NATIONAL REDD+ SECRETARIAT Zonal Level REDD+ Awareness Creation Workshop MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FOREST Tigray Regional State, MEKELLE Sep 3 and 4 /2015 Contact Tigray Regional State REDD+ Coordination Unit

Climate change & the Role of Forests to Climate Change What are the signs that climate change is occurring? What causes climate change? What is the role of forests in climate change? REDD+ Brief history of REDD+

What is Climate Change? What are the signs of Climate Change?

What is Climate Change? Climate Change = significant change in measures of climate (such as temperature or precipitation) lasting for an extended period of time (typically decades) United Nations Forum Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) defines Climate Change as ‘a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere’

Climate Change is happening Four major independent datasets show: 2013 was among the warmest years on record (2 nd to 6 th )

Sea level is rising: from ocean expansion and melting glaciers Sea level is rising: from ocean expansion and melting glaciers Since 1993 Global sea level has risen 37 mm (1.46 inches) 60% from expansion as ocean temperatures rise, 40% from melting glaciers Steve Nerem Since 1993 Global sea level has risen 37 mm (1.46 inches) 60% from expansion as ocean temperatures rise, 40% from melting glaciers Steve Nerem

GlobalNational Climate Change is happening

Greenhouse gases continued to climb: Atmospheric CO2 concentration hit a global average of ppm for the year 2013 Climate Change is happening

More rain Less rain Changes in precipitation patterns Climate Change is happening

Sea levels are rising due to thermal expansion and melting glaciers and ice caps Average global sea levels have risen 17 cm during 20 th century and may rise cm by 2100 Global mean sea level rise from mm per year Rising sea levels

Global Sea Surface Temperature: base CC

Severe droughts and heat waves Heavy rains Stronger storms More extreme weather events

Examples of potential impacts  Forest fire incidence 2008 There are reports that fire has affected more than 200,000 ha every year in recent decades.

Decreasing snow cover Kilimanjaro 1993 Kilimanjaro 2000 Decreasing snow cover and melting glaciers

Collapse of Wilkins Ice Shelf, Antarctica Warming of poles and loss of sea ice

Evidence for reality of climate change Glaciers melting Alpine glacier, Austria Alpine glacier, Austria Grindelwald Glacier Switzerland Grindelwald Glacier Switzerland 1909 Toboggan Glacier Alaska 2000

Evidence for reality of climate change Tree line shift both altitudinaly and latitudinally. Traditional change of local communities in their cropping pattern and livestock rearing.

What causes climate change and where are greenhouse gas emissions occurring?

Greenhouse GasIndustrial SourcesLand Use Sources Carbon dioxide (CO 2 )fossil fuel combustion and cement manufacturing Deforestation and burning of forests Methane (CH 4 )Landfills, coal mining, natural gas production Conversion of wetlands Rice paddies Livestock production Nitrous oxide (N 2 O)Fossil fuel combustion Nitric acid production Fertilizer use Burning of biomass Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) Industrial processes Manufacturing --- Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)Industrial processes Manufacturing --- Sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) Electrical transmission and distribution systems ---- What human activities generate GHGs?

Which sectors produce greenhouse gases?

Which Sectors Produce Greenhouse Gasses in Ethiopia?

Low emissions High emissions Where are greenhouse gases being emitted?

The sources of emissions differ across developing versus developed countries Greatest source of GHG = fossil fuels Land use change (deforestation) is a major source (second only to fossil fuels) Sources of emissions

Forests in the global carbon cycle

Forests Store and Emit Carbon Deforestation & degradation of forests emit 5.87 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent Forests & other terrestrial systems - absorb 9.53 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent

Forest area by biome Area forest cover Tropical 16~17 M km2 Temperate 9~10 M km2 Boreal 15~16 M km2 Extent of forests globally 30% of earth’s land surface is forest (4 billion hectares)

Carbon stock by biome % terrestrial C Tropical~25% Temperate~10% Boreal~5% Forest carbon globally 45% of terrestrial carbon is stored in earth’s forests Forests absorb 2.6 gigatons C (9.5 gT CO2) per year Emissions from tropical deforestation 1.5 gigatons C per year

Climate change mitigation through forestry

Options for mitigating climate change Increasing carbon sinks Avoiding reducing sinks Reducing emissions from productive activities Bioenergy and biofuels Ecosystem service: emissions reduction Ecosystem service: carbon sequestration Mitigation Activities