Alternative Carbon Investments in Ecosystems for Poverty Alleviation ESPA meeting, Nairobi March 2016 Alternative Carbon Investments in Ecosystems for Poverty Alleviation Below-ground versus above-ground opportunities for the restoration of ecosystem services

ALTER: Alternative Carbon Investments in Ecosystems for Poverty Alleviation Why focus on soils? http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu/afsis/mapclient/ http://nape.or.ug/ http://na.unep.net/ Alter team photos

ALTER: Alternative Carbon Investments in Ecosystems for Poverty Alleviation Ethiopia Southern Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Country Coordinator Hawassa University International Water Management Institute (IWMI) UK James Hutton Institute (JHI), Project Leader University of Aberdeen Uganda Carbon Foundation of East Africa (CAFEA) Subsequent collaborations :University of Turin, Italy; Natural History Museum, UK; Ethiopian Institute of Biodiversity; University of Edinburgh

Study areas Contrast between regions ALTER: Alternative Carbon Investments in Ecosystems for Poverty Alleviation Study areas Contrast between regions Dryland low carbon soils vs wetland carbon rich soils Socio-political enviroments – governance, education, policies Halaba, Southern Ethiopia Southern Uganda

Overarching research question Can investment in soil (carbon) be used to alleviate poverty? By restoring, enhancing or protecting the goods and services supported by soils in regions where soils are degraded or under threat of degradation. Is SOC (soil) an alternative to investment in aboveground carbon or other mechanisms? PROVISIONING (food and fibre,, water quantity) REGULATING (water quality, erosion, climate) CULTURAL (history, spiritual, knowledge) MULTIPLE HUMAN BENEFITS POVERTY ALLEVIATION

How do people benefit from soils within their landscapes and what are their attitudes towards soil? CROPS, FODDER, DRINKING WATER, FUEL, CLOTHING, BUILDINGS, FURNITURE, WILD FOODS, CULTURE, WEATHER & CLIMATE REGULATION, BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION, WATER FOR INDUSTRY & URBAN AREAS…

New data New tools New insights New guidance Apply models across space and time to evaluate soil-focussed intervention options Data collection and model development Develop storylines and narratives for locally specific scenarios Multiple-scale strategies for long-term poverty alleviation through ecosystem services - reflecting climate change adaptation New data New tools New insights New guidance

Planned Research Outcomes Understand the relationships between poverty, people, soils and soil carbon Define capacity of soils to supply ecosystem services Assess the effectiveness of interventions and investments in soil carbon Assess the resilience of poverty alleviation linked to soils-based ecosystem services Enable capacity building and generation of new information

WP4. Delivery of development and academic impact WP1. Understand socio-economic relationships between soils and poverty WP2. Assess the capacity of the soil to supply ecosystem services WP3. Assess the effectiveness of mechanisms to alleviate poverty through soil carbon

Led by: Dr. Helaina Black ALTER: Alternative Carbon Investments in Ecosystems for Poverty Alleviation Legacy Innovation Implementation Linkage Inclusion Work package 4: Delivery of academic and development impact Led by: Dr. Helaina Black ESPA AIMS: Capture relevant change scenarios Engage stakeholders Provide facilitation evidence for enablers of change

WP4 IMPACT Local Regional National International NAPAs & NAMAs AfSIS ALTER: Alternative Carbon Investments in Ecosystems for Poverty Alleviation WP4 IMPACT Local Regional National International NAPAs & NAMAs AfSIS

Impact of this research Local Regional National International Provide sound information to support strategies to alleviate poverty in rural communities of dryland and wetland areas of Africa Education and awareness raising of soil values and soil improvement opportunities Evidence to support the development of strategies in natural resource use, management and restoration Skills, expertise, data and knowledge Contribute to advances in science Policy and planning for soil use and management Evidence for increased investment in soils Support project development and implementation Evidence for implementation of NAPAs and NAMAs

International impact routes UN IPBES and ITPS Revised World Soil Charter 2015 Global Soil Partnership Pillars of Action CGIAR Programmes Impact orientated scientific fora http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/c6814873-efc3-41db-b7d3-2081a10ede50/

FLARE conference December 2016

National to local impact routes Policy,, advisory, research, local communities, farmers… Working with well-placed organisations and individuals If we produce something useful in the right format for them then people will use it If we produce something useful in the right format then people will be use it, or not!

Fieldwork- GHG emissions What are the seasonal and annual C losses from organic soils under potato cultivation? 3 field plots, 10 sample points per plot Sampled at time of plot preparation, mid growing season, post harvest Developing 3 methods for evaluating losses Total C losses from organic soils since drainage? Same sample plots and points Using 2 of the methods for evaluating losses What is the variability in GHG emissions within cultivated areas on organic wetland soils? Measured CO2 emissions for 3x 5-day periods Measured GHG emissions for 2x 5-day periods

Based on LC and bio-physical Agricultural Based on HH survey Initial strategy: ~ 200 locations on agricultural land (~70 HH) 2 to 3 plots for each selected HH HH selected based on category and possibly other variables in the survey (e.g. soil quality of the plots) HH survey: 3 main categories: Rich  11% Medium  36% Poor  53% 2.6 plots each on average: 2 plots  95% 3 plots  45% 4 plots  13% 5 plots  4.5% 6 plots  1.5% 7 plots  0.5% Non-Agricultural Based on LC and bio-physical Initial strategy: ~ 100 locations on non-agricultural land Strata based on clusters of soil properties & morphological features Land cover classes Locations selected within the strata using random probabilistic approach weighted by area

Household Survey Development Work Package 1.1.5 Qualitative analysis of poverty - dimensions (the SLA five capitals) and dynamics 1.1.6 Quantitative analysis of poverty - dimensions (the SLA five capitals focusing soil ES) and dynamics 1.2.3. Economic model of land use decision Survey draws upon ALTER WP1 Ethiopian HH survey Uganda National Household Survey (UNHHS) Africa Soil Information Service (AfSIS) Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) Administered using Open Data Kit (ODK) on Android Phones ODK is a free, open source resource Requires basic programme in Excel Diverse input data types (text, date, multiple choice, audio, GPS) Complete package for survey design, data collection, data aggregation Reduces errors, speeds up data processing, and allows data review/ instant enumerator feedback Lessons and methods described in Household Survey Tool Kit documentation HH survey to capture ES demand linked to for wetland/organic soils. Designed to dove tail with the national HH survey and 2014 census year. ODK- I gave a presentation in London at the ESPA conference on ODK and have it here and can explain more about how to you the programme.

Example of findings (Ethiopia): Complex dynamics of soil erosion Stuff that came up in the Halaba focus groups illustrating the complex drivers, interacting factors, impacts and feedbacks that are relevant when talking about soil erosion and management in Halaba The yellow boxes are represent the story that we normally hear about soil erosion in Ethiopia. All the rest is the stuff that came up in the focus groups illustrating all the complex drivers, interacting factors, impacts and feedbacks that are relevant when talking about soil erosion and management in Halaba 

>20 researchers in 3 countries working together with communities in Ethiopia and Uganda Learning process for all Building new ways of working Learning to work with new people and new organisations “ambitious“ and new science tackling a big issue Challenging but fun

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