CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT

1. CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT Mainstreaming Risk Reduction into Climate Change Adaptation Paul Isabirye Ministry of Water and Environment Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE • Characteristics of Africa’s Development • Climate change and natural disasters • The Impacts and Implications • Suggestions • Conclusions Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

3. Preamble • Considerable efforts and resources are being committed in Africa to develop basic infrastructure and services such as roads, communication, health, education, access to water and markets among others. • However, the increase of climate change related disasters in recent years have clearly demonstrated Africa’s vulnerability to such impacts. Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

4. SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT • Heavily dependent on natural resources, which are poorly managed • Most livelihoods are climate change sensitive • Poor physical planning (land-use policies) • Haphazard urban development • Rapid population growth • B.A.U production methods (poor technologies) • Short-term economic visions Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

5. A Glance at the Climate Change Question • Africa’s contribution to the historical global greenhouse gas emissions is very insignificant • By IPCC AR4 Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to the impacts of climate change • Adaptation to climate change remains the priority for Africa • Climate change mitigation, however, presents significant opportunities for sustainable development in Africa Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

6. The Climate Change Question Cont’d • Climate change related disasters in recent years have clearly demonstrated vulnerability of countries to impacts of adverse effects of climate change. • The responses of countries to such impacts vary with their level of development and preparedness • The Least developed countries (LDCs) and particularly the poor people in these countries are the most vulnerable to impacts of adverse effects of climate change. Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

7. Climate change and natural disasters • More than 90% of all natural disasters occurring around the world today are mainly related to water • In Uganda climate related disasters such as droughts, floods, landslides, windstorms and hailstorms contribute well over 70% of the natural disasters. • An average of 800,000 Ha of crops are destroyed annually, making economic losses in excess of Ushs120 billion. Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

8. Climate change and natural disasters cont’d • 2007 was a year of climatic crises, with especially floods, heat waves, and forest fires of an unprecedented nature. • By mid November the United Nations had launched 15 ’flash appeals’, the greatest number ever in one year. • All but one were in response to climatic disasters, including; floods (Africa, Mexico & South Asia), heat waves and forest fires ((in Europe, California and Australia). Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

9. Climate change and natural disasters cont’d • Climatic disasters are on the increase as the Earth warms up – in line with scientific observations and computer simulations that model future climate. • The IPCC AR4 indicates that by 2020, yields from rain-fed agriculture in a number of African countries could be reduced by up to 50%. • Approximately 20-30% of plant and animal species are likely to be at increased risk of extinction if increases in global average temperatures exceed 1.5-2.5 ºC. • An estimated 200 million people could be displaced by 2050 as a result of climate change impacts. Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

10. Climate and non climate Hazards OMM WMO El Niño/ La Nina Hot & cold spells Droughts River basin flooding Tropical cyclones Heavy precipitations (rain or snow) Storm surges Ice Storms Storm (winds) Dust storms Wildland fires & haze Hail&Lightning Mud & landslides Flash floods Avalanches Tornadoes Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

11. Global distribution of natural hazards (1993-2002) OMM WMO Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

12. Regional Distribution of Natural Disasters (1993-2002) OMM WMO Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

13. Distribution of people killed (1993-2002) OMM WMO Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

14. THE ECONOMICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

15. THE ECONOMICS OF CC Cont’d Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

16. THE ECONOMICS OF CC Cont’d Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

17. HEALTH IMPLICATION,RIFT VALLEY FEVER APPEARING AFTER MORE THAN 50 YEARS, MALARIA Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

18. Climate change and settlement Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

19. ROADS AND INFRASTRACTURE DESTRUCTION Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

20. Increasing Pests & Disease Epidemics Increasing Tsetsefly spread Increasing Mosquito spread Termites Cross-boarder Interactions Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

21. LANDSLIDES Landslides;- expose the hilly areas more; claim lives; destroy crops; divert labour efforts to rescue operations;.. Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

22. Headline Impacts Climate change is likely to have a wide range of interrelated impacts for the environment and economy of Africa and the well-being of its people. The headline impacts are likely to be: • Increased food insecurity; • Shifts in areas affected and increased incidence in some areas of diseases, such as dengue fever, malaria and water borne diseases associated with floods; • Elevated rates of erosion and land degradation because of higher intensity events; • Greater risks of flood damage to infrastructure, property and settlements; Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

23. Headline Impacts Cont’d • Shifts in the viable area for cultivation with increased temperature; • Reduced output of important crops; • Reduction in grazing potential within the cattle corridor; • Biodiversity loss and extinctions as niches are closed out by temperature increases and pressure on natural resources; • Implications for Lake levels and River flows Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

24. Implications to Development • Climate change if not urgently addressed, threatens to undo decades of development efforts in a short time. • A significant share of development investments are in activities affected by climate risks, since most sectors are vulnerable to climate change. • Many times governmentshave diverted resources meant for development programmes to help people cope up with impacts of extreme weather and climate events. • With increased frequency of occurrence of extreme weather and climate events, poverty has progressively shot up and development efforts have continuously been frustrated. • The MDGs whose chief objective is to eradicate poverty have continuously been frustrated by climate change and variability. Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

25. National Policy and Actions • Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP), are comprehensive and multi-sectoral development frameworks, which guide development of sectoral policies in many developing countries. • Although sectoral policies are comprehensive they do not take into account cross-cutting issues such as climate change. • Climate change is a relatively new challenge and therefore not well internalized by many although its negative impacts are sending a clear message. • Development of deliberate climate change oriented policies is therefore inevitable and urgent. Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

26. Policy and Actions:Uganda’s case • A climate change Unit (CCU) under MWE created • Developing adaptation strategies for both Water and the Agriculture Sectors • NAPAs in place for short term actions • The NDP process has recognised the importance of the climate natural resource and has provided for a special sub-sector paper on ‘weather, climate and climate change in national development’ (one of the 10 thematic papers for the ENR sector Paper) • A climate change policy and mainstreaming climate change into the development planning processes to be key activities under the current Royal Danish support to Uganda. Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

27. Research and awareness creation Forest farming Water resources Weather and climate information Alternative livelihoods Policy and legislation Land and land use Health Infrastructure Disaster preparedness Recommended broad intervention areas for Adaptation Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

28. CONCLUSION • Climate Change is a problem of immense proportions and is a threat to the majority of development efforts. • The process of development itself has a huge impact on disaster risk(both positive and negative). • Therefore need to climate proof all development processes • Disasters should not be seen as merely isolated random acts of nature • Disasters are expected consequences of poor risk management over the long-term. • There is therefore need to establish capabilities to ensure that the known hazards do not result into disasters and in the event that they do, the people affected can continue to meet their minimum needs for food, water, shelter, health, and security through their own efforts and appropriate assistance. Regional Conference on DRR & Mgt in Africa

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