Climate Change and Biodiversity Saadullah Ayaz

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Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity
Saadullah Ayaz IUCN- Pakistan
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BIODIVERSITY AND IUCN

• IUCN believes that conserving biodiversity
  involves addressing (i) species and their
  sub-populations (ii) genetic diversity
  and (iii) ecosystems. Hundreds of projects are
  underway around the world aimed at saving species
  and ecosystems and providing the knowledge needed
  for successful conservation action. IUCN's
  biodiversity conservation work is carried out by
  its various programmes including Water, Forests,
  Marine, Species, Ecosystem Management and
  Protected Areas. The following IUCNs global
  programme cater for biodiversity concernsIUCN
  Species ProgrammeIUCN Global Marine
  ProgrammeIUCN Water ProgrammeIUCN Forest
  Conservation ProgrammeIUCN Ecosystem Management
  ProgrammeIUCN Protected Areas Programme
• http//www.iucn.org/what/tpas/biodiversity/solutio
  ns/

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CLIMATE CHANGE AND IUCN

• IUCN believes that conserving nature can help
  reduce greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation) and
  help us adapt to the impacts of climate change
• IUCNs work puts nature at the centre of climate
  change solutions in hundred of programmes and
  projects across the world
• IUCNs Climate Change Network coordinates and
  facilitates climate change work across the
  Unions programmes, commissions and member
  organizations. IUCNs UN Observer Status offers a
  unique position at key international
  decision-making fora, including the United
  Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
  (UNFCCC)
• http//www.iucn.org/what/tpas/climate/

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IUCN AND CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

• The Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) Thematic
  Group of IUCNs Commission on Ecosystem
  Management (CEM), promotes the science and
  practice of Ecosystem-based Adaptation.
• Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is the use of
  biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an
  overall adaptation strategy to help people to
  adapt to the adverse effects of climate change.
• EbA aims to maintain and increase the resilience
  and reduce the vulnerability of ecosystems and
  people in the face of the adverse effects of
  climate change.

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IUCN- PEOPLE AND LIVELIHOODS

• IUCN introduced Community-based Risk Screening
  Tool - Adaptation and Livelihoods
• (CRISTAL)
• CRISTAL can reduce impacts of climate change on
  community livelihoods
• First tested in IUCN project in Mali
• (Inner Delta of the Niger River)
• Made available by IUCN for wider global use
• (Aliou.Faye_at_iucn.org)

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IUCNS GUIDELINES FOR PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLES

• IUCN developed Guidelines for Applying the
  Precautionary Principle to Biodiversity
  Conservation and Natural Resource Management
• Responding to uncertainty (also relevant to
  climate change)
• www.pprinciple.net

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CC AS DRIVER OF BIODIVERSITY LOSS

• A comprehensive assessment of the links between
  ecosystem health and human well-being, climate
  change is likely to become the dominant direct
  driver of biodiversity loss by the end of the
  century
• (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2007)
• Projected changes in climate, combined with land
  use change and the spread of exotic or alien
  species, are likely to limit the capability of
  some species to migrate and therefore will
  accelerate species loss
• (CBD, 2009)
• The impacts of climate change on biodiversity
  are of major concern to the UN Convention on
  Biological Diversity (CBD). The Convention also
  recognizes that there are significant
  opportunities for mitigating climate change and
  adapting to it, while enhancing the conservation
  of biodiversity
• Source Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
  (2001)
• .

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BIODIVERSITY AND CC NEXUS

• The links between biodiversity and climate
  change run both ways biodiversity is threatened
  by climate change, but proper management of
  biodiversity can reduce the impacts of climate
  change
• Biodiversity and Ecosystem (including forests,
  wetlands and oceans) play a role in climate
  regulation and impacts regional and global
  climate changes)
• The changing climate has become a major driver
  of biodiversity loss and threatens its role as a
  source of essential goods and services

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BIODIVERSITY AND CC NEXUS

• adaptation for biodiversity Adaptation
  measures are
• needed to protect biodiversity, to enable the
  widest range of biodiversity to survive and
  adapt, and to meet legal duties for biodiversity
  protection.
• biodiversity for adaptation Biodiversity can
  also play
• an integral part in adaptation measures for
  other sectors, such as coastal protection by salt
  marshes.
• Source UN Convention on Biological Diversity
  (2001)

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IMPACTS OF CC ON BIODIVERSITY
IMPACTS
EXAMPLES
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IMPACTS OF BIODIVERSITY ON CC
EXAMPLES
IMPACTS
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CC THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

• Impacts on production of ecosystems
• Shrinking habitats (forests and wetlands)
• Desertification
• Damage to aquatic ecosystems (coral reefs,
  fisheries)
• Shifts in the natural world (climate change
  impacts at least 420 physical and biological
  processes),
• - Upward migration of plant and animal species,
  
• - Disappearance of some plant and animal species
  in certain areas,
• - Impact on breeding behavior,
• - Change in growing season of plants and
  agriculture crops,
• - Species extinction (some 25 of mammals and
  12 of birds are threatened).

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GLOBAL EXAMPLES
Frogs rely on water to breed, any reduction or
change in rainfall could reduce frog
reproduction. Moreover, rising temperatures are
closely linked to outbreaks of a fungal disease
that contributes to the decline of amphibian
populations The projected rise in sea
levels could cause the disappearance of the
tigers habitat, threatening the survival of the
species in coastal forests of Asia
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GLOBAL EXAMPLES

• In Africa, pressures from longer dry periods and
  shrinking living spaces are making elephants
  highly vulnerable to climate change
• Australias Great Barrier Reef could lose up to
  95 of its living coral by 2050 due to changes in
  ocean temperature and chemistry

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CLIMATE CHANGE FACTS- PAKISTAN

• 1. 12th most vulnerable country (Maplecroft 2010)
• 2. Losing at least 19 of GDP each year (Yale
  University 2005)
• 3. Emission share 0.8 of worlds total- 135th
  ranking (in 2008)
• Total emissions 309 million tones CO2 eqv.
• - comprising of 54 CO2,
• - 36 Methane,
• - 9 Nitrous Oxide
• - 1 other gases
• The biggest contributor is the energy sector
  with 50 share, followed by the agriculture
  sector (39 share), industrial processes (6
  share) and other activities (5 share).

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CLIMATE CHANGE FACTS- PAKISTAN (contd.)

• 4. Temperature rise 0.6 to 1.0C, since early
  1900s
• (IPCC- FAR 2007)
• Temperature may further increase by 1.1 to 6.4 C
  (GCISC 2009)
• 1.3- 1.5 C by 2020s
• 2.5- 2.8 C by 2050s
• 3.9- 4.4 C by 2080s
• 2.8- 3.4 C by the turn of the 21st century
• 6. Decrease in precipitation 10 to 15 in last
  40 years (IPCC 2007)
• 7. Western Himalayan glaciers will retreat for
  the next 50 years, resulting in decrease of
  river flows by up to 30 to 40
• (GCISC 2008)

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BIODIVERSITY FACTS- PAKISTAN (contd.)

• 1. Status of Species
• Higher plants 5700
• Lower plants (pteridophytes) 189
• Lower plants (algae, fungi) 5275
• Mammals 195
• Breeding birds 668
• Amphibian and Reptiles 199
• Fish (fresh and marine) 976
• Lower animals 6182
• (including echinoderms, crustaceans, molluscs,
  annelids, and arthropods)
• Threatened species 73

Source MoEnv., 2010
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BIODIVERSITY FACTS- PAKISTAN (contd.)

• Protected Areas (as of 2010)
• Number of Protected Areas 224
• (including 23 National Parks, 97 Game
  Sanctuaries, 104 Game Reserves)
• Total area under protection 9,852,006 ha.
• 2. Forest Biodiversity
• Scrub and Trees on farmlands 4.73 million ha.
  (5.014 of land)
• Others (coniferous, scrub, riverine and mangrove
  3.5 million ha. (2.7 )
• 3. Agricultural Biodiversity
• Canal irrigated land 55,982.39 ha. (19.15 of
  land)
• Rain- fed 2,739.42 ha. (3.28 of land)
• Rain water harvested 8,28.05 ha. (0.99 of
  land)

Source MoEnv., 2010
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BIODIVERSITY FACTS- PAKISTAN (contd.)

• 4. Livestock Diversity
• Buffalo breeds 2
• Cattle breeds 8
• Yak breed 1
• Goat and Sheep breeds 53
• Horse breeds 23
• Camel breeds 4
• Indigenous poultry breeds 3

Source MoEnv., 2010
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CC AND BIODIVERSITY IN PAKISTAN

• IMPACTS ON FOREST RESOURCES
• Forest lands in northern mountain areas of
  Pakistan would shift from one biome to another
  (north-ward) which would decrease in the
  productivity of this precious resource
• Change in specie distribution has been recorded,
  some plant species have gained elevation
• Lower productivity from forest ecosystems is
  predicted due to change in temperature and water
  regimes
• Spread of pathogens and diseases become frequent
  and wider
• Incidences of fire (sub-tropical) have become
  common due to drought
• Mangrove depletetion due to sea intrusion

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CC AND BIODIVERSITY IN PAKISTAN (contd)

• IMPACTS ON FAUNA
• Shrinkage of habitat is intense
• Some species of freshwater mollusks and
  amphibians have been found threatened
• Higher elevation gained by insects (moths and
  butterflies)
• Habitat of brown bear has warmed up, distribution
  has changed
• Long-tailed Marmots are recorded to appear early
  from hibernation
• Drastic decline in population of migratory birds,
  due to depletetion of water bodies and feeding
  habitat
• Many more we dont know..!!

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CC- AS AN OPPORTUNITY

• Population of large mammals (Markhor and Ibex)
  have reportedly been increased due to expansion
  of feeding grounds. Since they have gained
  elevation and hence are protected from human
  influence (conservation value of Markhor US
  80000)
• Some project interventions have successfully
  introduced fish breeding (cold water) and hence
  helped in conservation of local fish population
  in natural water bodies
• Agriculture practices (particularly wheat
  cultivation) in northern areas is reportedly
  increasing due to higher temperatures. This is
  transforming agriculture thus promoting
  livelihoods
• Increased water flows (glacial melt) is
  encouraging for hydro-power generation. IN some
  areas, community based micro hydel system has
  been adopted

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Transforming agriculture in High altitude areas
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Development of Micro Hydel in Dir- Kohistan
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• "Like water, air and soil, biological diversity
  is the hub of the wheel of life. Destroy it, and
  the wheel, however technologically
  sophisticated,will no longer run"
• (Anonymous)

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• Thanks

Saadullah Ayaz Coordinator Climate Change/ Clean
Air Initiative for Asian Cities IUCN
Pakistan Email saad.ayaz_at_iucn.org