Fragile Environments

Fragile Environments

1. Desertification

   • Causes
     • Socio-economic
       • Population growth
         • Population increase 3% per year; food production increase 2% per year
       • Agricultural practices
         • Overcultivation, overgrazing, monoculture
       • Deforestation
         • 90% of Ethiopian forestry cleared
     • Environmental
       • Climate change
         • 40% less rainfall in the past 30 years
   • Impacts
     • Social
       • Malnutrition
         • 30% of children malnourished
       • Migration
         • 10,000 people move to bordering countries each week
     • Economic
       • Grain prices rose by over 2.5x between 2010 and 2011
       • Loss of working population through migration
     • Environmental
       • In Niger 250 square kilometres of arable land are lost each year
   • Management
     • Eden Foundation, Niger
       • Eden has helped 2500 households since 1987
     • Zai Pits, Burkino Faso
       • Raise yields from 0 to 400kg per hectare in a year of low rainfall
     • Magic stones, OFXAM, Burkino Faso
       • Has improved crop yields by 50%
     • The Great Green Wall
       • 7600km long belt of trees along southern fringe of Sahara
     • Food aid
       • Islamic militant groups have banned food aid from Western agencies

2. Soil erosion

   • Management
     • Stone lines/bunds
     • Terraces
     • Permaculture
     • Contour Ploughing

3. Global warming/Climate change

   • Impacts in Bangladesh
     • Environmental
       • Rising sea levels
         • 2/3 of population live less than 5m below sea level
         • River flooding 1998 killed 1000 people
       • More storms
         • Cyclone in 1970 killed 500,000 people
     • Economic
       • 45% of population work in agriculture
       • Increased food prices can worsen malnutrition (30% atm)
     • Social
       • 7th most populous state, disease spreads quicly
   • Management in Bangladesh
     • Food security
       • Developing flood and drought tolerant crops
       • Improved sanitation
     • Disaster management
       • Improving forecasting of storms
       • Better preparation
     • Continuing to plant mangroves along Bay of Bengal to provide coastal protection
   • International management agreements
     • Successes
       • Legally binding targets were met in 2012, e.g. UK (11%)
       • Agreement made to keep warming below 2 degrees celsius
       • Targets up to 2020 in place
       • Doha 2012 - HICs payed damage costs due to climate change to LICs
     • Failures
       • Large economies emitting most pulled out when agreements became legally binding
         • USA, China 2004, Canada
       • Japan and Australia failed to meet Kyoto targets
       • No legally binding targets post 2012
       • No agreements post 2020
       • Countries would rather pay fines

4. Deforestation

   • Causes in Para State
     • Logging/timber
       • WTK, Malaysian logging company
     • Cattle ranching
       • 80% of the forest cleared for it
     • Shifting cultivation
       • Local tribes use the forest for materials, firewood and medicines
     • HEP
       • Tucuri Dam provides HEP for mine, railway and factories
     • Mining
       • Grand Carajas Mining Project
       • 10,500 square hectares bauxite mine
   • Impacts of deforestation
     • Loss of biodiversity
     • Leaching of nutrients
     • Increased risk of flooding
     • Global warming and climate change
   • Management
     • Local
       • Protected Areas
       • Eco-tourism
       • Clear property rights
       • IBAMA
     • International
       • UN Forum on Forests promotes sustainable management of all forests
       • REDD - rich countries pay poorer countries not to cut down trees ($4.8bn)