Welcome to the third issue of FAO's e-newsletter on Climate Change and Food Security announcing FAO's upcoming events on climate change. This update includes information on the outcomes of various international meetings, such as the UN Climate Change Conference in Poznan, presentations of publications recently added to the FAO Climate Change web portal and updates on what is happening on the field.
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| Interview | Upcoming events | From the field |
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Interview with Ms. Mette Wilkie Løyche, Senior Officer of the Forestry Department of FAO
"With the UN-REDD programme we aim to build confidence by demonstrating that it is feasible to establish an effective and fair REDD mechanism resulting in significantly reduced carbon emissions." 
As countries prepare to participate in the next FAO Committee on Forestry in March 2009, Ms. Mette Løyche Wilkie, Senior Officer of the Forestry Department at FAO talks about forests and their contribution to climate change, the status of the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010 with its new component: a global remote sensing survey and FAO's participation in the recently launched UN-REDD Programme.
What role do forests play as both a source of and a solution for climate change?
Forests play three key roles in climate change. Globally, forests are currently a major source of carbon emissions and contribute about 17 percent of global, human-induced emissions when cleared, burnt, overused or degraded. On the other hand, they are also part of the solution to climate change because they sequester carbon as they grow. They have potential to absorb about one-tenth of global carbon emissions projected for the first half of this century into their biomass, soils and wood products. Thirdly, when managed in a sustainable way, they are capable of producing a carbon neutral alternative to fossil fuels: wood energy.
But let's not forget that forests, like other natural ecosystems, are also affected by climate change, so if the temperature increases or we have more droughts or floods, this will affect the growth and health of forests.
Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) is a key area to fight global warming. How will FAO contribute to the recently launched collaborative partnership known as UN-REDD?
The collaborative UN-REDD Programme was set up between FAO, UNDP and UNEP to help reduce carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. FAO will not only play a key role as a partner in this Programme but has also carried out a number of initiatives over the years that can complement the work to be done within the UN-REDD Programme. One of these activities includes FAO's work in assessment and monitoring of forests. Global forest resources assessments have been carried out at regular intervals for over 60 years now and we have provided support to numerous countries to conduct national assessments of forests and to set up long-term monitoring systems. We're also helping countries to develop national forest policies and programmes and have a long track record in promoting and facilitating the involvement of local communities in forest management. Thanks to FAO's longstanding work in the area of sustainable forest management there is a lot that we can offer.
What are the priorities of the UN-REDD programme?
In short, the UN-REDD Programme aims to contribute to the development of capacity for implementing REDD and to support the international dialogue for the inclusion of a REDD mechanism in a post-2012 climate regime.
One of the priorities is to develop a robust forest monitoring, assessment, reporting and verification system. This system should allow us to determine what is currently happening in countries and what has happened in the recent past - and to set up an effective monitoring and verification system to ultimately reward developing countries for reducing deforestation and forest degradation. Having that information will allow for carbon credit mechanisms to be established. This is an area in which FAO has the key responsibility within the UN-REDD Programme.
In addition to forest monitoring, there is a need to collectively identify the underlying drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and how to best address them. Studies and consultations on these issues need to take place within countries. There has to be a participatory process to define what strategies should be put in place to ultimately reduce deforestation. These strategies should also include financial mechanisms for communities that are actually reducing deforestation. With the UN-REDD Programme we aim to build confidence by demonstrating that it is feasible to establish an effective and fair REDD mechanism which will result in significantly reduced carbon emissions.
What is being done to enhance the capacity for forest monitoring in developing countries?
FAO is working with countries throughout the world to report on carbon stocks and carbon stock changes in forests as part of its next Global Forests Resources Assessment (FRA) to be completed in 2010. Last year, we held 10 regional and subregional workshops reviewing the required reporting formats and showing countries how to use the IPCC Good Practice Guidance for carbon stock assessment and reporting in forests.
In addition, more than 20 countries have received support from FAO over the last five years to help set-up a National Forest Assessment and Monitoring system, where biomass and carbon are some of the key variables measured.
A third important aspect is the global remote sensing survey we are carrying out with partner organizations for FRA 2010. Using satellite data from 1975, 1990, 2000 and 2005, forest cover will be surveyed across the planet in about 13 500 sample plots, providing a sampling intensity of 1 percent of the global land surface. This remote sensing survey will provide information on the evolution of forest areas and on changes of these areas over time, for example whether they are converted for agricultural use, livestock grazing, roads or housing. Countries are involved in the actual interpretation of the data. The information obtained is valid only at the global and regional level not at the country level since most countries only have between 50 and 150 plots with the grid we are using, which is not enough to make the results statically valid at the country level. However, countries can use the same methodologies and tools and increase the number of sample plots to obtain estimates which are valid at the national level and useful also for the REDD initiative.
The Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) 2010 will be on the agenda of the next COFO to be held in March 2009, what are the main issues to be discussed and the expectations from this biannual FAO meeting?
During the next FAO Committee on Forestry from 16 to 20 March in Rome, FAO will report on progress so far on FRA 2010 and particularly on aspects related to climate change both in the country reporting process, in the remote sensing survey and in a new initiative on forest degradation.
This is just one of several special sessions and side events on "forests and climate change", which is one of the key themes for COFO 2009 - also known as the World Forest Week. More than 600 participants are expected including the Heads of Forestry of most countries. The UN Secretary General's special envoy on climate change Ms. Gro Harlem Brundtland has agreed to deliver the keynote address and there are several other well-known speakers, so this is an event well worth attending and one, which we hope will help focus attention on the many important links between forests and climate change.
Upcoming events
Fisheries and Climate Change to be discussed at next FAO Committee on Fisheries
The FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) will hold its 28th session from 2-6 March 2009 with Climate Change and Fisheries and Aquaculture as one of the items to be discussed on its agenda.
This global intergovernmental forum where major international fisheries and aquaculture problems and issues are examined by Governments, regional fishery bodies, NGOs, fishworkers, FAO and international community will consider and discuss the impacts of climate change for fisheries and aquaculture, potential responses and their implications.
Participants will also comment on the conclusions and recommendations from the Expert Workshop on Climate Change Implications for Fisheries and Aquaculture held in April 2008 for the preparation of the High Level Conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy.
This Committee will also provide recommendations and guidance on future activities to be developed by the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department.
For more information on the 28th session of COFI visit.
Download the Climate Change and Fisheries and Aquaculture document to be discussed during COFI.
Coordinating efforts to face climate change in fisheries
An informal coordination meeting is being jointly organized by FAO, the World Bank and the WorldFish Center to increase coordination and devise potential cooperation areas regarding the threats of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture.
The main goals of the meeting, to be held at FAO headquarters in Rome from 9-11 March 2009, after COFI, are to exchange information on current and future activities and to explore opportunities for partnerships to improve the effectiveness of the various initiatives in this field. A possible output from the workshop could be a framework for a Global Programme on climate change adaptation and mitigation in fisheries and aquaculture.
Climate Change at the centre of the FAO Committee on Forestry and the World Forest Week
Sustainable Forest Management for Climate Change is one of the central topics to be discussed at FAO's Committee on Forestry (COFO) and the World Forest Week to take place from 16-20 March 2009 at FAO headquarters.
The UN Secretary General's Special Envoy on Climate Change, Gro Harlem Brundtland, will be opening the 19th session of the COFO which gathers heads of forest services and other senior government officials, every two years, to identify emerging policy and technical issues, seek solutions and advise FAO and others on appropriate action.
During the committee, the report on the State of the World's Forests 2009 will be presented and discussions on FAO's Strategy for Forests and Forestry will be held as well as reporting on the status of the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010.
The World Forest week will include presentations by heads of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) on the Strategic Framework for Forests and Climate Change, and it will tackle various issues such as financing sustainable forest management, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) and ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change. It will also be a good opportunity to for countries to exchange their views on forests and climate change.
For more information on the COFO session and the World Forest Week click here.
From the field
Report on the impact of Climate Change on Moroccan Agriculture now available
The first draft report on the climate change impact assessment led by FAO, the World Bank and local partners in Morocco is now available with information on future yields of about 50 crops following two scenarios within six agroecological zones.
Using specially developed FAO software, assessments at a fine local spatial resolution were made, showing that yields will remain relatively stable for most crops until approximately 2030. After this period, some major crops will show significant decreases: in 2080, rainfed sugarbeet would decrease by 40 percent in most favourable growing zones and barley by 30 percent.
However, the main uncertainties of the impact of climate change arise from two factors: future water availability for irrigation, and "technology". While climatic water availability can be estimated, the efficiency of the irrigation systems is hard to determine. "Technology" includes mechanization, improved management and use of information such as seasonal forecasts, and choice of varieties. In Morocco, there is still room to improve crops and the use of water. However, water use efficiencies can be improved only up to a certain limit, after which water availability will become, again, the main limiting factor.
The study is part of a comprehensive programme covering the spectrum from climate change scenario projections to impacts on agriculture output and trade to lead to policy recommendations to adapt to climate change and its effects.
Community based adaptation in action: A case study from Bangladesh
The final report of the first phase of the Project on Improved Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change for Sustainable Livelihoods in the Agriculture Sector in Bangladesh is now available as part of the Environment and Natural Resources Management Series of FAO.
The report provides a summary of the working approach developed and tested to promote community-based adaptation within agriculture. It presents lessons learned from the implementation process as well as the details of good practice options for drought risk management in the context of climate change.
The project is implemented since 2005 under the Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Programme (CDMP), by FAO, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), and in collaboration with the Departments of Fisheries, Livestock and Forestry and national research institutes such as Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI).
Download the complete report here.
Latest News
COP14: Towards a new climate change agreement
The 14th Conference of the Parties to the Climate Convention (COP14) of the Kyoto Protocol held in Poznan last December 2008 gathered over 9250 participants, preparing to enter in full negotiation mode for a post Kyoto accord in Copenhagen in 2009.
Among the successful outcomes of the meeting was the agreement by Parties that the Adaptation Fund for financing programmes and projects on this subject would be a legal entity granting direct access to developing countries. The COP14 also adopted a technology transfer programme developed by GEF that considers long-term implementation of projects, leveraging of private sector investment and the promotion of innovative project development.
FAO lead or co-organized some 10 side events running parallel to the meeting and also during Forest Day 2 organized by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and co-sponsored by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and chaired by FAO.
The well-attended events focused on the importance food security, agriculture, fisheries and forests have in post-Kyoto negotiations. Some of the events included discussions on mitigation in agriculture and rural areas, GTOS and enhancing country preparedness for post-Kyoto monitoring and assessment, the UN system's response to support reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradations (REDD) and Bioenergy towards a low carbon future, among many other topics.
FAO, together with IFAD, also made a submission entitled Financing Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in the Agriculture and Forestry sectors to the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action. Ideas and Proposals from the submission were reflected in the "Assembly Document" a compilation of submissions that will evolve into a negotiating text.
The next round of negotiations will be held in Bonn, 29 March-8 April 2009
Download the presentations made during the FAO side events here.
For a complete coverage of the outcomes of COP14 in Poznan visit the UNFCC website.
Read the outcomes of Forest Day 2 here.
The colors of climate change
FAO and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) launched the "Our world, our climate, our food" international drawing competition receiving over 1400 drawings from 46 countries all over the world.
The winner of the competition was sixteen year-old Chan Hiu Wing from Hong Kong, China, whose logo will be used in the development of the youth guide, challenge badge and activity resources on climate change and food security. The project is financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
Considering the high standards and the wonderful drawings submitted, the FAO/WAGGGS team have worked hard to put all the drawings on-line to allow everyone to view them. The results and drawings can be viewed at: www.fao.org/climatechange/youth/en/
Results from the meeting Water for Agriculture and Energy in Africa
FAO, as the chair of the United Nations inter-agency mechanism "UN-Water", and in close collaboration with the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the African Union, the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW), the African Development Bank and the Economic Commission for Africa organized a Ministerial Conference on "Water for Agriculture and Energy in Africa: The Challenges of Climate Change" in Sirte, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, from 15 to 17 December 2008.
National Investment Briefs (NIBs) were prepared for all African countries with estimated investment needs in water for agriculture and energy, based on a review and updating of the NEPAD- Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and other investment projections at both country and river basin levels. The final declaration invited governments and development partners to put together an Action Plan and engage into investment programmes for water development in support of agriculture and energy in Africa, at short, medium and long term. A follow up mechanism was set-up to monitor and evaluate the agreed Action Plan.
For more information, visit the site of the conference.
To access the National Investment Briefs click here.
African Union pledges to give priority to recommendations of Ecological Agriculture Conference
The Commission of the African Union attending the workshop on Ecological Agriculture: Mitigating Climate Change, Providing Food Security and Self-Reliance for Rural Livelihoods in Africa held in Ethiopia last November 2008, pledged to give priority to its recommendations and provide the framework for the development of proper agriculture policies.
The conference gathered some 80 participants from 18 African countries who agreed that "ecological agriculture can provide food security and improve rural livelihoods for African farmers, as well as mitigate and help farmers to adapt to climate change."
The main topics discussed during the conference included:
- Impact of high input chemical agriculture on smallholder farmers
- Sharing of ecological/sustainable/organic agriculture practices
- Development of ecological agricultural policies and strategies for household food security and sustainable rural development
The Conference was organised by the African Union (AU), FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ethiopia, in collaboration with the Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD), Ethiopia and the Third World Network (TWN).
Publications, tools and websites
Climate Change and Food Security in Pacific Island Countries
A new report entitled Climate Change and Food Security in Pacific Island Countries was recently published jointly by FAO, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and the University of the South Pacific.
The report presents the issues and requirements that Pacific islands face regarding the impacts of climate change on food sources and water. It also includes recommendations for national strategies to mitigate, adapt and respond to the challenges posed by climate variability on agriculture and food security in Vanuatu, the Republic of Marshall Islands and the Cook Islands. As a regional response to climate change, the publication also includes the report of a regional expert group of concerned partners which was formed to consider and regionalize the commitments made by the Rome Declaration of the High-Level Conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate change and Bioenergy.
Read the FAO press release here.
Download the complete document.
Small-Scale Bioenergy Initiatives: Brief description and preliminary lessons on livelihood impacts from case studies in Asia, Latin America and Africa
While a lot of the world's attention has focused over the last couple of years on liquid biofuel for transport (primarily ethanol and biodiesel), this study explores another aspect of bioenergy. It looks at the impacts of small-scale bioenergy initiatives on the livelihoods of rural people. It briefly describes and draws on preliminary lessons learned from 15 case studies in 12 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The study was carried out by Practical Action Consulting and in collaboration with the PISCES Project (Policy Innovation Systems for Clean Energy Services).
Download the case studies here.
The FAO's Climate Change webportal contains an even wider array of publications related to climate change and food security, impacts, green-house gas emissions, mitigation, adaptation and policy framework that can be consulted under the Publications section of the webportal.
The FAO also has published valuable tools ranging from dataset, to e-learning and training manuals that can be easily accessed and downloaded under the Data and Tools section of the webportal.
Virtual water
How much water is needed to produce...
The amount of water required to produce food changes according to the crops, varies from place to place, and depends on local productivity and conditions of available water supply through rainfall or irrigation. Water consumed in the production process of an agricultural product is known as 'virtual water'. The FAO Water unit has produced a series of posters indicating the amount of virtual water contained in some of the products we eat everyday.
Download the posters here.
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