Our
Planet
The magazine of the United Nations Environment ProgrammeVolume 17 No 2
Climate Change andeConomiC development
m Kbk
Facing the Challenge
mk mc B
Window of Opportunity
ms Sckyk
Setting Priorities
d mb
Environmental Contract
Js gb
No Reason To Wait
Y d B
Climate Change Won’t Wait
www.unep.org
3Editoria
AchimSteiner,UnderSecretaryGeneralandExecutiveDirectorUNEP.YvoDeBoer,ExecutiveSecretaryUNFCCC
4FacingTheChaenge
MwaiKibaki,PresidentoftheRepublicofKenya
5WindowofOpportunity
MarkMallochBrown,DeputySecretary-GeneraloftheUnitedNations
8SettingPriorities
MarthinusvanSchalkwyk,MinisterofEnvironmentalAffairsandTourism,SouthAfrica
10EnvironmentaContract
DavidMiliband,SecretaryofStatefortheEnvironment,FoodandRuralAffairsoftheUnitedKingdom
Our
Panet
, the magazine of the
Unted Ntons EnvronmentProgrmme
(UNEP)PO Box 30552 Nairobi, KenyaTel: (254 20)7621 234Fax: (254 20)7623 927e-mail: uneppub@unep.orgwww.unep.orgISSN 101-7394
Drector of Publcton:
Eric Falt
Edtor:
Geoffrey Lean
Coordntors:
Naomi Poulton, Elisabeth Waechter
Specl Contrbutor:
Nick Nuttall
Crculton Mnger:
Manyahleshal Kebede
Desgn:
Sharon Bowen
Producton:
UNEP/DCPI
Prnted b
y: Progress Press, Malta
Front cover:
Martin Bond/Still Pictures
12NoReasonToWait
JoséGoldemberg,SecretaryfortheEnvironment,StateofSãoPaulo,Brazil
14CimateChangeWon’tWait
YvodeBoer,ExecutiveSecretaryoftheUnitedNationsFrameworkConventiononClimateChange
17Peope
18AnEquaChance
RaphaelHanmbock,CoordinatoroftheAfricanNetworkforaClimateCommunity(ANCC)WestandCentralAfrica,andChairmanofACANCameroon,andAubreyMeyer,DirectoroftheGlobalCommonsInstitute
20ProtectandGrow
Prof.OgunladeR.Davidson,Dean,Post-GraduateStudiesattheUniversityofSierraLeoneandCo-ChairofWorkingGroupIIIoftheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange
22FreedomIsn’tFree
AtiqRahman,ExecutiveDirectoroftheBangladeshCentreforAdvancedStudiesandChairmanoftheClimateActionNetwork,SouthAsia
24StarProe:BiancaJagger25BooksandProducts
26KeepingtheWindowOpen
JenniferMorgan,DirectoroftheClimateChangeProgramme,WWFInternational
28GodenOpportunityforBackGod
RamiA.Kamal,consultantonSaudiAramco’sCarbonManagementTeam
Asoavaiabeontheinternetatwww.unep.org
The contents of this magazine do not necessarily reect the views or policies of UNEP or the editors, norare they an ofcial record. The designations employed and the presentation do not imply the expressions,opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP concerning the legal status of any country, territory or city or
its authority, concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The non-copyrighted contents of
this magazine may be reprinted without charge provided that
Our Plnet
and the authors or photographer
concerned are credited as the source and the editors are notied in writing and sent a voucher copy.
Our Plnet
welcomes articles, reviews, illustrations and photos for publication but cannot guarantee
that they will be published. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and artwork will not be returned.
Subscrptons:
If you wish to receive
Our Plnet
on a regular basis and are not currently on the mailinglist, please contact Mani Kebede, Circulation Manager,
Our Plnet
for subscription details giving your
name and address and your preferred language (English, French or Spanish).
Chnge of ddress:
Pleasesend your address label together with your new address to Mani Kebede, Circulation Manager
Our Plnet
UNEP, PO Box 30552 Nairobi, Kenya.
UNEP promotes environmentally friendly practices globally and in its ownactivities.This magazine is printed on 100% recycled, chlorine free paper.
Our
p
M a r k E d w a r d s / S t i l l P i c t u r e s
* All dollar ($) amounts refer to US dollars.
MarkEdwards/StillPictures
31FirmCommitment
ZijunLi,ChinaFellowattheWorldwatchInstitute
33MakingOursevesHeard
AbdoulByukusenge,UNEPTUNZAYouthAdvisorforAfrica
34IntoTheMainstream
PreetyM.Bhandari,DirectorofthePolicyAnalysisDivision,TERI,India
36PantaBiionTrees
PlantforthePlanet
U N E P / S t i l l P i c t u r e s
C
hildren on one of southernAfrica’s mightiest rivers areplaying the Limpopo boardgame, literally for their lives.Piloted in places like Zimbabwe’sMatabeleland and Mozambique’sGaza Province, it uses the powerof play to teach ways of reducingvulnerability to ooding.If a counter lands on a spaceshowing a well designed ood-proof village – or one advisingchildren to move themselvesand livestock to higher ground– it moves forward severalspaces. But if it alights on onedepicting a decimated forest,land degradation, or other factorsincreasing vulnerability, it mustgo back six.The game – part of a largerproject, funded by the GlobalEnvironment Facility (GEF),launched after the devastatingLimpopo oods six years ago– underlines in a simple butpoignant way the challengesdeveloping countries face asthey try to adapt to the extremeweather events linked to climatechange.
Ceandeveopment
In industrialized countries,progress is starting to be made inreducing emissions of greenhousegases as a result of the KyotoProtocol and through its exiblemechanisms. The Protocol links tothe developing world; for examplethrough the Clean DevelopmentMechanism (CDM) which allowsdeveloped countries to offsetemissions (for example throughforestry and renewable energyprojects in developing countries)and has burst into life.By 2012, certied emissionreductions achieved through theCDM are expected to reach atleast 1.2 billion tonnes, more thanthe combined emissions of Spainand the United Kingdom.The industrialized countriesas a group are still on track tomeet their Kyoto commitments,provided they make a moreextensive effort domestically,and make active use of themarket mechanisms of the KyotoProtocol. It is clear, however, thatin the long run deeper emissioncuts will be required.But past pollution fromindustrialised countries hasalready guaranteed us someclimate change: carbon dioxide,after all, can persist in theatmosphere for up to 200 years.So the global community musthelp developing countries adapt.
Cimateproong
Least Developed Countries have– or are preparing – NationalAdaptation Programmes ofAction (NAPAs) under the UnitedNations Framework Conventionon Climate Change. Take Malawi,where almost every facet oflife will need some measure of‘climate proong’. Droughts andoods have increased in intensity,frequency and magnitude overthe past few decades.Floods destroyed sh pondssix years ago, while a drought inthe mid 1990s triggered a totalloss of sh stocks in Lake Chilwa.Malawi’s NAPA calls for restocking,assistance in sh breeding,and better understanding ofhow temperatures disrupt thereproduction of key species.It also calls for reforestationof the catchment of the ShireRiver which produces most of thecountry’s electricity. Deforestationand unsustainable agriculturalpractices has led to the siltationof dams.Samoa’s NAPA callsfor assistance to moveinfrastructure and communitiesto higher ground, for measuresto strengthen buildings againstincreased cyclones, and forrestoring community springs.It says that boosting the healthof habitats and ecosystems willprovide vital buffers againstclimate change.Funding for adaptation isstarting to accumulate as aresult of investments in theCDM and voluntary pledges toa special fund established tonance the implementation ofNAPA activities. However, theseresources must be augmentedif they are to have measurableresults in the poorest countriesof the world.
Emissionreductions
It is becoming clear that allinvestments in developingcountries, both public and private,must factor in climate changeif they are to be viable. But thiscannot be an alibi for inaction onemission reductions.Scientists estimate that a 60to 80 per cent cut in greenhousegases will be needed to stabilizethe atmosphere. We must keepour sights set rmly on thistarget. Otherwise everyone, richand poor alike, will have moreand more pressure to adapt andfewer places to adapt to and from.They will end up playing their ownversions of the Limpopo Rivergame – and, like the children onits banks, playing for their verylives
n
U N E P
Our
p
aChim Steiner
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director,UNEP
Yvo de Boer
Executive Secretary, UnitedNations Framework Conventionon Climate Change
U N F C C C
Search History:
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
p.
Climate Change and Economic Development
The United Nations Environment Programme's flagship magazine for environmentally sustainable development.
726
Reads
15
Readcasts
0
Embed Views
Get Scribd Mobile
To get Scribd mobile enter your number and we'll send you a link to the Scribd app for iPhone & Android.We've sent a link to the Scribd app. If you didn't receive it, try again.
We'll never share your phone number.
Recommended
More From This User
Notes
Load more
