Climate Change Bulletin 2016

Foreword

2016 has been a momentous year for IUCN on climate change. This was the year when the global conservation community came together at the World Conservation Congress in Hawaii to make its collective voice heard on this issue.

It was the year when IUCN was successfully accredited to the Green Climate Fund. And it was the year when, following the successful en-try-into-force of the Paris Agreement, the role of nature-based solutions to climate change was placed front and centre at UNFCCC COP22 in Marrakech.

In this end-of-year bulletin, we revisit some of these key moments and present a snapshot of the major climate-related work that took place across our different thematic programmes, regions and commis-sions. Although these highlights are only a selection of our overall work, they underscore the richness and diversity of IUCN’s institutional engagement on this issue.

The aim in the future will be to consolidate and strengthen our efforts on climate change even further.

Sandeep SenguptaGlobal Coordinator – IUCN Climate Change Portfolio

A Changing Climate: Championing Nature-Based Solutions This high-level dialogue brought together some of the wor-ld’s leading public figures to deliberate on the importance of nature-based solutions, including the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC and the French Ambassador for the Environment, representing the COP21 Presidency. Watch the video...

Climate Change Journey@Hawaii The Climate Change Journey at IUCN Congress show-cased the nearly 100 climate-related events organised by various IUCN constituencies and partners. More...

Climate-related resolutions and recommendations IUCN Congress witnessed the adoption of several key climate-related resolutions and recommendations, ranging from IUCN’s response to the Paris Agreement to securing global peatlands, using protected areas as cli-mate solutions and the development of a Pacific Region Climate Resiliency Action Plan. More...

IUCN Congress

DGO

IUCN Director General at Nature-Based Solutions session in COP22 High Level Event on Accelerating Climate Action IUCN’s Director General emphasised the key role that nature can play in meaningfully addressing climate change in this first-ever dedi-cated session on nature-based solutions in the UNFCCC. More...

Statement by IUCN Director General at the UNFCCC COP22 in Marrakech At COP22 in Marrakech, the IUCN Director General welcomed the rapid entry-into-force of the Paris Agreement, and the historic convening of CMA1. More...

New Momentum for the Global Commons From 12-13 October, Inger Andersen, Director General of IUCN and Naoko Ishii, CEO of Global Environment Facility co-hosted an Inter-national Dialogue on Our Global Commons at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington DC. More...

In this issue

• Foreword

• From the Blog

• IUCN Congress

• Highlights from HQ and Global Programmes

• Highlights from the Regions

• IUCN Commissions on Climate Change

• Publications

Contact and useful links

Contact us: climate@iucn.org

IUCN Climate Change: iucn.org/climate

IUCN @COP22: iucn.org/COP22

From the BLOG

• Wave of concern about climate impacts on oceans (22.11)

• Climate change and indigenous culture in Alaska (17.11)

• Morocco climate summit looks to the ocean for solutions (17.11)

• The IUCN Green List and Climate Change (17.11)

• Religious leaders and civil so-ciety join forces for the climate (15.11)

• New York Declaration on Fo-rests progress report highlights close linkages between forest landscape restoration and climate action (03.11)

• Can’t see the water for the trees? (03.10)

• Deploying livelihoods-enhancing options for REDD+ (20.09)

• Nature for all: Converging to save the planet (12.09)

• Restoration of natural eco-systems makes society thrive (11.07)

• Climate Change Impact on Water and Sanitation in the Vulnerable South Western Part of Bangladesh (04.04)

Highlights from HQ and Global Programmes

IUCN’s Director General met bilaterally with Patricia Es-pinosa, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, at the sidelines of IUCN Congress. Watch IUCN’s video interview with Patricia Espinosa at Congress.

Global Policy

IUCN-WCS event on Nature Based Solutions at UN Headquarters On 22 April, IUCN and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) co-hosted

an event on the side lines of the Paris Agreement Signing Ceremony at the UN General Assembly in New York to highlight key local, national and regional-level initiatives on na-ture-based solutions to climate change. More…

The Paris Agreement and Nature-Based Solutions: From Policy to Implementation At UNFCCC SB44 in Bonn in May, IUCN convened several of its members to analyse how ecosystems were incorporated within the Paris Agreement and discuss practical next steps for implementation. More…

IUCN@UNFCCC COP22 IUCN engaged actively at COP22 in Marrakech disseminating its key messages and hosting and participating in a number of events at the confe-rence. More…

Biodiversity and Climate Change Day@CBD COP13 IUCN was a key partner and participant in the Biodiversity and Climate Change Day events organised at CBD COP13 in Cancun. More…

Marine and Polar

Latest ocean warming review reveals extent of impacts on nature and humans A new comprehensive IUCN review reveals that ocean war-ming is affecting humans and the impacts are already being felt. More…

Maldives coral reefs under stress from climate change Preliminary findings of a comprehensive scientific survey examining the impact of the climate change-related 2016 mass bleaching in the Maldives indicate approximately 60% of all coral colonies assessed – and up to 90% in some sites – were bleached. More…

Where next with the science of ocean acidification? How will ocean acidification affect fisheries around the world as carbon dioxide levels rise? This question is among the research priorities identified by leading scientists in a new report authored by IUCN experts. More…

World Heritage

New World Heritage report A new report published in May confirmed IUCN’s assessment of climate change as biggest threat to natural World Heritage sites. More…

Online Atlas IUCN produced an online atlas assessing the climate vulne-rability of 229 natural World Heritage Sites, the first analysis of its kind to understand the entire natural World Heritage network using a consistent data-driven approach. More…

Yemen’s World Heritage-listed Socotra Archipelago hit by two rare cyclones  IUCN’s visual documentation of the impacts: Photo Gallery

Forests

Enabling rights-based REDD+ frameworks in tropical countries Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and forest restoration (REDD+) can improve lives, protect forests and biodiversity, and mitigate climate change. More…

Video on rights-based approaches for success and sustainability of REDD+

IUCN launches online re-source on forest landscape restoration to support climate action At COP22, IUCN launched InfoFLR, an online portal with in-depth informa-tion on forest landscape restoration. This will also house results from the Bonn Challenge Barometer of Progress – a tool to monitor the implementa-tion of restoration commitments under the Bonn Challenge. More…

Implementing the Paris Agreement at COP22: Forests key to achie-ving Nationally Determined Contributions IUCN joined a high-level panel discussion on implementing the Paris Agreement, organised as part of Forest Action Day and focused on how the sustainable management of forests would help countries achieve their targets. More…

Climate Change Bulletin 2016 | 2

Species

Climate change dramatically disrupting nature from genes to eco-systems Global changes in temperature have already impacted every aspect of life on Earth from genes to entire ecosystems, with increasingly worrying consequences for humans. More…

New partnership to help species impacted by cli-mate change A crucial partnership has been established between the Yorkshire Wildlife Park Foun-dation and the IUCN SSC Climate Change Specialist Group to help protect wildlife from climate change. More…

Protected Areas

1st Panorama webinar: African protected area solu-tions to climate change The webinar, held in January, introduced protected area solutions to climate change from Kenya, Senegal and Madagascar. More…

New portal on ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) launched CBD COP13 in Cancun in December saw the launch of a new thematic portal on ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) solutions under the PANORA-MA platform. More…

Protecting the Planet newsletter November issue: Climate Change

Ecosystem Management

Making adaptation effective through ecosystem-based approaches to climate change IUCN convened an event at COP22 together with the Government of Honduras, The Nature Conservancy and RARE to discuss the role of eco-systems as ‘natural’ adaptation infrastructure and assess the effectiveness of investing in ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA). More…

IUCN video on the benefits of mangrove restoration for disaster risk reduction New IUCN video explains the benefits of community-based mangrove restoration in pro-viding nature-based solutions to climate-related disaster risk reduction in Thailand.

Water

Balancing complexity and simplicity: WISE-UP to Climate WISE-UP to Climate is a multi-partnership project focussing on natural infrastructure, water security and climate change adaptation in the Tana and Volta River Basins. Action Learning meetings with key basin stakeholders were held in Nairobi and Accra to tackle the science-policy gap. More…

Key hotspots of species loss and water risks identified in new trans-boundary river basins report Extinction risks range from moderate to very high in 70% of transboundary river basins, according to a new study. Climate change, population growth and geopolitical tensions between states sharing waterways are identified as key causes driving the increased risk of species extinction. More…

IUCN partner of the #ClimateIsWater Initiative Currently hosted by the World Water Council and the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation network, the #ClimateIsWater initiative was supported by IUCN throughout 2016 and in particular at COP22. This is the first time a dedicated ‘Water Day’ was held at the COP.

Climate Change Bulletin 2016 | 3

Gender

The Power of Women: Combating Blizzards, Droughts and the Changing Climate An article by IUCN’s Global Senior Gen-der Advisor on women’s leadership in addressing climate change within the Paris Agreement. More…

Gender in mitigation actions: EGI brief  An assessment on gender within various climate mitigation actions and platforms. More…

Highlights from the Regions

ASIA

MFF contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development To celebrate International Mangroves Day, Mangroves for the Future (MFF)

released a multimedia story showcasing its achievements across 11 countries towards achieving the SDGs. More...

Thailand unveils coral bleaching response plan amidst looming climate change threats Thailand in cooperation with IUCN has unveiled a

framework response for the proactive monitoring and management of coral bleaching to minimize the impacts of climate change. More...

Doubling food production and beating climate change: Restoration of Puliyankulama Tank The Puliyankulama tank, which supports over 35 families and about 140 community members, was one of the 18 tanks that IUCN Sri Lanka helped restore to address climate-induced droughts. More...

CENTRAL AND WEST AFRICA

Is nature a viable solution for disaster risk reduction in Africa? This was the question posed to workshop participants from Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa convened by IUCN in Mauritius in col-laboration with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). More...

Local benefits highlight role of natural infrastructure in adaptive basin planning Some lessons from a Volta-basin county. More...

EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA

Kigali Declaration on Forest Landscape Restoration in Africa During the Africa High-Level Bonn Challenge Roundtable in July, ministers and government officials representing 13 African coun-tries adopted a declaration of immense importance. More...

Implementing a Cedar Ma-nagement Plan on Mount Mulanje Despite its fame, the tree faces serious conservation challenges due to corrup-tion-linked illegal harvesting, climate change impacts and human-induced pressure on the habitat. More...

EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Focusing on climate change and environment in SEE IUCN supported the 1st High-Level Ministerial Panel on Responding to Climate and Environmental Challenges in South East Europe (SEE), which adopted the Podgorica Initiative. More...

Climate Change Bulletin 2016 | 4

EUROPE

Towards the implementation of nature-based solutions in cities IUCN led a session on this topic at the Resilient Cities European Open Day, an annual event focusing on the exchange between cities and other stakeholders on climate adaptation. More...

The European Union needs to live up to the Paris commitments IUCN was part of the informal Coalition for Higher Ambition that called upon the EU to act on the Paris Agreement and ensure that EU climate policies are coherent. More...

MEDITERRANEAN

Conference on coastal car-bon sinks conservation This was held under the framework of the Life Blue Na-tura project, an ambitious and innovative initiative to quantify blue carbon and protect coastal habitats in Andalusia. More...

Nature-based solutions in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in the Mediterranean IUCN and IDDRI assessed the incorporation of nature-based solutions within the Moroccan and Tunisian NDCs at COP22. More...

OCEANIA

Pacific Islands show global leadership in oceans The Pacific islands are united by their relationship with the world’s largest ocean, and by the global threat of the climate crisis. More...

IUCN ready to work with Pacific to access Green Climate Funds A team from IUCN attended the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Regional Tech-nical Meeting for Pacific Island Countries and GCF Accredited Agencies. More...

MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARRIBEAN

Costa Rica and Panama Join Forces to Reforest A day of reforestation, sup-ported by IUCN, and with the participation of schoolchildren and volunteers, was held simultaneously in these two countries sharing the Sixaola river basin. More...

Project AVE (Adaptation, Vulnerability and Ecosystems) in Tegucigal-pa, Honduras IUCN has been supporting improved governance in the Goascorán Basin, as well as adaptation measures to address the effects of drought in Central America’s Dry Corridor. More...

WEST ASIA

Climate Change from a Gender Perspective IUCN participated in the Climate Change from a Gender Perspective Confe-rence in Amman. More...

The Arab Land Degrada-tion Initiative This initiative has been developed by UNCCD, UNEP and IUCN under the umbrella of the League of Arab States Climate Risk Nexus Initiative. More...

SOUTH AMERICA

Chile analiza la integración de los enfoques basados en ecosiste-mas para la adaptación al cambio climático y reducción de riesgos de desastres

El seminario tuvo una convocatoria multidisciplinaria y contó con cerca de 70 asistentes de diversos sectores: ambiente, conserva-ción, desarrollo, agricultura, vivienda y urbanismo, trans-porte y telecomunicaciones, investigación y academia, desarrollo social, geología y minería, entre otros. More...

Gobernanza de Áreas Protegidas Amazónicas y Cambio Climático La gestión moderna de áreas protegidas no puede concebirse sin la participación de los actores involucrados tanto dentro como fuera de ellas. El papel que pueden tener estos actores tanto para la conservación como para la adaptación al cambio climático es fundamental. More...

Arranca el Proyecto Estrategias para la Adap-tación basada en Ecosiste-mas en Manabí El programa tiene por objetivo que las autoridades guberna-mentales nacionales y locales, en sitios seleccionados de Colombia y Ecuador, integren el enfoque de adaptación basada en ecosistemas en las políticas, planes o estrategias pertinentes, lo ponen en práctica y contribuyen con ello a reducir la vulnera-bilidad de las comunidades locales en las regiones costeras. More...

US

The rainforest solution to polar meltdown and turning back climate change In an article published by The Guardian, Dr. Paul Salaman, member of the Board of Directors of IUCN-US, lays out the case for saving and restoring rainforests for biodiversity and, indeed, for the very existence and suste-nance of communities everywhere. More...

IUCN Commissions on Climate Change

Commission on Education and Communication

Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy

Commission on Ecosystem Management

Species Survival Commission

World Commission on Protected AreasWorld Commission

on Environmental Law

Climate Change Bulletin 2016 | 5

Water in drylands: adapting to scarcity through integrated management

This study presents some lessons from a selec-tion of IUCN interventions in dryland areas that have adapted to a greater or lesser extent to the conditions of drylands, notably focusing on water management to deal with scarcity and variability. The study is intended as a means of capturing lessons learned from these interventions on the challenges and opportunities for improving water development in drylands.

Nature-based solutions to address global societal challenges

This report has been prepared as part of an effort by IUCN to define its position on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and plan for future work to advance this concept and support effective imple-mentation of NbS to enhance ecosystem services provision and address societal challenges.

Explaining ocean warming: causes, scale, effects and consequences

Ocean warming may well turn out to be the greatest hidden challenge of our generation. This report represents the most comprehensive review to date on ocean warming. To build up the report, leading scientists from around the world were invited to join with colleagues to contribute individual chapters. It contains many recommen-dations from the scientists on capability gaps and research issues that need to be resolved if we are to tackle the impacts of ocean warming with greater confidence in the future.

Helping nature help us: Transforming disaster risk reduction through ecosystem management

This publication documents the importance of biodiversity in disaster risk reduction and makes a case for the implementation of common approaches that contribute to both conservation and risk reduction. Assessments of regional experiences on ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) also highlight the oppor-tunities and entry-points to scale-up integrated approaches.

IUCN SSC guidelines for assessing species’ vulnerability to climate change

Predicting climate change impacts on biodiversity is a major scientific challenge. A range of methods have been developed for climate change vulnera-bility assessment (CCVA) of species and a large and burgeoning scientific literature is emerging on this subject. Our motivation for preparing this document is to ease the challenge that conserva-tion practitioners face in interpreting and using the complex and often inconsistent CCVA literature.

Design of pro-poor REDD+ interventions and benefit distribution systems for the Yucatan Penin-sula, Mexico

This document discusses the potential for designing pro-poor systems for the distribution of benefits derived from the reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+) in the Yucatan Peninsula (comprised by the states of Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatan), Mexico.

Publications

Marine protected areas and climate change: adaptation and mitigation synergies, opportunities and challenges

The ocean is a major player in the regulation of the world’s climate system. The purpose of the report is to provide information to underpin the outcomes of COP21 and in particular to demons-trate the importance of the role of MPAs in climate change adaptation and mitigation. To do this the report brings together scientific information on how MPAs can help to solve climate change issues in coastal and ocean ecosystems.

Nature-based solutions to address climate change

Nature-based solutions, as defined by IUCN, help to address climate change while providing bene-fits for biodiversity conservation. They constitute positive, “no regret” actions, as they bring about combined benefits at environmental, economic and social level.

Knowledge for SDG Action in West Asia and North Africa

Layout by Sandra Caya

Coastal blue carbon ecosystems: Opportunities for Nationally Determined Contributions

Coastal blue carbon ecosystemsOpportunities for Nationally Determined Contributions. Policy brief

D. Herr, E. Landis

Forest landscape restoration in Brazil (Restauração de paisagens e florestas no Brasil)

Cost and benefits of eco-system based adaptation: the case of Philippines

Environment and Gender Information Platform brief (also in Spanish)

The International Union for Conservation

of Nature (IUCN) Environment and Gender

Information (EGI) platform aims—through data

and analysis—to convey the value of gender-

responsive environmental conservation and

sustainable development. By providing cutting

edge evidence-based data and knowledge

products, the EGI platform guides action

toward a more just world.

The EGI is a resource to influence, encourage

and assist governments and civil society,

policymakers and practitioners, academia and

advocates, donors and the media to propel

gender-responsive environmental policy,

practice and communication. From measuring

women’s participation in environmental

decision-making spheres to examining the

extent to which gender considerations are

taken into account in major national initiatives

and reporting, EGI knowledge products serve

as tools across frameworks and sectors—

building knowledge, measuring commitments

and enhancing accountability.

EVOLUTION OF THE EGIOriginally launched in its 2013 pilot phase as

a composite index, the EGI has evolved into

a source for new knowledge creation and

dissemination—and for revealing progress

and challenges in meeting commitments to

women’s empowerment and gender equality

in environmental spheres.

With major global agreements made in recent years to propel sustainable

development, including the Sendai Framework, the Paris Agreement,

the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2030, the EGI

platform is a hub of information that governments and stakeholders

alike can use to help inform planning that moves toward meeting

commitments and inspiring action. EGI datasets uncover and explore

the drivers of inequality and unsustainability, bridging gaps between

knowledge, commitments and accountability. EGI knowledge products

anchor data in policy and decision-making contexts.

In the last few years, EGI data has informed national policymaking and

programming in more than 25 countries around the world that have

partnered with IUCN to develop national climate change gender action

plans (ccGAPs), biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs)

and REDD+ Roadmaps, all of which aim to recognize and serve the

differentiated needs and capacities of women and men.

The EGI supports:

• Decision makers at all levels to make more informed choices

based on data disaggregated across a wider, more comprehensive

spectrum of gender issues

• Advocates and practitioners around the world who need concrete

numbers to champion areas of progress and focus attention on

urgent concerns

• International and national institutions to programme with

strengthened understanding of the gender gaps that undermine

effective and efficient project delivery

• Donors to invest in best practice strategies, regions and issues—as

well as those in dire need of enhanced support

• Monitoring and accountability frameworks to uncover and explore

the drivers of inequality and unsustainability across interlinked

issues, such as those evolving under the SDGs

The Environment and Gender Information (EGI) platformGuiding action toward a more just worldAugust 2016