Presentation by Lalisa Duguma at the side event on ecoystem-based adaptation at the UNFCCC Paris COP21

1. Ecosystem
Services
and
Climate
Change:
Towards
integrated
response
strategies
Lalisa A. Duguma & Peter Minang
World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) &
ASB Partnership for Tropical Forest Margins
Email: l.duguma@cgiar.org

2. Climate
Change
§ Coolest future summers are hotter than
hottest summers of past 50 years.
§ (Diffenbaugh & Scherer, 2011).
Source: http://thebritishgeographer.weebly.com/
sea-level-change.html
The
warming
effect
Sea
level
rise

3. We
are
responsible!
• Only 5 out of 24,210 articles reject
Anthropogenic Global Warming.
• Only 4 out of 69,406 authors (1 out of 17,352
authors) reject Anthropogenic Global Warming.
• Search terms used: “global warming” or “global
climate change” or “climate change.”
• Source of data: ISI Web of Science climate change
related articles published in 2013 and 2014.
• http://www.jamespowell.org/index.html. Accessed
24-11-2015.

4. Adaptation
RESPONSE
Mitigation
Can we do both
effectively?

5. Ecosystem-­‐based
approaches
provide
a
pla>orm
for
jointly
addressing
A
and
M.
Ecosystem based
approaches are relatively:
§ Cost effective: depending
on the choice of
activities multiple outputs
could be achieved.
§ Efficient: both A and M
can be addressed at a
time.
§ Locally relevant:
Ecosystem based
approaches connect with
local communities.
Duguma et al 2014a, 2014b;
Van Noordwijk et al 2015

6. Most
CC
related
policies,
strategies,
approaches
and
iniEaEves
rely
on
ecosystems!
REDD+*
REALUBonn Challenge -
FLR
Climate smart
agriculture
NAPANAMA
INDC
Climate smart
landscapes
Wetlands Restoration
and Conservation
(WRC)*
Avoided Conversion of
Grasslands and
Shrublands (ACoGS)*
Afforestation,
Reforestation and
Revegetation (ARR)*
Improved forest
management*
* Typical AFOLU practices

7. Ecosystem
services
reduce
exposure
to
climate
change
impacts!
Ecosystems Roles in addressing climate change related impacts
Mountain forests • Stabilize snow reducing the risk of avalanches
• Protect against erosion and increase slope stability by binding soil
together; preventing landslides
• Reduce risk of floods by increasing infiltration of rainfall and
delaying peak floodwater flows
• Water recharge and purification, drought mitigation
Wetlands and
floodplains
• Control floods in coastal areas
• Reduce the speed and volume of runoff after heavy rainfall
Mangroves and
Coral reefs
• Absorb (low-magnitude) wave energy, reduce wave heights
Drylands • Vegetation in drylands ameliorate the effects of drought and control
desertification. Trees, grasses, and shrubs conserve soil and retain
moisture.
Uy, N., & Shaw, R. (2012). The role of ecosystems in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
Ecosystem-Based Adaptation, 12, 41-59.

8. Ecosystems
deliver
ecosystems
services
that
enhance
adapEve
capacity!
Generic indicators for
adaptive capacity (IPCC)
Roles of ecosystems
Income § NTFPs collected and sold from forest ecosystems. E.g.
Fuelwood, honey, forest foods, bush meat
§ Fish and other sea foods
§ Income from tourism
Health § Medicinal plants (traditional medicines)
§ Medical therapies
§ Ingredients for pharmaceuticals (Prunus africana trees)
§ Biodegradation of toxic chemicals e.g. microbial
degradation
§ Provision of nutritious foods
Education § Easily accessible goods and service that spare time for
women to engage in education
§ Source of materials for building schools, etc.

9. Despite
their
roles
for
addressing
CC,
ecosystems
are
also
prone
to
CC
impacts!
Climate change affects ecosystem
structure, functions and processes:
§ Pollination
§ Migration behaviours
§ Habitat quality
§ Biodiversity
§ Microbial activity
§ Nutrient flow and dynamics
§ Hydrology
§ Wildfire and insect outbreaks
Grimm et al. (2013). The impacts of climate change on ecosystem structure and function. Frontiers in
Ecology and the Environment 11: 474–482. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/120282
northward or to higher altitudes in order to adjust to rising temperatures. Others, however, might not be
able to adapt fast enough to keep pace with the rate of climate change.
Invasive Species
As temperature, precipitation, and other conditions change, the species best suited to the new conditions
will thrive, often taking food and resources away from others. Some of the species that thrive might be
invasive (not native to a region) and could gradually drive out or even kill native species.
Migrations and Life
Cycle Events
The timing of many natural
events, such as flower blooms
and animal migrations, is
linked to climate factors such
as temperature, moisture
availability, and amount of
daylight. Changes in weather
patterns and extreme events
associated with climate change
can disrupt these natural
patterns. These disruptions,
in turn, can affect seasonal
behavior and interactions
among species. For example,
if birds migrate and lay eggs
too early, hatchlings might not
have an adequate food supply.
While some animals and plants
will successfully adjust life-cycle
patterns to changing weather
pattern cues, others might not be
so successful.
Year
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Averagedistancemovednorth(miles)
Northward Shift of Bird Migrations,
1966–2005
Hundreds of species of birds in North America are wintering
farther north in recent years.
Source: National Audubon Society. 2009. www.audubon.org/bird/bacc/techreport.html

10. So
what
can
we
do?
Sustain: sustaining the existence of
intact ecosystems and maintaining
their potential to deliver ES is
paramount.
Rehabilitate: If ecosystems are
degraded/ being degraded,
rehabilitation could enhance A&M
roles.
Facilitate: CC affects even
intact ecosystems.
Innovation is crucial.

11. Concluding
thoughts
§ To make climate change actions sustainable and
effective, promoting sustainable ecosystem
management is crucial.
§ Exposure to CC related disasters may increase
and adaptive capacity may decline if ecosystem
degradation is not addressed.
§ There is a strong need for a system level
adaptation e.g. looking at socio-ecological
systems.

12. Thank
You!