WARSAW, Poland — Don’t miss the deliberations at the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) in Warsaw this weekend where more than 1,200 forestry and agriculture experts will be chasing answers for climate talks.
Moving mountains to protect the world’s ‘water towers’
Think of the Andes along the west coast of South America, the Rocky Mountains in North America, the European Alps and of course the Himalayas in Asia.
These vast mountain systems are ‘water towers’ for the world.
Mountains provide half of the world’s population with fresh water—for industry and domestic use, irrigation and hydropower. They are also home to half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.
Experts—in a session on Building climate change resilience in mountains—will argue that mountains must be included in any research and planning on the water-related impacts of climate change.
But will unique problems arise in mountain areas as a result of climate change?
What support can be given to vulnerable mountain communities to help them become climate-smart stewards of mountain landscapes?
Speakers at the GLF session on Saturday 16 November at 4.30-6.30pm include:
- Eduardo Rojas-Briales, Assistant Director-General Forestry Department, FAO
- Hanta Rabetaliana, President World Mountain People Association, Madagascar
- Eklabya Sharma, Director Programme Operations at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
- Keith Alverson, Head of the Climate Change Adaptation and Terrestrial Ecosystems Branch of the Division on Environmental Policy Implementation at the UN Environment Program (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya
- Koko Warner, Head of the Environmental Migration, Social Vulnerability and Adaptation Section at the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)
Putting gender on the agenda at climate talks
The Global Landscapes Forum is throwing the issue of gender inequality into the UN climate talks arena this weekend.
In so doing, it will highlight some of the invisible issues that are affecting climate agreements.
Dr. Seema Arora-Jonsson, Coordinator of the Working Party dealing with gender research for the International Union of Forest Research Organisations, says we have to look beyond the trees to make progress in climate talks.
“Unequal gender relations do not cause or aggravate climate change. But gender relations do determine how the environment is managed,” she published in a report in 2011.
Dr. Arora-Jonsson is the keynote speaker for the session, Linking gendered knowledge with gender-responsive action in the landscape: What works?
She will talk about her research in India and Sweden, which has shown that some committees involved with forest governance add female members simply to pay lip service to the concept of gender equality.
Speakers at the GLF session on Sunday 17 November 3-5.30pm include:
- Dr. Seema Arora-Jonsson, Coordinator of the Working Party dealing with gender research for the International Union of Forest Research Organisations and Associate Professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Sue Carlson, Women’s Committee, World Farmers Organization
- Nathalie Eddy, Coordinator, Global Gender and Climate Alliance
- Amy Sullivan, Program Manager, FANRPAN
Silver linings under the climate clouds
Climate-smart agriculture: success stories from farming communities around the world showcases 16 case studies on how through innovation, risk management, and the support of policies and institutions, farmers and the land can adapt to change.
The stories are from both the developed and developing world and include tales of forest restoration and water harvesting in Africa, to sustainable rice production in Vietnam and carbon farming in Australia.
Some success stories from the book:
- More than 5 million hectares of degraded land in the Sahel have been restored through a practice known as ‘farmer-managed natural regeneration’, which has increased the food security of millions of people in Africa.
- Weather-index-based crop insurance has encouraged over 12 million farmers in India to invest in their crops, boosting food security and the resilience of smallholder production systems.
- Denmark’s Green Growth policy has helped reduce the agriculture sector’s carbon footprint. Smart measures, such as improved use of manure and a 40% reduction in the use of inorganic fertiliser, have contributed to a 28% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2009.
The booklet was produced in cooperation between the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security and the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation. Download the new book.
A press briefing will be held at the GLF to launch the book.
TIME: 13:15–13:40, Sunday 17 November
LOCATION: Media & Press Briefing Room, University of Warsaw
Speakers include:
Michael Hailu, Director, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation
Dr. Bruce Campbell, Director, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security
