This document discusses four papers that evaluate the potential for joint adaptation and mitigation (JAM) strategies in forestry and agriculture in developing countries. Paper 1 demonstrates the economic benefits of JAM in mangrove forest replanting in Cambodia. Paper 2 assesses autonomous adaptation among farmers in Nepal. Paper 3 models farmers' irreversible adaptation decisions under different climate scenarios. Paper 4 provides an overview of JAM concepts and practices in forests and agriculture, identifying barriers to implementation. The document concludes that a holistic landscape approach is needed for JAM, as adaptation and mitigation can have spatially and temporally displaced synergistic and individual effects.

1. Forestry and agriculture in a changing climate
The Ecosystems, particular forestry and agriculture hold significant potential for
exploring the interlinkages between adaptation and mitigation. The ecosystems are
central to the livelihoods of many people and highly vulnerable to climate change. In
theory, joint adaptation and mitigation (JAM) is justifiable; however, there is little
evidence of the concrete costs and limited empirical knowledge for fully assessing this
potential.
The main objective of this research is to evaluate and understand the conditions for
JAM in the forestry and agriculture in developing countries. The research has also
considered an existing research gap within the optimal choice of climate change
adaptation; considering farmers’ willingness to adopt adaptation measures.
These objectives have been addressed from several perspectives within four papers.
Paper 1: Mangrove forest – the perfect example
The paper demonstrates the economic welfare benefits of climate change adaptation
leading to mitigation in a case study of replanting mangrove forest in Cambodia. The
consequence of considering adaptation and mitigation benefits jointly is higher
replanting intensities than when the focus is exclusively on adaptation.
Paper 2: Nepalese farmers’ decisions of autonomous adaptation
This case study assesses household-level autonomous adaptation in climate-
dependent high altitude villages in the Central Himalayas.
Paper 3: Simulating farmers’ irreversible adaptation strategies
This paper applies Bayesian updating in a hypothetical decision-making approach,
where a farmer must choose between three different agricultural systems under the
trajectory of three different climate change scenarios. It models the irreversible decision
that farmers have to make and shows how experience can help them make the optimal
decision.
Paper 4: State of play for joint adaptation and mitigation
This paper provides an overview of the underlying concepts of JAM and of practices in
the forest and agricultural sectors, identifying current barriers for implementing JAM.
Facilitating international scientific advisory
The ambitious agreement made in Paris in December 2015 has and will lead
countries to consider the option of JAM in their Intended Nationally Determined
Contributions (INDCs). This may help overcome some of the identified barriers for
implementing JAM, facilitated by research and capacity building.
Technologyand
Innovation
Management
Engineering
Systems
Systems
Analysis
Interlinkages between climate change
adaptation and mitigation
Lea Ravnkilde Møller, PhD student
Contact:
Lea Ravnkilde Møller, PhD student
UNEP DTU Partnership, UDP
Marmorvej 51, UN City
DK-2100 Copenhagen
+ 45 45 33 53 20
leam@dtu.dk
www.man.dtu.dk
Supervisor/co-supervisor:
Anne Olhoff,
Head of programme
Climate Resilience Development, UDP
Jette Bredahl Jacobsen
Professor
University of Copenhagen
Funded by:
Technical University of Denmark
Start and completion dates:
1 December 2011 to 10 August 2016
Quantitative
Sustainability
Assessment
Management
Science
UNEPDTU
partnership
Concluding remarks
The papers highlight and acknowledge
the complexity of and conditions for
JAM. They conclude that a holistic
landscape approach is necessary, as
the synergetic and individual effects of
adaptation and mitigation can be
spatially and temporally displaced,
though nevertheless benefitting each
other. The figure below illustrates how
the sustainability triangle is under
pressure due to climate change, and
how adaptation and mitigation can
help re-establish the balance.