Options and opportunities for ‘synergies’ Goodspeed Kopolo

Potential Synergies between UNCCD, WHC and Other Conventions to Mitigate the Impacts of Climate Change on World Heritage Properties

Presentation outline Introduction : UNCCD and Synergies Desertification Fire: General WH Sites and Fire Context Activities Drought: General WH Sites and Drought Land Degradation and Erosion: General WH Sites and Erosion Shifting Sands: General The Case of Timbuktu

Introduction UNCCD and Synergies Article 8 in Convention text of UNCCD: ‘Partnership’ Central issue in many COPs (2,3,5,6) Joint Liaison Groups Synergy Workshops Synergies go beyond the Rio Conventions  UNEP Issue Based Modules (IBM)

Desertification Introduction Desertification is a misleading term Long process of land degradation in arid semi-aridareas dry sub-humid Result of natural/anthropogenic factors Desertification  Climate Change CCD Expertise goes beyond sand dune fixation

Critical themes and linkages Land Degradation Deforestation Erosion Unsustainable production CO2 emissionsBiodiversity loss Poverty Climate change Reduced ecosystem resilience Economic vulnerability

Critical themes and linkages Sustainable Land Use Conservation Restoration Management CO2 uptakeBiodiversity gain Improved livelihoods Reduced climate change increased ecosystem resilience Reduced economic vulnerability

General Wild land fire: threat to biodiversity in ecosystems non-adapted to fire Fire suppression : threat to biodiversity in ecosystems adapted to fire Vegetation fire  emissions  climate change Cheap method to eliminate unwanted biomass but: Fire deforestation  land degradation  desertification

Fire WH Sites and Fire : W-Africa Ghana – Kakum National Park Central African Republic – Manovo-Goundo St Floris National Park Côte d’Ivoire – Comoe National Park Niger – Air and Tenere Natural Reserves Senegal-Nikolo-Koba National Park

Fire Context for W-Africa Fire: main single threat to biodiversity main source of deforestation Principle direct cause : human activities farming hunting other rural income based activities Underlying causes: poverty lack of education and awareness lack of legislation and incentives

Fire Activities Former and Existing Activities Ghana: some activities, but still work to do Potential Synergy Activities wild land fire management at national level early warning and monitoring systems research into wild land fire management elaboration/dissemination of guidelines Potential External Partners GFMC, Freiburg ISDR (PPEW)

Drought General Naturally occurring phenomenon: precipitation significantly low  serious hydrological imbalances  adverse effect on land resource reproduction system Increases the risks of wild land fires land degradation

Drought WH Sites and Drought India - Keoladeo National Park natural drought + irrigation  water scarcity Spain - Doñana National Park natural drought  dessication Kenya - Lake Turkana National Park natural drought  lake is shrinking Activities undertaken (Kenya): Indigenous Vegetation Project Desert Margins Project

Erosion and land degradation General Soil erosion (wind/water) is one of the processes leading to land degradation Result of human activities habitation patterns Not always in arid semi-aridareas dry sub-humid but CCD could provide some expertise

Erosion and land degradation WH Sites and erosion Nepal – Kathmandu Valley Gambia – St James Island Australia – Tasmanian Wilderness Tanzania – National Park of Kilimanjaro Philippines – Cordilleras Rice Terraces Potential Synergy: FAO: GIAHS

Shifting sands General Problem most identified with UNCCD Two WH Sites directly threatened: Timbuktu (Mali) Chinguetti (Mauritania) Discussion of desertification in Sahara natural oscillations  manmade / climate change

Shifting sands The Case of Timbuktu Desertification Situation shifting sands moving sand dunes wider region: - ecosystem fragility - water shortage

Former and existing activities European Commission ( ) Sand dune fixation program GEF(biodiversity/land degradation) Enabling sustainable dryland management through mobile pastoral custodianship (2005) Desert Margins Program (3 Phases) Management of Indigenous Vegetation for the Rehabilitation of Degraded Rangelands in the Arid Zones of Africa (1998) Shifting sands

Potential synergy activities monitoring of and research on the influence of climate change  desertification  WH properties introduction of benchmarking system early warning system knowledge exchange/cooperation on shifting sands and its mitigation awareness- raising activities