Large Landscape Conservation as a Solution to Climate Change
There is overwhelming evidence that the Earth's temperatures are rising, a phenomenon predicted to have dramatic and unpredictable consequences for climatic patterns and hydrological cycles in Africa and elsewhere. Africa consumes a tiny fraction of the world's fossil fuels, yet is predicted to shoulder a disproportionate share of the negative impacts of climate change. AWF believes preserving Africa's rich forests and highly biodiverse ecosystems is an important part of the solution. This large-landscape approach, engineered through the African Heartland Program, sequesters carbon and enables both people and natural systems to withstand and adapt to climatic shifts.
In the African Heartlands, AWF, with funding from the MacArthur Foundation, EcoAdapt, and other partners, is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to address the effects of a warming planet: understanding and assessing the impact of climate change; designing climate change adaptation strategies; mitigating climate change through forest protection and other strategies; building the capacity of African organizations to integrate in conservation programs carbon, biodiversity, and livelihood targets as well as to embrace the use of clean and efficient technologies.
Watch AWF's President, Helen Gichohi's Keynote Address at Forest Day, 2011
Addressing Climate Change: A Multi-Pronged Approach
ASSESSMENT
AWF works to ensure that our partners and supporters understand the probable impacts of climate change on African ecosystems, wildlife, and livelihoods. AWF is integrating climate-induced risk assessment and scenario planning in each Heartland and is identifying "climate proofing" measures for wildlife corridors and communities affected by climatic shifts.
ADAPTATION
AWF strengthens the climate change resilience of ecosystems and the human and wildlife populations that depend on them. We believe that improved conservation planning, resource management, and livelihood strategies can ameliorate the negative impacts of climate change and exploit positive ones.
MITIGATION
AWF works to reduce concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions in ecosystems by encouraging landscape-scale conservation, sound forest management and avoided deforestation, and range rehabilitation through appropriate carbon payment mechanisms.
CAPACITY
In addition to building the capacity of African organizations and institutions to respond to climate change threats, AWF is working to ensure that financing mechanisms for climate change mitigation encourage sustainable ecosystem functions, reward sound conservation practices, and deliver equitable benefits to local people.
