Let’s celebrate peatlands on the International Day for Biological Diversity22 May is the International Day for Biological Diversity. This year the theme for the day is ‘water and biodiversity’, and this creates a special opportunity to put peatlands in the spotlight. Peatlands, which are a bit like swamps, can be found in almost every country. But many people are unaware that they exist and don’t know how important they are. Because peatlands are so diverse, they support a large variety of habitats. Both the orangutan and the Sumatran tiger call peatlands their home. Also the many different plants and animals that live in peatlands can provide us with food and raw materials for industry.
Because of the expansion of agriculture and forestry, many peatlands are being drained and degraded. A high water table is essential for maintaining biological diversity and storing carbon in peatlands. Draining peatlands releases high amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and contributes to climate change. When peat lands are drained and the water stored in the soil dries out, the land can subside, which means that it sinks lower and lower. This can lead to increased flooding. What’s more when peatlands become dry, the risk of wild fires increases. Peatland degradation makes it harder for communities that live in and around peatlands to adapt to the impacts of climate change. So this year when we celebrate biological diversity internationally, let’s not forget about our peatlands. For more information on peatlands click here New publication - National integrated mitigation planning in agriculture: A review paper
The new publication is based on input from a workshop, ’National mitigation planning and implementation in agriculture’, organized by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and FAO held at FAO headquarters in July 2012.
New report on the updated Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use Mitigation Project (AFOLU MP) database
Greenhouse gases database now available on FAOSTATThe new domain on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has just been released on FAOSTAT. The newly added GHG database offers a complete time-series of emission statistics for all countries over the period 1990-2010. It provides countries with vital, regularly updated information to help them consistently identify, assess and report GHG emissions from their agriculture, forestry and other land use sectors, as part of the activity data they already report to FAO New policy brief: Helping smallholder farmers mitigate climate change
The brief stresses that carbon payments for mitigation are unlikely to be adequate to incentivize changes in behaviors due to challenges related to low returns, transaction costs and long timeframes for payback. It argues that incentives related to food security and adaptation to climate change are central to promote mitigation, and that policies and investment are required to provide up-front finance and long-term rewards.
The analysis drew in part on inputs from the expert workshop, "Smallholder Mitigation: Mitigation Options and Incentive Mechanisms", that was jointly organized by CCAFS and MICCA in June 2011. To access the presentations from this workshop, go to the past events page. Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs)MICCA and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) recently organized the workshop, 'Nationallly Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs): national mitigation planning and implementation in agriculture'. The presentations from the workshop are now available on line. The workshop was intended to support the development of national mitigation planning to advance climate-smart agriculture. The presentations include country experiences in NAMA development from Brazil, Costa Rica, Kenya, and Indonesia. To access the presentations, go to Past events. The workshop report has now been released. One of the workshop participants, was Claudio Forner of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). We asked him about how NAMAs fit into the big picture of global efforts to mitigate climate change in agriculture. To read the interview with Claudio Forner, click here. Ex-Ante Carbon Balance Tool (EX-ACT) assessments now availableThe EX-ACT assessments of the mitigation potential of MICCA Programme's pilot projects in Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania are now on line. The EX-ACT assessments complement the socio-economic surveys and capacity needs assessments carried out in the pilot projects.
For more information on the MICCA Programme's pilot projects, click here. Financing climate change in agriculture
Other recent FAO publications on financing climate-smart agriculture: | Peer reviewed articlesThe monitoring and assessment of greenhouse gases team have had several peer reviewed articles published. To access the articles, click here. Key FAO linksContact
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