NAMIBIAN NATIONAL ISSUES REPORT ON LAND USE, LAND-USE CHANGE AND FORESTRY (LULUCF) (ADAPTATION)

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NAMIBIAN NATIONAL ISSUES REPORT ON LAND USE,
LAND-USE CHANGE AND FORESTRY (LULUCF) (ADAPTATION)
Prepared by Dr. Juliane Zeidler, Integrated
Environmental Consultants Namibia (IECN) 24
September 2008
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Speaking Points

• (1) The LULUCF sector key economic points
• (2) Proposed adaptation options
• (3) Key issues in assessing IF flows

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The LULUCF sector

• UNFCCC LULUCF sector includes six broad land use
  categories (1) Forestland, (2) Cropland, (3)
  Grassland, (4) Wetlands, (5) Settlements, and (6)
  Other land.
• NCCC Namibia has a more integrated approach -
  need to address all key production systems, (1)
  Agriculture, including both crops and livestock,
  (2) Forestry, (3) Fisheries (inland), (4)
  Tourism, (5) Wildlife and (6) the underlying
  Ecosystem Services.
• Degradation issues critical CC Risk and expected
  impacts of CC will exacerbate already pressing
  environmental problems
• Namibia natural arid country autonomous
  adaptation ongoing
• Example conversion of livestock to wildlife
  based farming

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Key economic points I

1. Agriculture, including both crops and livestock,
2. Forestry,
3. Fisheries (inland),
4. Tourism,
5. Wildlife and
6. Ecosystem Services

Source Reid et al, 2007
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Key economic points II
Source Reid et al, 2007

• Overall it is suggested that over 20 years,
  annual loses to the Namibian economy could be up
  to 6 of the GDP, from CC impacts on NRs alone.

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Proposed adaptation options for the LULUCF sector
in Namibia

• Development itself is recognised as the most
  effective way to promote adaptation
• Some of the required measures for strengthening
  adaptation include
• Ensuring access to high-quality information about
  the impacts of climate change and carrying out
  vulnerability assessments. Early warning systems
  and information distribution systems help to
  anticipate and prevent disasters.
• Increasing the resilience of livelihoods and
  infrastructure using existing knowledge and
  coping strategies.
• Improving governance, including a transparent and
  accountable policy and decision-making process
  and an active civil society.
• Empowering communities so that they participate
  in assessments and feed their knowledge into the
  process at crucial points.
• Integrating climate change impacts in issues in
  all national, sub-national and sectoral planning
  processes and macro-economic projections. The
  national budget process is key here.
• Encouraging a core ministry with a broad mandate,
  such as finance, economics or planning, to be
  fully involved in mainstreaming adaptation.
• Source Adapted from Sperling (2003) in Stern
  Review The Economics of Climate Change (2006)

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Proposed adaptation options for the LULUCF sector
in Namibia

• Mainstreaming CCA in national policy
• Land use planning and promotion of climate
  compatible land uses and associated production
  systems
• Prevention of land degradation and rehabilitation
  
• Examples of land and resource management options
• Crop, forage and tree species/varieties
• Livestock, game and fish species/breeds
• Crop and tree management
• Livestock, game, aquaculture and wild fish
  management
• Moisture management, irrigation and soil water
  conservation
• Pest and disease management
• Management of natural areas
• Fire management
• Identifying key infrastructure and development
  investments that require climate change
  proofing
• Upscaling EWS and generally improving information
  on CC and CCA

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Key issues in assessing IF flows

• Key information needs
• Reliable information on expected CC impacts are
  needed
• The costs and benefits of action vs inaction to
  make a good business case
• Key adaptation options need to be strategised and
  costed
• ID opportunity cost of upgrading and CC proofing
  existing investments, policies and project
  interventions
• Information on current investments and financial
  -gt baseline
• Key information available in Namibia
• Expert studies under SNC longterm investments
  into research and information needed
• Key information from NDP3 and MTEF
  2007/08-2009/10
• The Natural Resource Accounts (NRA) Social
  Accounting Matrix (SAM) database
• ODA flows
• More difficult to assess current domestic and
  private investments
• Various other issues
• The National Capacity Self Assessment (NCSA)
  severe shortage of natural resource economists
• Other technical capacity gaps may impede a
  systematic country wide analysis

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Thank you!