ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGECLIMATE CHANGE

Presentation Presentation ByBy

Dr. James KamaraDr. James KamaraUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeUnited Nations Environment Programme

Rotary MeetingRotary Meeting

Nairobi, Kenya, 18 November 2009Nairobi, Kenya, 18 November 2009

1. INTRODUCTION1. INTRODUCTION

Six major areas or dimensions of the environment within which the instruments of economic development are anchored

• Atmosphere• Land• Forests• Freshwater• Biodiversity• Coastal• MarineThese areas provide the environment on which, for

instance, rural and urban settlements and other systems and facilities are built

INTRODUCTION Cont’dINTRODUCTION Cont’d

Environment provides ecosystems goods and servicesProvisionary• Food• Plants and animal products• Genetic materials, biochemical and pharmaceutical• Fuel/energy• Freshwater• Fibre• Non-living materials (building and crafts materials)

INTRODUCTION Cont’dINTRODUCTION Cont’d

Regulatory• Purification of air and water• Mitigation of floods and droughts• Detoxification and decomposition of wastes• Renewal of soil and soil fertility• Pollination of crops and natural vegetation• Dispersal of seeds and translocation of nutrients• Maintenance of biodiversity from which humanity derives

key elements of agricultural, medicinal and industrial enterprise

• Control of a vast majority of potential agricultural pests

INTRODUCTION Cont’dINTRODUCTION Cont’d

• Partial stabilization of climate• Protection from the sun’s ultraviolet rays• Moderation of temperature extremes and force of winds

and waves• Carbon sinks

Cultural or enriching• Aesthetic• Cultural and spiritual values• Social relations values• Education and scientific values

2. ENVIRONMENT 2. ENVIRONMENT VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE

CHANGECHANGEEarth’s climate has always changed and evolvedClimate changes due to:• Natural causes e. g. earth’s movements• Human activities e. g deforestation and atmospheric

emission from industry and transport • Emissions are gases and aerosols or greenhouse gases

(GHGs) stored in the atmosphere• Greenhouse trap heat and raise temperature near the

ground – acting like a greenhouse on the surface of the planet

ENVIRONMENT VULNERABILITY ENVIRONMENT VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE Cont’dTO CLIMATE CHANGE Cont’d

• Global warming has begun to affect the sea level, snow cover, ice sheets and rainfall

• Already affecting watersheds and ecosystems in many parts of the world

• Africa facing greatest catastrophe in human history

• 2.4 to 5.4 C temperature rises already predicted

ENVIRONMENT VULNERABILITY ENVIRONMENT VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE Cont’dTO CLIMATE CHANGE Cont’d

• Many parts of Africa will face increase in droughts, floods, diseases (such as malaria, dengue fever and cholera) and other extreme events leading to stress in water resources, food security, human health and infrastructure

• About 67 million more people could be affected by malaria epidemics by the 2080s

ENVIRONMENT VULNERABILITY ENVIRONMENT VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE Cont’dTO CLIMATE CHANGE Cont’d

• Grain yield to decrease, diminishing food security

• Sea level rise affect coastal communities and coastal erosion especially in the Western, Eastern and Southern African coast

• Impacts directly related to environmental resources – atmosphere, land ,forests, freshwater, biodiversity, coastal and marine resources

• All these will constrain development

ENVIRONMENT VULNERABILITY ENVIRONMENT VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE Cont’dTO CLIMATE CHANGE Cont’d

Changes in ecosystems arising from climate have large effects on the provision of ecosystems goods and services and wider social and economic effects

ENVIRONMENT VULNERABILITY ENVIRONMENT VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE Cont’dTO CLIMATE CHANGE Cont’d

• Climate change will alter quality and functioning of ecosystems, reducing their capacity to perform their role as important life support systems

• For example damage coral reefs can cause reduction of fish stocks thereby jeopardizing fish and tourism dependent livelihoods

ENVIRONMENT VULNERABILITY ENVIRONMENT VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE Cont’dTO CLIMATE CHANGE Cont’d

• Poor people heavily dependent goods and services from ecosystems – either as primary or supplementary source of food, fodder, building materials, fuel and medicines

• Poor people highly vulnerable to ecosystems degradation and climate change

3. THE WAY FOWARD3. THE WAY FOWARD

Objective of the Convention on Climate Change is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere through mitigation and adaptation measures:

• Mitigation to reduce the sources of GHGs or enhance the sinks of GHGS

• Adaptation to reduce vulnerability to negative impacts of climate change

THE WAY FORWARD Cont’dTHE WAY FORWARD Cont’d

Collective and individual measures to reduce vulnerability to climate change using their assets or capital

• Social – Social networks• Natural - Environmental resources• Physical - Infrastructure• Human – Accessible information/collective

decision making• Financial- Resource mobilization and insurance

to reduce financial risks

THE WAY FORWARD Cont’dTHE WAY FORWARD Cont’d

Areas for individual or collective actions to reduce vulnerability and attain green economy:

• Water resources management• Land resources management• Forest resources management• Health• Agriculture• Industry and Infrastructure development• Fragile ecosystems management• Marine and coastal zone management• Climate change related disaster management

THANK YOU