness programme: on-going activity, raise awareness through DAFF structures such as National Agro-meteorological Committee (NAC), Mentorship Action Programmes (MAP), Farmer Days, Land Care programmes etc
• Policy development – already developed Climate Change Sector Plan (CCSP) (to serve as Baseline) & permission granted by DAFF to gazette the plan.
• DAFF currently developing the sector Mitigation and Adaptation Plan (Strategic deliverable 2012/13).
• DAFF conducted a preliminary investigation on Vulnerability Assessment(VA) to Climate Change in the South Western parts of Free State Province – national VA is being planned
• Identify and co-ordinate Climate Change related research projects – assist DAFF i.t.o vulnerability assessments, inform policy development, adaptation & mitigation measures/strategies – make available to producers.
Progress: Climate related projectsProject title Funder/potential
funder Status Objectives/ success factors
Mitigation and Adaptation Plan
DAFF Service provider appointed and service level agreement signed. Meeting held with the service provider to discuss the inception of developing the plan
To develop mitigation and adaptation in the sector
Climate smart agriculture (CSA) awareness and capacity building workshop
DAFF Planned (April 2013 – March 2014)
To share knowledge and implemented projects on Climate Smart Agriculture; develop CSA strategy
Sensitivity of crop suitability in SA to Climate Change
DAFF Service provider (SP) appointed and service level agreement signed. Meeting organized with SP for update
Analyse an ensemble of present day and future climate simulations with the aim to determine the crop suitability of selected crops for the SA region 7
Mitigation and adaptation to climate variability and change in the Thabo Mofutsanyane district (Free State Province, South Africa): Multi-disciplinary approach through an integrated crop-livestock system
DAFF Service provider (SP) appointed and service level agreement signed. Meeting organized with SP for update
The production of bioenergy as a substitute for high GHG emitting sources of energy (capacity building, awareness, Sustainable development benefits; co-benefits of improved quality of life; poverty alleviation & job creation.
Atlas of climate change andthe South African AgriculturalSector: A 2010 perspective
DAFF Completed and distributed to relevant stakeholders
To investigate the first to fourth order impacts of climate change on agriculture.
Agricultural GHG inventory for SA
British High Commission
Completed and distributed to relevant stakeholders
To address the issue of agricultural GHG emissions data unavailability by building the relevant inventory, determining the level of GHG emissions from the agriculture sector as well as building capacity within the DAFF
GHG inventory database British High Commission
being implemented To improve the emissions methodology and data from the sector.
Climate Change Sector Plan
DAFF Submission submitted to request Minister to gazette
to respond to the NCCRS and ensure a sustainable, profitable agricultural sector
8
Progress: Climate related projectsProject title Funder/potential
funder Status Objectives/ success factors
National REDD-plus strategy
DAFF/other possible REDD-Plus funding mechanisms
Currently at the pre-readiness phase parallel to outcomes of UNFCCC/ UNCBD REDD-Plus negotiations Identifying the various linkagesCapacity building for REDD-PlusAssessing feasibility of REDD-Plus for South AfricaIn-depth literature review and establishing networks at an international levelDrafting of concept document April 2013 – March 2014Development of national strategy and/or action plan 2014/2015Establishing forest reference emission levels and/or forest reference levels and distributed
To reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries
9
DAFF NEGOTIATION THEMES & POSITION
ITEM STATUS SA POSITION/ DAFF LINKAGES
Agriculture SBSTA agrees to continue
consideration of this agenda
item at its 37th session.
South Africa recognises the
importance of adaptation and
its relative priority compared
to mitigation, the need to
achieve food security and the
importance of technology
transfer. However, this would
best be addressed taking into
account the diversity of
agricultural systems, the
differences in scale and in
accordance with the
principles of the Convention
and actions undertaken
under the Convention should
not jeopardize food security.
Sectoral approaches
discussed under Ad Hoc
Working Group on Long-term
Cooperative Action under the
Convention (AWG-LCA)
10
ITEM STATUS SA POSITION/DAFF LINKAGES
Land-use, Land
Use Change and
Forestry
(LULUCF):
LULUCF under the
CDM
In its conclusions, SBSTA initiates its
consideration of the issues related to
LULUCF as referred to in Decision
2/CMP.7 (LULUCF), paragraphs 5, 6, 7
and 10 for reporting on progress to
COP/MOP 8. The SBSTA also invites
parties and observers to submit their views
for compilation by SBSTA 37 on:
Issues related to modalities and
procedures for alternative approaches to
addressing the risk of non-permanence
under the CDM, in accordance with
Decision 2/CMP.7, paragraph 7;
Modalities and procedures for possible
additional LULUCF activities under the
CDM in accordance with Decision
2/CMP.7, paragraph 6; and Issues related
to a more comprehensive accounting of
anthropogenic emissions by sources and
removals by sinks from LULUCF, including
through a more inclusive activity-based
approach or a land-based approach, as
referred to in Decision 2/CMP.7, paragraph
5.
SA will continue to
support the position of
Africans in the
treatment of forest
management (that is,
combining the net-net
accounting with the
reference levels);
stressing the
importance of an
accounting system
that ensures
environmental
integrity (i.e.
transparency,
accuracy,
comparability,
consistency, and
completeness).
It appears that there could be a number
of approaches and concepts within
REDD+, and the linkage between these
and LULUCF accounting rules will need
to be explored in depth in future
meetings.
11
ITEM STATUS SA POSITION LINKAGES
Reducing Emissions
from Deforestation and
Forest degradation in
Developing countries
(REDD+)
On the way forward, it was decided that the
secretariat will prepare a technical paper,
as well as efforts to organise the REDD+
workshop before Doha, despite financing
difficulties.
South Africa is of
the view that
REDD+ is an
important
component of
NAMAs.
Consistent with our
general approach
to NAMAs, South
Africa is of the
view that the
specific category
of NAMAs being
discussed under
REDD+ should be
publicly funded.
It appears that there could be a
number of approaches and
concepts within REDD+, and the
linkage between these and LULUCF
accounting rules will need to be
explored in depth in future
meetings.
There is a linkage between REDD-
Plus under the UNFCCC and the
REDD-Plus Environmental and
Social safeguards discussed under
the UNCBD.
Forests in Exhaustion (FIE)
In its conclusions the SBSTA takes note of
the summary report in document
FCCC/SBSTA/2012/MISC.10 and has
agreed to continue consideration of this
agenda item at SBSTA 38.
FiE should not be
considered under
SBSTA
It should either be
shifted from the
SBSTA to
LULUCF under
CDM as a new
activity or
completely be
removed from the
UNFCCC agenda
LULUCF / CDM
12
Conclusion• South Africa has insufficient capacity to translate information into knowledge, for farmers to
respond to climate change challenges and at local government level.
• Uncertainties about the extent of climate change impacts make it even more difficult to quantify the levels of vulnerability of different communities.
• Broadened Knowledge Systems need to be integrated with other sciences to maximize benefits from both systems.
• There is a need to translate what is already known regarding climate change (impacts, vulnerabilities, etc) into knowledge that informs policy making
• Awareness of climate change issues by ordinary people could be improved – extension services
• Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management - Climate change mitigation and adaptation have to be harmonized with integrative disaster risk reduction.
• Broadened Knowledge Systems need to be integrated with other sciences to maximize benefits from both systems.
13
14
thank you,