Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change Mitigation: From Deforestation to Forest Restoration

Deforestation accounts for nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions and is also strongly linked to development issues, as healthy forests are vital in the fight against poverty. Forest and landscape restoration initiatives offer significant benefits for climate change adaptation and mitigation, and are also an efficient means of generating income for local communities, improving rural livelihoods and preserving cultural traditions. They provide solutions to balancing conflicting land use interests in forest areas and can reconcile environmental concerns with economic development.

To highlight this, IUCN teamed up with UNESCO and Fairventures Worldwide to organise a session at the European Development Days on 3-4 June in Brussels entitled “Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change Mitigation: From Deforestation to Forest Restoration”. In the session, moderated by the Director of IUCN’s European Regional Office Luc Bas, speakers presented best practices in forest restoration and highlighted the benefits of nature-based solutions for sustainable development.

Wolfgang Baum, manager of Fairventures’ 1mTrees programme, which aims to establish an economically and environmentally sustainable land use practice on the island of Borneo, noted that governments generally have little interest in conservation for conservation’s sake, and that the economic value of forest restoration projects must therefore be made apparent. 1mTrees provides farmers with a way to secure an income by revitalising degraded land with trees and thereby boosting the resilience of their habitat against natural disasters.

Thomas Hirsch, general manager of Pacific Ring Europe, a timber company relying on low-density and fast-growing Albasia Falcata trees, outlined how large agroforestry projects could be made responsible, profitable and sustainable by engaging with local farmers and by creating a demand for lighter wood where customers are traditionally used to resource-heavy timber. He demonstrated ways in which the economic model of his company was contributing to the development of tree farms in Indonesia while helping to take pressure off the virgin forest reserves.

The Chief of UNESCO World Heritage Centre’s Africa Unit, Edmond Moukala N’Gouemo, stressed the fact that cultural traditions are inherently linked to natural habitats. With global deforestation progressing at an unprecedented rate, he warned that we are also putting our valuable cultural heritage at risk, reaffirming that the protection of our ecosystems must be of the highest priority.

Cristiana Pasca Palmer, Head of Unit on climate change at the European Commission’s DG DEVCO, provided a snapshot of actions taken by the EU on the issue of deforestation. Moreover, she once again stressed the inseparable link between ecosystem protection and poverty reduction as a pillar for the EU programme for development.

Readmore: http://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/europe/?21544/Nature-based-Solutions-for-Climate-Change-Mitigation-From-Deforestation-to-Forest-Restoration

Stand Structure, Diversity and Regeneration Status of Woody Species in Open and Exclosed Dry Woodland Sites around Molapo Farming Areas of the Okavango Delta, North eastern Botswana

 Abstract

Stand structure, diversity and regeneration status of woody species were investigated in open and exclosed dry woodland sites in Island Safari, Shorobe and Xobe, northeastern Botswana. A total of 105, 111 and 130 quadrats, measuring 20 × 20 m each, were laid down along parallel line transects in the three sites, respectively, to collect data. A total of 47 species, representing 16 families and 24 genera, were recorded in the study sites. Of these, 33 species representing 13 families and 20 genera, 41 species representing 15 families and 23 genera and 27 species representing 10 families and 14 genera were encountered in Island Safari, Shorobe and Xobe, respectively. The most diverse family was Fabaceae followed by Combretaceae and Tiliaceae at all the three sites. The most diverse genus was Acacia, followed by Combretum and Grewia. The diversity of woody species in the study sites were 2.18, 2.15 and 1.5 in Shorobe, Island Safari and Xobe, respectively, while their corresponding evenness values were 0.6, 0.6 and 0.5, respectively. The mean densities of the woody species encountered in Island Safari, Shorobe and Xobe were 2629, 4271 and 2745 individuals ha−1, respectively. The five densest species were Colophospermum mopane, Dichrostachys cinerea, Acacia tortilis, Philenoptera violacea and Terminalia prunioides in Island Safari, C. mopane, A. tortilis, A. erioloba, P. violacea and D. cinerea in Shorobe and Acacia mellifera, A. tortilis, P. nelsii, A. luederitzii and A. erubescens in Xobe. The highest important value index values were exhibited by C. mopane, D. cinerea, A. tortilis, P. violacea and T. prunioides in Island Safari, C. mopane, A. erioloba, A. tortilis, P. violacea and C. imberbe in Shorobe, and A. mellifera, A. tortilis, P. nelsii and A. luederitzii in Xobe. The alarming result was the fact that 71%, 80% and 85% of the woody species recorded in Island Safari, Shorobe and Xobe, respectively, exhibited hampered regeneration and, thus, unhealthy population structures. Therefore, there is an urgent need to address the observed unhealthy population structures of the woody species through investigation of the major causes of their hampered regeneration, and also designing measures that will facilitate natural and artificial regeneration of these species at the three study sites.

Authors: 

 John Neelo1, Demel Teketay2*, Keotshephile Kashe1, Wellington Masamba1
1. Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Maun, Botswana
2. Department of Crop Science and Production, Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana

Link to the full article: http://file.scirp.org/Html/1-1620252_54862.htm