BREMEN INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS

11th Annual Conference

28 - 30 March 2015

United Nations Convention to Combat DesertificationStudy Guide

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

Topic A: Food Security in the Drylands

Topic B: Measures to Combat Deforestation on a Regional Scale

Committee Chair:Nicholas Lee

Jacobs University Bremen

email@nickle.es

Committee Co-Chair:Hang Yuan

Jacobs University Bremen

mail@hangyuan.co

A Letter from your Chairs:Dear Delegates of the Convention,

We are positively thrilled that you have chosen to participate in BRIMUN 2015, our 11th annual

conference thus far. As part of our theme this year, Energy & the Environment, we will be

debating and discussing two pressing topics in a United Nations body dedicated to specific and

pressing environmental issues.

In this session, we will be discussing the impact of a process known as desertification on food

supplies and ways in which climate change can be limited by regional measures.

Before this conference, we strongly encourage you to familiarise yourselves with this background

guide and to do additional reading on these issues, the ways in which your country is affected, and

the political stances and alliances that exist in the topic. You will discover that being well-prepared

as a delegate will be more rewarding; strong committees with motivated members tend to produce

amazing results, amazing moments, and friendships that will carry forth into future conferences.

Regardless of whether you are a veteran MUN delegate or someone just getting their legs under

them, we hope to see you present and debating. If you encounter difficulties before, or during the

conference, please do not hesitate to ask us at any time in person or via email.

We greatly look forward to seeing you in April!

Your Chairs,

Nick & Hang

1

Contents

1 UNCCD: An Overview 4

2 Helpful Definitions 4

3 Topic A: Food Security in the Drylands 5

3.1 Impacts of Insecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

3.1.1 Malnutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

3.1.2 Destabilisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3.1.3 Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3.1.4 Contamination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3.2 Causes of Insecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

3.2.1 Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

3.2.2 Population Density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

3.2.3 Insufficient Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

3.2.4 Lack of Nutritional Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

3.2.5 Varying Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

3.3 Sustainable Land Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

3.3.1 Soil Replenishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

3.3.2 Specialised farming techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

3.3.3 Efficient Water Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

3.4 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3.4.1 Measures to support local agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3.4.2 Measures to ensure a constant food supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3.4.3 Access to nutrition for those in poverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3.4.4 Measures to increase crop yields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3.4.5 Methods of improving water efficiency in agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3.4.6 Ways of promoting and developing Sustainable Land Management . . . . . . . 9

3.4.7 The prevention of agriculture-linked desertification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3.5 Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

4 Topic B: Measures to Combat Deforestation on a Regional Scale 11

4.1 Consequences of Deforestation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

4.1.1 Loss of Habitat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

4.1.2 Increased Greenhouse Gases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

4.1.3 Less Water in the atmosphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

4.1.4 Soil Erosion and Flooding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4.1.5 Destruction of Homelands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4.2 Causes of Deforestation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4.2.1 Urbanisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4.2.2 Agricultural Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4.2.3 Forest Degradation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2

4.2.4 Desertification of land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4.2.5 Natural Causes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4.2.6 Mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4.2.7 Underlying Causes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

4.3 Measures to Combat Deforestation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

4.3.1 UNCCD and REDD+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

4.3.2 Case Study: Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

4.4 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

4.5 Questions to consider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

5 Bibliography 15

3

1 UNCCD: An Overview

Figure 1: UNCCD Logo

Source: http://bit.ly/1GvBPkR

The United Nations Convention to Combat

Desertification, or UNCCD, was adopted in June

1994 in order to respond to the newly recognised

threats of desertification, climate change, and

biodiversity. By 1996, this uniquely binding legal

framework came into force, focused on fostering

sustainable development and land degradation,

national action programs, and partnerships with

both government and nongovernmental

organisations (NGOs), among numerous other

thematic priorities. Today, UNCCD is ratified in

194 states, with the notable exception of

Canada, who renounced membership in 2013. In

2015, the United Nations reached the halfway

mark in its Decade for Deserts and the Fight

Against Desertification.

In order to distinguish between the UNCCD as a

body and UNCCD as a document (which

provides the legal framework by which the body

operates), we will refer to the document as the

convention and the body as the UNCCD

throughout the topic guide.

Once every two years, the UNCCD holds a

Conference of the Parties, which guides and

directs the implementation of the convention. In

addition, a Committee on Science and

Technology meets simultaneously as a secondary

body serving under the COP. The Committee

consists of a chairperson, four vice-chairmen,

and experts from a number of fields who are

tasked with prioritising research, strengthening

cooperation between research organisations, and

the interpretation of research data.

At this conference, you will be meeting as

representatives of your respective parties in the

COP and your chairs will double as the directors

of the CST, acting as a point of ”significant

influence and information” with this important

and closely related body.

2 Helpful Definitions

While the meanings of many terms may be easily

inferred or readily available, it is often helpful to

have a specific legal definition, provided by the

United Nations. Some particularly important

definitions are provided below:

• Desertification: Land degradation in arid,

semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas

resulting from various factors, including

climatic variations and human activities

Convention, 1994

• Combating Desertification: Activity for

sustainable development aimed at

preventing or reducing land degradation,

the rehabilitation of partly degraded land,

and the reclamation of desertified land.

Convention, 1994

• Drylands: Land whose aridity index,

A = PET

rainfall over potential

evapotranspiration, is less than 0.65.

UNEP

4

• Food Security: A situation that exists

when all people, at all times, have

physical, social, and economic access to

sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that

meets their dietary needs and food

preferences for an active and healthy life.

Proceedings of the The State of Food

Insecurity, 2001

• Land Degradation: Reduction or loss in

arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas,

of the biological or economic productivity

and complexity of rained cropland,

irrigated cropland, or range, pasture,

forest, and woodlands resulting from land

uses or from a process or combination of

processes, including processes arising from

human activities and habitation patterns,

such as: soil erosion caused by wind

and/or water; deterioration of the physical,

chemical, and biological or economic

properties of soil; and the long-term loss of

natural vegetation.

Convention, 1994

Land Degradation Assessment in

Drylands (LADA) has extensive resources

about the land quality throughout the

world.

Figure 2: Farm during the American Dust Bowl,

caused by severe land degradation

Source: Wikimedia Commons

3 Topic A: Food Security in

the Drylands

Food Security, is a central focus of the UNCCD

due to its dual nature as both a major stabilising

factor and as a source of environmental ruin.

Without proper food security, running effective

environmental initiatives is difficult, and if

implemented improperly, measures to provide

food security can accelerate or induce a

desertification process. As a body, your goal is

to develop a comprehensive framework for the

improvement of food security in the drylands–if

improvements in sustainable land management

are incidental to this framework, that is helpful,

but we encourage you to focus on areas already

affected by water shortages.

Presently, one sixth of the world’s population is

considered to be food-insecure, predominantly in

the drylands. This is demonstrated further by

data from 2007 listing 93% of the world’s

undernourished population in areas on UNCCD

regional implementation annexes. In light of

this, developing a plan that takes into account

the sources of food insecurity, aggravating

factors, and stabilising factors is essential.

3.1 Impacts of Insecurity

3.1.1 Malnutrition

The most direct result of food insecurity is

malnutrition, a condition that affects

approximately 13.5% of the population in

developing countries and which accounts for

nearly half of all cases of child mortality before

the age of five. This can lead to a number of

serious conditions, including compromised

immune systems, stunted growth in children,

brain damage, organ failure, and wasting.

Children and pregnant women are particularly

vulnerable, as malnutrition early in life will

impact a child’s early development.

5

3.1.2 Destabilisation

Food insecurity, particularly as a result of

desertification, places heavy stresses on both

governments and their people. This may cause

unrest, and it reduces the capacity of a

government to respond to incidents; many recent

terrorist attacks, armed conflicts, and food riots

in Africa closely correspond with regions that

are experiencing desertification. In 2007 and

2008, a combination of high oil prices, a shift in

crop production towards biofuels, and other

economic factors led to drastic increases in food

prices; some of the most affected regions saw

widespread rioting and protests.

Figure 3: Top: Desertification, Left: 2007-2008

Unrest, Right: 2012 Terrorist Attacks

Source: UN, The Invisible Front Line

3.1.3 Migration

In extreme situations, when living in an area is

no longer economically feasible due to climate

change and crop destruction, migration to

neighbouring regions may be the only option for

inhabitants. At the moment, 135 million people

are at immediate risk of displacement, especially

in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the next thirty-five

years, mass migrations into northern Africa by

hundreds of millions of people are expected,

with sixty million of those migrations expected

to occur by 2020.

3.1.4 Contamination

Another often ignored impact of climate change

is the recession of lakes, seas, and rivers–and the

release of their contents into the world. Bodies

of water frequently serve as ”sinks” for

pollutants from pesticides and runoffs, which

will lie sequestered on the lakebed as a toxic

sludge. Without the presence of water to keep

contaminants immobile, dried lakebed pose a

significant health hazard to locals who may be

subjected to toxic dust. This has been especially

evident in the Aral Sea Basin, where infant

mortality rates in the 1990s exceeded ten

percent due to respiratory failure as a result of

pesticide inhalation.

Figure 4: The shrinking Aral Sea

Source: http://bit.ly/1KgfB2T

6

3.2 Causes of Insecurity

3.2.1 Environmental

Drylands present numerous agricultural

difficulties, the roots of which lie greatly in the

soil. Many of the factors that contribute to

natural drylands result in low levels of topsoil

nutrients, water storage capability, and a lack of

flowing water. Given that seventy percent of the

global freshwater supply is stored in the ground,

and a mere eleven percent is accessible directly

from the surface, a lack of water storage presents

a considerable challenge. Drought and

desertification cause the loss of 12 million

hectares of usable farmland each year.

3.2.2 Population Density

Discounting water used for cooking, basic

hygiene, and other daily activities, the average

human requires four to six litres of water each

day to survive; this requirement increases to as

much as twenty five litres for people working in

a hot climate. As human populations increase in

a localised area, so do the water requirements to

maintain a permanent settlement. This is

especially problematic for dryland regions in

Africa, whose population has more than tripled

since 1960–all while its percentage of arable land

per capita decreased by fifty five percent.

Without a doubt, the burgeoning global

population requires innovative techniques to

meet its water and agricultural needs. Already,

many water supplies are unable to sustain urban

development; notable examples include

Laayoune, the capital of Western Sahara, which

has resorted to desalinising ocean water at a

staggering cost of $3 per cubic meter1 (paid for

by Morocco) and Las Vegas, where the rate of

aquifer depletion has noticeable geological

impacts, and whose water supply is expected to

be insufficient by 2025. Current United Nations

data suggests that population densities in the

developing world will continue to increase

through at least 2050, and possibly longer;

attempts at reducing population growth are

often of both dubious efficacy and ethicality.

3.2.3 Insufficient Development

While population growth typically corresponds

to a demand for resources, it does not always

correspond to an increase in production. While

grain production on average has significantly

risen since the 1960s (when the World Bank

began tracking it), the growth has extremely

uneven–nonexistent even, in sub-Saharan Africa.

This is especially troubling for the UNCCD, as

traditional techniques used to maintain or enrich

soil are no longer suitable; farmers cannot let

fields lie fallow, and they frequently cannot

afford to fertilise the soil. A soil nutrient deficit,

coupled with low crop yields, degrades both

economies and farmland. While genetically

modified crops (GMOs) may be an option, they

are frequently encumbered by economic and

political factors. Low investment in

transportation, education, and infrastructure

further compounds the problem.

3.2.4 Lack of Nutritional Balance

Humans require, in addition to the basic

macronutrients, over twenty-five vitamins and

minerals. While it may be possible to achieve a

two thousand calorie diet in most regions with

ease, the dietary diversity necessary to cover all

nutritional requirements is often a challenge,

even in the first world. Dryland conditions

unsuitable for the cultivation of fruits and

vegetables, along with poor logistics contribute

to malnutrition, particularly in countries listed

on UNCCD Annexes I and II (Africa and Asia).

1Water in Germany costs roughly EUR 1.80

7

Malnutrition in early childhood can lead to

developmental disorders, brain defects, and

organ failure.

3.2.5 Varying Weather

Particularly in the drylands, climate change is a

painfully real and observable phenomenon;

rainfall is less consistent, decreasing in frequency

while increasing in intensity. Both extreme

droughts and floods cause extensive crop

damage. Furthermore, increases in temperature

may necessitate the cultivation of newer and

hardier crops capable of surviving harsh

conditions.

3.3 Sustainable Land

Management

It should go without saying that addressing the

leading causes of food insecurity drastically

improves the availability of nutrition to

individuals in a region, but proactive, specific

measures can also be taken.

3.3.1 Soil Replenishment

While degraded land makes for inhospitable

farming conditions, it does not preclude

restoration and replenishment. A combination of

soil maintenance techniques such as crop

rotation and sustainable land management

practices such as the establishment of wind

breaks can drastically increase crop yields while

slowing or even reversing damage to fields. The

extent of the soil degradation in many regions

makes swift and significant improvements

possible in a short period of time.

Figure 5: A field utilising crop rotation

Source: http://mymogarden.files.

wordpress.com/2011/06/field.jpg

3.3.2 Specialised farming techniques

Non-traditional farming techniques also hold

promise for farmers; simple modifications have

the potential to boost productivity and food

availability in dryland regions. Simply switching

the method by which fields are ploughed, or

planting trees to fix nitrogen for the soil can

translate to a seventy percent improvement in

efficiency. Other, more comprehensive farming

plans such as ”Evergreen Agriculture”,

drylands-specific techniques, or hydroponic

farming can translate to crop yields that would

have been unthinkable years ago. One high-tech

solution, involving a converted semiconductor

factory in Japan, is capable of growing lettuce

with a forty percent increase in yield, in half the

normal growing time, and with only one percent

of a normal farm’s water consumption.

3.3.3 Efficient Water Usage

In addition to better soil management, efforts

can be made to make do with less. Traditional

methods of irrigation, such as pouring water

directly onto crops or flooding the fields, though

simple and affordable, waste large amounts of

water. A number of modern techniques exist

8

that deliver precise amounts of water to crops

while limiting evaporative losses. In addition to

being more efficient, investment in modern

irrigation systems has the potential to stimulate

local economies, as it requires semi-skilled labor

for installation and maintenance.

Figure 6: Diagram of a drip irrigation system

Source: Wikimedia Commons

3.4 Conclusion

Drylands introduce a number of unique

challenges to local agriculture and economies.

Through careful planning, targeted investments,

and various initiatives however, the drylands are

capable of supporting thriving communities. An

effective resolution to provide adequate food

security in dryland regions should consider

addressing, at the minimum:

3.4.1 Measures to support local

agriculture

While stockpiles and food imports allow states

to deal with short-term fluctuations in the food

supply, substantial portions of the populations

of UNCCD Annex countries depend on an

agrarian lifestyle. Allowing farmers to continue

with their way of life limits the upheaval

associated with a forced change in lifestyle.

3.4.2 Measures to ensure a constant food

supply

During the 2007 World Food Crisis, shrinking

stockpiles and increased transportation costs

contributed to rapid increases in food costs as a

result of external forces. Developing local,

regional, or international strategies to create a

buffer against disruptions to the food supply will

greatly improve food security.

3.4.3 Access to nutrition for those in

poverty

Malnutrition mostly affects people with limited

economic resources, and is most common in

regions with inadequate infrastructure.

Strategies to provide or subsidise food may be

necessary; taking into account the impact that

this might have on local economies.

3.4.4 Measures to increase crop yields

By increasing crop yields, it is possible to supply

growing populations, even if the amount of

arable land decreases.

3.4.5 Methods of improving water

efficiency in agriculture

In a similar vein, reducing the amount of water

needed for crops has the potential to drastically

redefine what we consider to be arable land.

3.4.6 Ways of promoting and developing

Sustainable Land Management

Sustainable land management should play a

central role in any effective food security plan

concerning the drylands.

3.4.7 The prevention of

agriculture-linked desertification

Though secondary to developing a food strategy

for the drylands, future prevention coupled with

an effective present strategy is ideal.

9

3.5 Further Reading

• The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

http://www.unccd.int/Lists/SiteDocumentLibrary/conventionText/conv-eng.pdf

• FAO: The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2014

http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4030e.pdf

• FAO: Water and Cereals in Drylands

http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i0372e/i0372e.pdf

• UNEP: Dryland Systems

http://www.unep.org/maweb/documents/document.291.aspx.pdf

• World Bank: Agriculture for Development

http:

//www.oecd-ilibrary.org/development/agriculture-and-development_9789264013353-en

• UN FAO Policy Brief: Food Security

http://www.fao.org/forestry/13128-0e6f36f27e0091055bec28ebe830f46b3.pdf

• US Geological Survey: Las Vegas: Gambling with Water

Useful for understanding some mechanisms for land degradation

http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1182/pdf/08LasVegas.pdf

• US Geological Survey: Irrigation Techniques

http://water.usgs.gov/edu/irmethods.html

• UNCCD: Combating Desertification and Land Degradation: Proven Practices from Asia and the

Pacific

http://www.unccd.int/Lists/SiteDocumentLibrary/Publications/

CombatingDesertificationandLandDegradationAsiaPacific.pdf

• UN Development Programme: Drought Risk Management

http://www.unccd.int/Lists/SiteDocumentLibrary/Publications/

DroughtRiskManagement-Practitioner’sPerspectivesfromAfricaandAsia.pdf

• FAO: The World Food Summit Technical Atlas

http://www.fao.org/wfs/index_en.htm

• World Agroforestery Centre: Creating an Evergreen Culture in Africa

http://www.worldagroforestry.org/downloads/publications/PDFS/b09008.pdf

• Information on the Aral Sea, an example of desertification caused by people

http://www.jcu.edu.au/jrtph/vol/v01whish.pdf

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeeraworld/2012/08/2012857324531428.html

10

4 Topic B: Measures to

Combat Deforestation on

a Regional Scale

Deforestation, considered as a permanent

changing of a forest for other purposes, is caused

by the need for rapid development of human

civilisation. Due to the large impact of forests

on the climate, people utilise various control

methods such as monitoring of deforestation,

forest management, and reforestation, in order

to reduce the harm inflicted on forests. The

UNCCD is particularly interested in the

conversion of the forests in drylands, as dry

forests significantly slow land degradation and

desertification. Not only can the protection of

forests improve the living quality of drylands

population, but also enhance the condition of

our ecosystems.

UNCCD focuses on dryland forests due to their

fragility, and it invites all parties to implement

sustainable forest management polices and

practices, in order to achieve the goals of its

10-year-plan. The plan tracks metrics such as

the area covered by forests, along with the use of

sustainable agricultural and aquaculture

ecosystems.

When addressing this topic, specific and

innovative methods are necessary in order to

achieve the goals; an emphasis is placed on

scalability and implementation on a regional

basis.

Figure 7: Deforestation in AfricaSource: Imgbuddy

4.1 Consequences of

Deforestation

4.1.1 Loss of Habitat

Forests provide animals and plants with an ideal

environment for them to survive, mainly by

regulating the temperature and humidity. Over

50% of species on the planet live in the forests.

Without a doubt, the removal of forests

introduces large fluctuations in temperature

between day and night. Thus, such

environmental conditions can lead to some

nonreversible damages such as species extinction

and reduction in biodiversity.

4.1.2 Increased Greenhouse Gases

When forests are removed, the biomass typically

rots or is burned. In both processes, the carbon

from the biomass is released as CO2. CO2 is a

major contributor to the greenhouse effect and

accounts for approximately one third of all CO2

releases.

4.1.3 Less Water in the atmosphere

Trees can help in maintaining the water cycle.

Fewer trees exit, less water can be returned to

the ground, which makes it it harder to grow

crops on the soil. An interesting fact is around

80% of the deforestation is caused by small

agriculture and ranching activities.

Figure 8: Cattle Ranchers in the Amazon

Source: Pachamama.org

11

4.1.4 Soil Erosion and Flooding

Without the protection of vegetation, the soil

can be washed away quickly by heavy rains.

Exposed to wind and water, barren land will

erode. Erosion and heavy rainfall have greater

impacts in deforested areas. Without tree roots

to hold in soil and absorb water, rainwater has a

tendency to carry more stones and soil, and

flooding is more likely to occur.

4.1.5 Destruction of Homelands

Evidently, the tribes that depend on the forests

have no choice other than to leave their

homelands after the deforestation, the effects of

which make it nearly impossible to sustain a

traditional way of living.

4.2 Causes of Deforestation

4.2.1 Urbanisation

In the modern world and with high population

growth, nations look towards the development of

land where people are able to create a

community. As with other modern settlements,

roads, buildings, factories, and other

infrastructure are often constructed, with

varying degrees of environmental disturbance.

When a shortage of suitable land exists,

deforestation presents an easy solution to the

shortage. This problem is at its worst in areas

with high population growth and a low

investment in sustainable infrastructure.

4.2.2 Agricultural Expansion

Agricultural activity is one of the major sources

for deforestation. Due to growing demand for

food products, huge swathes of land have been

cleared down to grow crops and for cattle

ranching.

4.2.3 Forest Degradation

Trees are cut down in order to produce goods

and services required by the general public.

Many companies obtain the rights to cut down

trees and thus contributing to deforestation.

This is also due to the high rise in consumer

demand for such products.

4.2.4 Desertification of land

Some of the other factors that lead to

deforestation are also caused by a combination

of human activity and natural processes, such as

the desertification of land. It occurs due to land

abuse making it unfit for growth of trees. Many

industries in petrochemicals release their wastes

into rivers which results in soil erosion and

conditions unfit for raising crops.

4.2.5 Natural Causes

Some examples of deforestation by natural

means are forest fires, droughts, invasive species,

floods, climate change, and the introduction of

new diseases. Forest fires burn trees in large

amounts, leaving little to none left. Many

animals depend on trees for shelter. When a

drought occurs, trees may not be able to survive

with limited water, which also leaves animal

populations without a stable environment. The

resource demands placed on an ecosystem by

invasive species may make the survival of certain

key plants and animals impossible.

4.2.6 Mining

Oil and coal mining require the destruction of

considerable amount of land. Apart from this,

roads and highways have to be built to make

way for trucks and other equipment. The waste

that comes out from mining pollutes the

environment and affects the nearby species.

12

4.2.7 Underlying Causes

Over the last few decades, the urgency of the

forest conservation has been recognised by the

international community. Albeit, many of the

frameworks and initiatives are too concentrated

on the immediate, rather than underlying causes

of deforestation, and therefore little success has

been achieved. Frequently, business strategies

will favour short-term profit over a long-term

sustainable strategy. Unbalanced social

structures may also introduce inequalities that

make it difficult for indigenous people to

properly conserve land.

4.3 Measures to Combat

Deforestation

Forests are critical to maintain the balance of

our ecosystem. Other than their importance of

providing for the necessities for many species,

they can also help combat global warming

because of their roles in the carbon cycle as

carbon sinks. UNCCD has expressed great

interest in dealing with dry forests because

drylands make up 41% of the earth’s land area

and more than two billion people inhabit these

regions. Nevertheless their homes face threats

from deforestation, mostly from two main

causes: low rainfall, soil erosion, and reduced

root water storage; and an overexploitation of

trees, soil, and other resources.

4.3.1 UNCCD and REDD+

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and

forest Degradation (REDD) was developed from

the United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations, aimed

at assisting developing countries with incentives

to better protect and manage their forests, with

the goal of preventing future deforestation and

forest degradation. Being the sole

legally-binding framework concerning land and

soil, the UNCCD recognises the value of

REDD+ and its potential contributions to the

goals proposed at the Rio+20 Summit. There

are several other roles UNCCD have in the

battle of deforestation:

• As one of the founding bodies of the CPF,

which is a forum for partnership on topics

related to forests

• In support of other groups involved in

REDD+ initiatives

The secretariat of of UNCCD encourages all

parties to include REDD+ in their National

Action Programmes. In 2011, UNCCE

introduced the ‘Land for Life Award”, granted

to projects that demonstrate sustainable

practices for the forests; many include aspects of

REDD+, and the UNCCD will support countries

and projects that are part of REDD+ initiatives.

Figure 9: Dry land in dry time

Source: mazingirasafi

4.3.2 Case Study: Brazil

In 2005, Brazil was losing more forests annually

more than any other country. Since then, the

rate of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest

has been reduced by 70 percent. Ignoring the

benefits of having more woodlands, this

translates to the removal of an added 3.2 billion

tons of CO2 from the atmosphere since 2004.

13

Ruth DeFries, Denning Professor of Sustainable

Development at Columbia University, stated

that ‘The ability to monitor deforestation in real

time and analyse it in almost real time was

important for reducing deforestation, because

you could see what was going on and who was

doing what.” REDD and REDD+ are

particularly useful for overseeing progress made

by such programs.

Figure 10: Cattle ranching in Brazil

Source: joellehernandez

The need for combined efforts on both an

international scale and on a local scale to fight

deforestation is real. For national governments,

further incentives for sustainable development,

suitable forestry practices, and establishment of

payments for ecosystem services are needed. At

a local level the local government, one needs to

encourage mild agriculture and communicate

with responsibilities to manage to forests

properly in exchange of capital or social assets.

REDD+ has also worked well in other countries

such as Guyana, Kenya, and Costa Rica.

Whenever a strategy related to economy and

social structure is implemented alongside efforts

to prevent deforestation, the overall strategy

proves to be more successful than one focused

simply on conservation.

One of the reasons for Brazil’s success in forest

conservation is its first-rate satellite monitoring

system and maps, which enable law enforcement

to take action on deforestation. The REDD+

programme in Brazil, the largest in the world,

has spent $670 million to fight this. Rather than

coming up with entirely new strategies, the

UNCCD can also be successful by adapting

programs that have succeeded previously to

other parts of the world.

Figure 11: The Amazon rainforest

Source: CIFOR

4.4 Conclusion

Admittedly, the process of preventing

deforestation is difficult and often controversial.

It takes considerable effort, funding, and time,

while being at odds with rapid growth and

development. However, if action is not taken

now, future generations will pay a heavy price

for our actions, both as the availability of goods

decreases and damage from the environment

increases. We need to develop workable

sustainable development programs that can both

satisfy our current and future needs while

ensuring that future generations don’t suffer

from severe environmental conditions.

4.5 Questions to consider

• How might you procure immediate funding on

what is decidedly a long-term project whose

rewards will take years to notice?

• How can you improve existing frameworks

based on successes and failures in preventing

deforestation?

14

• How do you balance the needs for the present

and the future? Will there be specific

indicators that measure this?

• How can you cooperate with local and

national governments in different countries to

achieve your goals?

• How do you motivate countries to participate

in your programmes to combat deforestation?

• Deforestation is a local issue, and is best

addressed by local institutions, but its impact

on climate change is felt globally. How can

this be linked to global efforts to prevent

climate change, and how might the

local-global dichotomy be handled?

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