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CBNRM for Sustainable Livelihoods
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The first panel on Thursday presented four examples of integrated CBNRM from Africa. A Southern African community representative explained how a community of hunter-gatherers is managing a natural park area with the help of education and capacity-building, and using simple protocols for sustainable resource use such as traditional hunting, magico-medicinal plant harvesting and “walk-abouts.”
A community representative shared experiences of CBNRM in Zimbabwe. He explained how communities in drought-prone areas have implemented multiple methods to provide sustainable livelihoods and food security, such as: intercropping; water and moisture conservation; seed multiplication and fairs; and organic aquaculture and agriculture.
A speaker from Kenya explored the achievements of his community in addressing drought, poverty and human-wildlife conflicts, which are helping to generate revenue and jobs and improve co-existence with the nature, including: a conservation area; guest lodges and camp sites; and land zoning for livestock, conservation and tourism.
A panelist from a Namibian conservancy presented examples of sustainable income generation from natural resources, such as medicinal plants, firewood and timber, wildlife and land management, and tourism. He described challenges including illegal harvesting, hunting and grazing, and community disputes. |
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The Role of Biodiversity in DRR
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On Thursday afternoon, this panel discussed global, national and local initiatives that integrate biodiversity and DRR into desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) policies. Panelists discussed linkages between biodiversity and DRR under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the UNCCD.
One panelist noted the importance of: improving enabling environments; promoting value chain additions of dryland products; diversifying incomes and livelihoods; intensifying climate smart agriculture; reducing transaction costs through payment for ecosystem services (PES); strengthening science-policy-local action interactions; and taking integrated and multi-sectoral management approaches.
Several participants highlighted outcomes of the High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policy (HMNDP), which took place in March 2013, in Geneva, Switzerland, stressing that most countries do not have comprehensive national drought management policies (NMDPs). One said delegates to the conference requested the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the UNCCD and the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to build national capacity to develop NMDPs.
One participant discussed integration of biodiversity and DRR into national DLDD policies in China and another presented the case study of a community in Northern Kenya, which constructs sand dams, pans, tanks, rock catchments, shallow wells and boreholes to reduce the impacts of drought. |
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Soils and Law: the Legal Aspects of Land Degradation Neutrality
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On Thursday afternoon, an expert panel discussed legal aspects of land degradation neutrality and zero net land degradation (ZNLD) under the UNCCD in context of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) outcome.
UNCCD Executive Secretary Luc Gnacadja opened the session, stating that the Rio+20 outcome provides the context for addressing a gap in international law, particularly an instrument on soil, calling for input from experts on related options.
Legal experts from Australia and Germany discussed possibilities for strengthening the UNCCD in relation to the Rio+20 outcome and ZNLD, including appropriate instruments, suggesting that ZNLD can provide a framework for a target, and a legal basis for an SDG, for a land degradation neutral world (LDNW). One expert explained the benefits of measurable instruments and compliance regimes, and another noted the importance of the principle of subsidiarity in target setting.
Addressing concerns over ZNLD/LDNW serving as a potential excuse for degrading land or trade-offs between regions or countries, a panelist stressed the importance of safeguards, including neutral outcomes at the ecosystem level and protection of high-value ecosystems..
Panelists also explored possible next steps on LDNW/ZNLD under the UNCCD, including a new Annex to the Convention and an intersessional expert group for guidance on target setting, to be considered by the UNCCD COP. |
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Understanding Land Degradation: Towards a SDG on Land Degradation
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On Thursday afternoon, UNCCD Executive Secretary Luc Gnacadja opened the panel, calling for changing the paradigm of land towards an understanding of land as natural capital and an important foundation for poverty alleviation. This session addressed issues related to both the scientific understanding of land degradation and how to enable sustainable pastoralism through an SDG.
One speaker gave a global overview of the CGIAR programme on sustainable intensification of dryland use, explained the soil carbon transition curve, and described recent work on the concept of rainbow water. Another panelist discussed charcoal as a driver of dryland forest degradation in Africa, noting the benefits of high efficiency kilns.
On moving towards an SDG on land degradation, one speaker described the role of pastoralism in the green economy, saying it contributes highly valuable environmental services, is the most economically viable land use option in many rangelands, and helps to meet global demand for livestock products. He said the greatest challenge in developing an SDG is overcoming misinformation and marginalization related to sustainable pastoralism.
Discussants highlighted the importance of including DLDD in the post-2015 development agenda process. Dennis Garrity, Drylands Ambassador, noted the interminable negotiations on indicators for monitoring and called for “cutting through the mustard,” saying means of measurement need to be practical. |
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Reception: Celebrating Two Decades of GEF in Africa
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| Thursday the Rio Conventions Pavilion concluded with a reception marking the launch of an analysis on the two decades of work by the GEF in Africa, "The GEF and Africa." A GEF representative introduced attendees to an illustrative map showing investment flows and distribution between countries and focal areas, including climate change, biodiversity and land degradation. |
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“The GEF and Africa” is launched
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Seventh Rio Conventions Pavilion (RCP)
