Setting  the  stage:  Ecosystem-­‐based  adaptation  in  mountain  ecosystems  –    in  Uganda,  Nepal  and  Peru  

Tine  Rossing,  Knowledge  Manager  (UNDP)  BMUB/UNEP/UNDP/  IUCN  Global  Mountain  EbA  Programme  December  2nd,  UNFCCC  COP-­‐20,  Lima,  Peru  

Photo:  RPNYC  HQ/Peru  

Introduction  •  Healthy  ecosystems  deliver  critical  

goods  and  services,  and  people  depend  on  them  for  their  wellbeing  and  livelihoods  (environmental,  social,  economic  and  cultural).  

•  But  many  ecosystems  are  getting  degraded  and  negatively  affected.  

•  Mountain  ecosystems  are  particularly  fragile  for  a  variety  of  reasons  (socio-­‐economic,  political  and  ecological)  

•  Climate  change  adds  on  to  other  already  existing  impacts  on  ecosystems  that  are  mostly  human  driven,  such  as  overgrazing.  

Photo:  BBC  News  

What  is  Ecosystem-­‐based  Adaptation?  

According  to  the  Convention  on  Biological  Diversity  (CBD):  

•  The  “sustainable  management,  conservation  and  restoration  of  ecosystems,    

•  as  part  of  an  overall  adaptation  strategy  

•  that  takes  into  account  the  multiple  social,  economic  and  cultural  co-­‐benefits    

•  for  local  communities”.    

Photo: Mt EbA Uganda

EbA  in  Mountain  Ecosystems  •  The  Ecosystem-­‐Based  Adaptation  (EBA)  in  

Mountain  Ecosystems  Programme  is  a  global  programme  supported  by  the  German  Government  (BMUB).  

•  It  is  a  complex  multi-­‐stakeholder  partnership  implemented  at  multiple  levels.  

•  At  the  global  level,  the  programme  is  jointly  Implemented  from  2011  to  2015  by  UNEP,  UNDP  and  IUCN  (incl.  UNEP-­‐WCMC)  

•  Three  country  pilot  projects  in  Peru,  Nepal  and  Uganda.  

•  At  national  levels:  Led  by  Governments  of  Nepal,  Peru,  and  Uganda  (national  and  district  authorities)  together  with  UNDP,  IUCN  and  UNEP,  civil  society  organisations,  local  communities  and  national  research  institutes    

•  In  Peru:  The  Mountain  Institute  is  an  equal  prgramme  partner  –  being  an  IUCN  Member  organization.      

Programme  goal  and  components  The  overall  goal  of  the  project:  •  To  Strengthen  capacities  of  Governments  and  local  communities  to  reduce  vulnerability  

and  increase  resilience  to  the  effects  of  climate  change  using  Ecosystem-­‐Based  Adaptation  measures  

 The  project  has  four  components:  •  Development  of  methodologies  and  tools  for  EBA  decision-­‐making  in  mountain  

ecosystems    •  Application  of  methodologies  and  tools  at  ecosystem  level  •  Implementation  of  EBA  pilot  activities  at  ecosystem  level    •  Making  the  case  for  EBA  at  the  national  level      In  2014  the  development  of  a  Learning  and  Knowledge  Management  Framework  was  added.  

Photo:  RPNYC  HQ/Peru  

There  is  no  ONE  Mountain  Ecosystem!  •  While  the  three  country  pilot  projects  are  all  implementing  many  similar  EbA  measures  

related  to  water  and  soil  conservation,  they  are  facing  very  different  challenges  in  terms  of  local  context.  Not  all  mountain  ecosystems  are  the  same!  

–  Uganda:  High  population  density  >  <  Peru:  Low  population  density,  but  too  many  animals!  ><  Nepal:  Low  population  density  due  to  migration.  

–  The  challenge  of  high  altitude  vegetation  vs.  livelihoods  

–  Continuous  sub-­‐division  of  land    =>    increased  competition  for  scarce  resources  and  difficulty  in  relating  to  EbA  landscape  approach.  

 

Photo: Himalayan Experts

 

THANK  YOU!    

For  more  information  about  the  Mountain  EbA  Programme:  

http://www.ebaflagship.org                

Photo:  Charlotte  Hicks/UNEP-­‐WCMC