Climate Action 2009-2010

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ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
Mangroves and coral reefs, for example,
protect shorelines from the wind-generated
waves of storms and hurricanes.
creation of 195 kilometres of tree windbreaks. In the end,
700 hectares of rangeland were rehabilitated, resulting in
increased soil cover, reduced soil erosion, greater carbon
sequestration, increased biodiversity levels, and generally
healthier ecosystems.
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
Not only can preserving biodiversity mitigate climate
change, it can also lessen the impacts of changes that
do take place. It has been estimated that enhancing
agricultural biodiversity through activities such as
changing varieties and planting times can result in the
avoidance of a ten to 15 per cent reduction in yield under
one to two degrees celsius local temperature increases.
In addition, biodiversity can help safeguard us against
the extreme weather events associated with climate
change. Mangroves and coral reefs, for example, protect
shorelines from the wind-generated waves of storms
and hurricanes. This is very clearly seen in a case study
from Vietnam, a country where extreme weather events
such as typhoons often cause considerable damage.
“
Biodiversity can help
safeguard us against the
extreme weather events
associated with climate
change
“
BIODIVERSITY
and acacia; poleward and upward shifts in habitats;
replacement of tropical forests with savannah; and the
shifting of desert dunes.
CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION
On the positive side, given that biodiversity loss and
climate change interact with each other, they can also be
addressed synergistically. Sustainable land management
in agricultural areas can increase carbon sequestration
in the soil through techniques such as integrated pest
management, conservation tillage, intercropping, and
the planting of cover crops. When cover crops are used in
combination with conservation tillage, soil carbon content
can increase annually for a period of up to 50 years. The
sustainable management of grazing land can provide
similar co-benefits, since such lands contain between ten
and 30 per cent of the world’s soil carbon stocks.
Bara, a drought-prone province in western Sudan, provides
an example of such techniques working in practice.
Cultivation of marginal lands, fuel wood gathering and
overstocking of livestock have historically depleted
the vegetation in this region. As a result, soil erosion,
desertification and atmospheric dust have all intensified.
However, beginning in 1992 and continuing through 2000,
a group of 17 villages took part in a project funded by the
Global Environment Facility to rehabilitate overexploited
and highly vulnerable rangelands. Activities included the
improvement of rangeland with native vegetation, the
stabilisation of sand dunes with trees and grass, and the
Since 1994, the Vietnam National Chapter of the Red
Cross has been working with local communities to
rehabilitate mangroves. Activities include the planting
and protection of mangroves and upland trees, disaster
preparedness training and general awareness-raising
about the value of mangroves. Around 12,000 hectares
of mangroves have been planted. During the devastating
typhoon Wukong in 2000, project areas remained
unharmed while neighbouring provinces suffered severe
casualties and property damage. Overall, the Vietnam
Red Cross estimates that about 7,750 families benefited
from mangrove rehabilitation. The Vietnam experience
was also borne out in Thailand during the catastrophic
2004 Asian tsunami. A study showed that communities
protected by mangroves and other coastal plants
escaped with little damage, while neighbouring villages
without such protection were completely destroyed.
THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL
DIVERSITY
Recognising the relationships between biodiversity loss
and climate change, the Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) – the international instrument
for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
– have incorporated climate change into almost all of
their programmes of work. Further recognising the
economic dividends of protecting biodiversity and the
need to engage the private sector, the Parties began to
V I SIT: WWW.CLIMATEACTIONPROGRAMME.ORG