Humanity is facing multiple global threats. These include a health pandemic and related economic hardships, food insecurity, poverty, climate change, conflicts, land and water degradation, and biodiversity loss.
Tag: degradation
Risks to carbon storage from land-use change revealed by peat thickness maps of Peru
Tropical peatlands are among the most carbon-dense ecosystems but land-use change has led to the loss of large peatland areas, associated with substantial greenhouse gas emissions. To design effective conservation and restoration policies, maps of the location and carbon storage of tropical peatlands are vital. This is especially so in countries such as Peru where the distribution of its large, hydrologically intact peatlands is poorly known. Here field and remote sensing data support the model development of peatland extent and thickness for lowland Peruvian Amazonia. We estimate a peatland area of 62,714 km2 (5th and 95th confidence interval percentiles of 58,325 and 67,102 km2, respectively) and carbon stock of 5.4 (2.6–10.6) PgC, a value approaching the entire above-ground carbon stock of Peru but contained within just 5% of its land area. Combining the map of peatland extent with national land-cover data we reveal small but growing areas of deforestation and associated CO2 emissions from peat decomposition due to conversion to mining, urban areas and agriculture. The emissions from peatland areas classified as forest in 2000 represent 1–4% of Peruvian CO2 forest emissions between 2000 and 2016. We suggest that bespoke monitoring, protection and sustainable management of tropical peatlands are required to avoid further degradation and CO2 emissions.
Impact of mangrove planting on forest biomass carbon and other structural attributes in the Rufiji Delta, Tanzania
Mangrove forests provide important ecosystem services to the human society and nature including mitigation of climate change. The quality and quantity of ecosystem services offered by mangrove forests are however at risk when mangroves are degraded. The restoration of mangrove areas is considered as a natural solution to recover lost ecosystem services such as securing of carbon stocks. This study was set to assess the extent to which mangrove planting activities compensate for the loss of biomass carbon stocks and other structural attributes in Rufiji Delta-Tanzania through analysis of biomass carbon loss and gain as a result of conversion of mangroves forest into rice farms and planting of mangroves respectively. Circular sampling plots were established in good, degraded and restored mangrove areas where total tree heights and Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) of all standing trees were measured and recorded by species and used to compute biomass carbon stock. The mangrove species composition changed from 7 in 1989 to 2 species in degraded plots in 2016. The species dominance changed from Avicennia marina in 1989 to Rhizophora mucronata in 2016 in good mangrove plots and from A. marina and Sonneratia alba to an invasive Baringtonia racemosa in degraded plots. Bruguiera gymnorrhiza was the only mangrove species used for restoration through planting in the delta and the overall survival rate was 37%. The above-ground carbon (AGC) and below-ground carbon (BGC) for the good natural mangrove plots ranged from 28.18 to 299.43 and 16.00–164.51 Mg C ha−1 respectively compared to 0–150.88 and 0–967.01 Mg C ha−1 in the degraded plots. The total biomass carbon stock in the good natural mangrove plots ranged from 44.14 to 463.94 Mg C ha−1 while for the degraded plots the range was 0–247.89 Mg C ha−1. The carbon stocks in 5, 10 and 15 year old planted mangroves were 13.65, 20.13 and 57.53 Mg C ha−1 respectively. The biomass loss of 172.91 Mg C ha−1 was estimated in a period of 25 years (1989–2016), equivalent to an annual loss rate of 6.9 Mg C ha−1year−1, demonstrating that degradation has a significant contribution to loss of carbon stocks. Nevertheless, an average of 3.8 Mg C ha−1year−1 was stocked by 15 years old planted mangroves, demonstrating that there is potential for the planted mangroves to compensate for the lost carbon if the anthropogenic drivers such as rice farming is controlled. These findings call for urgent collective actions among stakeholders to consider and improve the integrated management of the delta.
Amazonian forest degradation must be incorporated into the COP26 agenda
Nations will reaffirm their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26; www.ukcop26.org), in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021. Revision of the national commitments will play a key role in defining the future of Earth’s climate. In past conferences, the main target of Amazonian nations was to reduce emissions resulting from land-use change and land management by committing to decrease deforestation rates, a well-known and efficient strategy1,2. However, human-induced forest degradation caused by fires, selective logging, and edge effects can also result in large carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions1,2,3,4,5, which are not yet explicitly reported by Amazonian countries. Despite its considerable impact, forest degradation has been largely overlooked in previous policy discussions5. It is vital that forest degradation is considered in the upcoming COP26 discussions and incorporated into future commitments to reduce GHG emissions.
Small scale agriculture continues to drive deforestation and degradation in fragmented forests in the Congo Basin (2015-2020)
The Central African region hosts the largest continuous tract of forest in Africa, regulating global climate while providing essential resources and livelihoods for millions of people and harbouring extensive biodiversity. Extractive industries, infrastructure development and industrial agriculture have often been cited as major threats to these forests and are expected to increase. A regional collaborative effort has produced the first systematically validated remote sensing assessment of deforestation and degradation drivers in six central African countries for the 2015–2020 time period. Multiple, overlapping drivers are assessed through visual interpretation and show that the rural complex, a combination of small-scale agriculture, villages, and roads contributes to the majority of observed deforestation and degradation. Industrial drivers such as mining and forestry are less common, although their impacts on carbon and biodiversity could be more permanent and significant than informal activities. Artisanal forestry is the only driver that is observed to be consistently increasing over the study period. Our assessment produces information relevant for climate change mitigation and land use planning which requires detailed information on multiple direct drivers to target specific activities and investments.
A political-economy model to reduce fire and improve livelihoods in Indonesia’s lowlands
Deforestation and land degradation have been occurring across the globe, particularly in developing countries. Over the past 30 years, Indonesia’s lowlands have experienced rapid degradation, deforestation and fires. Interventions aimed to achieve sustainable lowlands have been made through the introduction and adoption of commodities that provide sufficient livelihoods and reduce fires. However, these interventions have not guaranteed success as the contribution of the governance and political economy towards sustainability is poorly understood. This study aims to determine how governance and political-economic factors affect sustainability of lowland agriculture. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to understand the effect of political economy factors (structure, institution and actor) on sustainability and community livelihoods in Indonesian lowlands. Data were collected through interviews with selected respondents. We found Structure, Institution, and Actor explain 31% (0.31) of the variation in the Sustainability and Livelihoods model. The remaining effects were explained by non-political economic factors. Using actor-centered power (ACP) and social network analysis (SNA) approaches, we also identified and assessed different actors’ power and their networks. The central government and private companies are the most powerful actors, while farmers are the least powerful actors. The findings demonstrate that considering governance and political-economic factors in designing and implementing commodity interventions for policy makers is a must. Devolving power to farmers is crucial in achieving power balance among various actors, which leads to better political economy condition that affects sustainability of lowlands.
Quo vadis global forest governance? A transdisciplinary delphi study
Deforestation and forest degradation remain huge global environmental challenges. Over the last decades, various forest governance initiatives and institutions have evolved in global response to interlinked topics such as climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, indigenous rights, and trade impacts – accompanied by various levels of academic attention. Using a Delphi methodology that draws on both policy and academic insights, we assess the currently perceived state of play in global forest governance and identify possible future directions. Results indicate that state actors are seen to be key in providing supportive regulatory frameworks, yet interviewees do not believe these will be established at the global scale. Rather, respondents point to issue-specific, regional and inter-regional coalitions of the willing, involving the private sector, to innovate global forest governance. Linking forest issues with high politics may hold promise, as demonstrated by initiatives regarding illegal logging and timber trade. Confident rule-setting in support of the public good as well as responsible investments are seen as further avenues. New forest governance “hypes”, if used strategically, can provide leverage points and resources to ensure sustainability effects on the ground. At the same time, informal markets are often crucial for governance outcomes and need consideration. As such, clarifying tenure in sovereignty-sensitive ways is important, as are innovative ways for inclusive “glocal” decision-making. Lastly, new technologies, big data and citizens’ capacities are identified as potent innovation opportunities, for making global dependencies between consumption, production and deforestation visible and holding players accountable across the value chains.
Central Africa Humid Tropics Transect Sentinel Landscape (CAFHUT): A stocktaking pilot study [Revised Edition, May 2021]
Revised edition, May 2021. This publication is part of the Sentinel Landscape network initiative established in eight sites around the world representative of widely different biophysical and socioeconomic contexts. Here we present and summarize the results of the research and baseline studies carried out in the Central Africa Humid Tropics Transect sentinel landscape, four sites in Cameroon indicative of the African humid forest ecological zone.
Forest governance in DRC
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has implemented Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+), a process that requires inclusive decision making and accountability. Our research analyses the participation of policy actors in DRC by asking: (1) Who is involved in national REDD+ policy making and what is their interest in participating in core policy events? (2) What level of participation do the different political actors have in core policy events? (3) To what extent do the outcomes, of REDD+ policy events incorporate different preferences of policy actors? We found that although actors’ interest in REDD+ policy events have increased over time, their concerns have rarely been taken into account in decision-making processes. The presence of local civil society and indigenous group organizations is weak while international organizations play a major role in the REDD+ arena. REDD+ is treated as a project rather than being embedded in national politics.
The Potentials and Challenges of Achieving Sustainability through Charcoal Producer Associations in Kenya: A Missed Opportunity?
The charcoal industry, specifically charcoal production, is tremendously valuable to Kenya for its contribution to economic, social and environmental nexus. Considering the degradation of ecosystems and charcoal production’s critical role, the government established the Forest (charcoal) rules of 2009, assigning commercial charcoal production under Charcoal Producer Associations (CPAs). Identifying numerous bans in the recent past, this paper sets out to understand CPAs’ potentials and challenges in attaining sustainability within the sector. Using focus group discussions with CPA members from Tana River and Kitui counties, the paper outlines analysed data within the functionality, governance and policy implications parameters of operation. The findings show high economic value for the members and an in-depth environmental significance to the communities within which these CPAs exist. Thus, we propose a schematic to enhance charcoal production processes to achieve sustainable ecosystems and livelihoods. There is high potential within the CPAs for the sector’s sustainability through monitoring platforms, restoration plans, adopting sustainable practices, knowledge dissemination and societal advancement. To advance this untapped potential of these associations, we recommend building their technical, business and governance skills, exploring various restoration schemes, financial and regulatory support in implementation, and policy support.