ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE PresentationBy Dr. James Kamara United Nations Environment Programme Rotary Meeting Nairobi, Kenya, 18 November 2009

1. INTRODUCTION Six major areas or dimensions of the environment within which the instruments of economic development are anchored Atmosphere Land Forests Freshwater Biodiversity Coastal Marine These areas provide the environment on which, for instance, rural and urban settlements and other systems and facilities are built

INTRODUCTION Cont’d Environment provides ecosystems goods and services Provisionary Food Plants and animal products Genetic materials, biochemical and pharmaceutical Fuel/energy Freshwater Fibre Non-living materials (building and crafts materials)

INTRODUCTION 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’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 VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE Earth’s climate has always changed and evolved Climate 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 TO 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 TO 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 TO 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 TO 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 TO 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 TO 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 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’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’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

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