+

Climate Change Governance in Zanzibar: The Need for Environmental Autonomy

Kelly Horton

+Overview

Introduction

Current Status of Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation in Zanzibar

Case Study: Kiribati

Small Island Developing States and Regional Discrepancies

Why become a recognised SIDS?

Next Steps for Zanzibar

+Current Status

The Zanzibar Archipelago

is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change;

is a semi-autonomous entity of Tanzania, and is not a recognised SIDS member; and,

requires specialist skills and support to effectively adapt to the future challenges of climate change.

+Predicted Trends in Sea Level Rise

Pew Centre For Climate Change, Science Brief 2, 2009

KEY SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENTS SINCE THE IPCC FOURTH ASSESSMENT REPORT

Sea level rise is locked in by past emissions, excluding the impacts of current and future emissions.

+The case of Kiribati

A small pacific island, and member of SIDS, already experiencing severe impacts of sea level rise.

It is predicted that the Kiribati Archipelago will be the first small island nation to be submerged, with potential for this to occur within the next decade.

This image shows a broken sea wall, built to slow down the encroaching tide in the village of Eita, Tarawa Island.

www.climate.gov.ki

+The reality for Zanzibar

Evidence of severe coastal erosion at Bwejuu, Zanzibar

December 2010

+What enhances Zanzibar’s vulnerability to Climate Change? Least Developed Country (LDC)

Small tropical island ecosystem

…

“As we are all aware, mini-ecosystems are amongst the

most fragile. Such fragility today places small island states in the frontline of nature’s reaction to

humanity’s overuse and abuse of the environment.”

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of the Republic of Maldives

+What enhances Zanzibar’s vulnerability to Climate Change? Deforestation of Mangroves for agricultural

expansion

Salt farming

Disregard of coastal building permits (100m)

+What enhances Zanzibar’s vulnerability to Climate Change? Inability to self-represent on the Zanzibar specific

challenges of climate change in the International Climate Change arena.

Why is this an issue?

As a semi-autonomous entity, whilst Zanzibar in general, self funds attendance at international environmental meetings, it is unable to push a small-island agenda, falling under the wing of the Tanzanian Mainland, who do not represent SIDS interests.

+Regional Comparisons

Approximately 455 km2

Population: 86,525 (2010)

GDP per Capita (US): $9354.4 (09)

SIDS Status

Approximately 2040 km2

Population: 1,281,214 (2010)

GDP per Capita (US): $6728.5 (09)

SIDS Status

Seychelles Mauritius

Approximately 2170 km2

Population: 734,750 (2010)

GDP per Capita (US): $784.7 (09)

SIDS Status

Comoros Approximately 2631 km2

Population: 1,100,000 (10)

GDP per capita (US): $415 (07)

No recognition as SIDS

Zanzibar

+Small Island Developing StatesUN Members

Antigua and Barbuda

Bahamas

Bahrain

Belize

Cape Verde*

Comoros

Cuba

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Fiji

Grenada

Guinea-Bissau*

Guyana

Haiti*

Jamaica

Kiribati*

Maldives*

Marshall Islands

Federated States of Micronesia

Mauritius

Nauru

Palau

Papua New Guinea

Samoa*

Sao Tome and Principe*

Singapore

St. Kitts and Nevis

St Lucia

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Seychelles

Solomon Islands*

Suriname

Timor-Leste*

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Tuvalu*

Vanuatu

* Least Developed Countries (LDCs)

+Small Island Developing StatesNon-UN Members / Associate Members of Regional Commissions

American Samoa

Anguilla

Aruba

British Virgin Islands

Commonwealth of Northern Mariana

Cook Islands

French Polynesia

Guam

Montserrat

Netherlands Antilles

New Caledonia

Niue

Puerto Rico

U.S. Virgin Islands

Zanzibar?

+What is Environmental Autonomy?

Zanzibar’s environmental challenges are significantly different to those faced by the Tanzanian mainland.

In 2010, Zanzibar began to develop a ‘National Adaptation Plan of Action’ (NAPA), separate from the Tanzanian Mainland, to emphasise Zanzibar’s need for small-island specific adaptation and mitigation strategies to Climate Change.

By gaining status as a Non-UN Member of the Small Island Developing States, Zanzibar will have the potential to gain much needed technical, financial and social support to mitigate for, and adapt to climatic change, as well as an ability to self-represent.

Zanzibar would remain politically a part of Tanzania in every sense, yet would receive the right to independent governance and management of environmental issues.

+Barbados Program of Action

Developed in 1994 at the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.

Key Points

“Small Island Developing States have sovereign rights over their own natural resources.

Their biodiversity is among the most threatened in the world and their ecosystems provide ecological corridors linking major areas of biodiversity around the world. They bear responsibility for a significant portion of the world's oceans and seas and their resources.

The efforts of Small Island Developing States to conserve, protect and restore their ecosystems deserve international cooperation and partnership.”

+Mauritius Strategy

Developed as a plan for 2005 – 2015 as a partnership between all UN Members, inclusive of SIDS and Donor States.

“Small Island Developing States are located among the most vulnerable regions in the world in relation to the intensity and frequency of natural and environmental disasters and their increasing impact, and face disproportionately high economic, social and environmental consequences”

+Adaptation Fund

The Adaptation Fund was established in 2007 to finance feasible adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries that are party to the Kyoto Protocol with particular vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change.

Grants awarded to: Small Island Developing States, South and Central America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Least Developed Countries.

+Adaptation Fund Grants

Science, assessment, monitoring and early warning

Tourism

Water

Terrestrial ecosystems

Population & human settlements

Disaster risk reduction

Education and training

Food security, agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Health

Oceans and coastal areas

+Summary

The relevant Zanzibari government departments in relation to Climate Change adaptation and mitigation have agreed to work co-operatively to achieve positive outcomes and push for the implementation of recognised strategies.

Zanzibar should be allowed to pursue environmental autonomy to ensure that the islands have access to relevant technical and financial assistance, for example, membership of SIDS.

+Next Steps

Achieve status of ‘environmental autonomy’ for Zanzibar;

Lobby for listing as Non-UN Member of SIDS, or observer status as a member of Indian Ocean Commission, SIDS Network and/or AOSIS; and

Implement strategies for adaptation and mitigation of climate change, that can be used to guide future policy directions in the context of sustainable development.

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Thank You

Questions and Discussion