The UNCCD 10 Year Strategic Programme & Biochar: Global

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The UNCCD 10 Year Strategic Programme Biochar
Global Benefits of Addressing Climate Change
and improving soils North American Biochar
Conference Boulder, Colorado 9-12 August 2009
Douglas Pattie and Sergio ZelayaUNCCD
Secretariat
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Outline

• The 10 Year Strategy Objectives
• Core Mandate of the UNCCD DDLD
• The 3 Sister Conventions UNFCCC, CBD, CCD
  combating DDLD
• Biochar as an SLM Technique Mitigation/Adaptation
  
• Why Biochar within UNCCD
• Advocating for Biochar Carbon Neutrality
• Biochar fits within UNCCD Strategic Objectives
• Implications for Biochar Technology

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UNCCD Strategic objectives , 2008-2018
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Core Mandate of the UNCCD

• Address Desertification / Land Degradation and
  Drought mitigation (DLDD)
• COP 2007 recognized UNCCD as a key global partner
  and focal point in dealing with DLDD impacts
  related to climate change and biodiversity loss

Climate Change
Biodiversity
Desertification
DLDD
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UNFCC, CBD and UNCCD Conventions

• If UNCCD addresses DLDD, then this will help
  combat Climate Change and Biodiversity

Climate Change
Biodiversity Loss
Soil Humidity
Risk of Drought
Rainfall
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Sustainable land management techniques related to
climate change mitigation / adaptation and DLDD

• No tillage farming
• Agro-forestry
• Manure and sludge application
• Mobile live-stock management
• Silvo-pastoralism
• Water conservation
• Afforestation
• ? BIOCHAR

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UNCCD fosters to include, not only biochar as an
option for carbon finance mechanisms in
mitigation / adaptation processes to address
climate change, but also considers other options
related to soils (e.g. no-tillage, conservation
agriculture, etc.)
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Biochar - an SLM example for mitigation /
adaptation to CC

• Mitigation Action Kyoto Protocol (1997) CDM
  markets agreed upon
• Adaptation Process Bali Action Plan (2007)
• ?Biochar is a mitigation and adaptation
  opportunity

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Why Biochar within UNCCD?
Countries request for sustainable land mgmt.
techniques ? Several National Reports and
Action Programmes of affected Country Parties
request for innovative SLM practices ? Part
and parcel of sustainable land management
techniques for improved soils Opportunity for
Joint Action and expressions of Interest ?It is
a technology available to sequester carbon,
and an opportunity to include soils within the
UNFCCC process ?15 Country Parties to UNFCCC,
different UN agencies and NGOs have expressed
interest in carbon sequestration using lands
within the UNFCCC regime. Moreover the UNCCD
Strategy calls for the need to establish
partnerships on land issues.
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Advocating for Biochar Carbon Neutrality

• Within drylands, the potential for GHG mitigation
  is high Carbon stock in drylands 36 of total
  carbon stock in terrestrial ecosystems. ?
  Terrestrial carbon sequestration slows down
  climate change
• Promotes food and water security, energy
  security, gender participation and ? helps reduce
  poverty
• Reducing CO2 via global soil carbon pool 2,5
  Gt. Biotic Pool 0,560 Gt ? Potential pool
  for increased carbon sequestration and improved
  soils

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Biochar fits within UNCCD Strategic Objectives

• SLM activity within LULUCF / REDD explicitly
• Win-Win strategy for Annex I and non-Annex I
  countries (sustainable livelihoods in developing
  countries, enhancement of degraded ecosystems)

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Recognizing that drylands have good potential as
carbon sinks there is still the need to conduct

• Assessments of biochar application potential as
  a soil amendment in dryland regions (with
  limited plant biomass present)
• More research on biochar in drylands to address
  desertification and climate change
• Need to know the costs, limitations, and
  benefits of sequestering carbon with biochar in
  drylands

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Implications of Biochar technology

• Developing Countries
• The negotiations and outcome of climate change on
  adaptation and mitigation have a vital bearing on
  DLDD.
• Annex I Countries
• It is imperative that Annex I countries include
  DLDD when fulfilling their obligation to reduce
  emissions, through existing and promising
  methodologies and SLM practices.

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• Thank You
• www.unccd.int