Down to Earth

Adaptation to Climate Change by Christian de Perthuis

By Christian de Perthuis

Christian de Perthuis is professor of economics at Dauphine University in Paris, and Director of the Climate Economics Chair, a think-tank focusing on shaping economics to fight agains climate change. He is also a member of the Livelihoods Advisory Board. The short text that follows is the English translation of a lecture he made at the French Academy of Moral Sciences and Politics - to which the original transcript in French can be found here Adaptation to Climate Change.

In this lecture Christian raises the often neglected issue of adaptation to climate change, not just mitigation. Until fairly recently the international debate on climate change was very much focused on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Now that it is obvious that action against climate change will not be sufficient to avoid a certain degree of change to the climate as we know it, adaptation has emerged as a hot debate. As Christian points out, adaptation is not only an issue for poorer countries, but is also a great threat to richer economies. Enjoy the read:

Haidar El Ali, President of the NGO Oceanium becomes Minister of Environment of Senegal

Reblogged from livelihoods.eu:

By Bernard Giraud, President of Livelihoods Venture:

Our partner Haidar El Ali, President of the NGO Oceanium was appointed Minister of Environment and Ecology of the Government of Senegal which has just been formed following the recent presidential election of Macky Sall.

It is a beautiful symbol for all who are engaged in action for Africa to preserve its natural resources for the benefit of local people and future generations. Haidar is a man of vision and a tireless campaigner. A professional diver, he came to the ecology noting the havoc on the marine environment of certain fishing practices. Very quickly, he realized that nothing could change if the fishermen themselves were not aware of the stakes and implicated. This philosophy of action “with and for” local communities is at the heart of the action and the success of Oceanium.

Healthy wetlands, healthy people: a review of wetlands and human health interactions

The Ramsar Convention one of the major Livelihoods partners since its inception has published with World Health Organization (WHO) a report on conservation and protection of wetlands.

The report

Just published jointly by the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention and WHO, this report provides advice to wetland managers and decision-makers on the range of complex issues concerning wetland conservation, and protecting and promoting human health and well-being. It considers wetland ecosystem services and products as well as the sustainability factor wetlands provide to livelihoods and socio-economics conditions.

It can be downloaded here.

This report joins the Livelihoods’ commitment to the restoration of wetlands in particular through the replanting of mangroves. Indeed Livelihoods has undertaken three large-scale mangrove restoration Projects including the largest and oldest is the Casamance, Senegal. Since 2008 the NGO Océanium with the cooperation and commitment of nearly 450 villages, about 10 000 hectares of mangroves have been replanted.

These mangroves which have a great capacity for carbon sequestration, are also a favorable environment for the proliferation of fish, crabs, which are food resources of local people and also source of more income.

The other two mangrove restoration projects are conducted in India and Indonesia, they cover about a total area of 12,000 hectares, with the participation of hundreds of thousands of men and women from nearly 40 villages, whom Livelihoods will certainly be improved.

The Ramsar convention and Livelihoods

Here are a few words from Anada Tiega, secretary General of The Ramsar Convention about Ramsar mission and its involvement with Livelihoods:

Anada Tiega Secretary General of Ramsar Convention by Livelihoods

2 months ago

Organic agricultural practices are improving prospects for India’s farmers by providing greater profit and sustainability

A cabbage on an organic farm near Ahmedabad. Organic practices have the potential to improve rural livelihoods in India. Photograph: Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images

Reblogged from The Guardian:

Sixteen months ago, Delhi-born Ashmeet Kapoor returned to India with a wish to make a difference. The 26-year-old graduate, who had recently completed his masters in innovation management and entrepreneurship at Brown University in the US, knew he wanted to improve the lives of India’s rural poor in some way.

“I wanted to work to improve rural livelihoods using enterprise, but I needed to get my feet on the ground to explore where I could have the most impact,” Kapoor explained.

It didn’t take long for him to identify agriculture, which accounts for almost half of India’s workforce, as his chosen sector.

Kapoor’s search began with a train journey across India, the Jagriti Yatra, where he joined 400 other young people eager to gain inspiration for entrepreneurial work. The experience introduced him to the challenges facing farmers in India, as well as the attendant opportunities.

What is Livelihoods?

Livelihoods definition

Just as we did for the Danone Ecosystem Fund, we think it’s important to clarify the meaning of Livelihoods, the Fund, its projects and its investors as we posted a lot of content about it:

Livelihoods is a new type of « hybrid » vehicle, which leverages the carbon finance to deliver long term social value to communities. For Livelihoods, carbon finance is a mean and an opportunity, not an end. Livelihoods want to collect money which is directly invested in large scale community programs to generate long term sustainability. In return, carbon credits are the payment for investors on risky investment with long term, limited return.

The Livelihoods fund will focus on 3 areas:

Restoration of natural ecosystems (mangroves, reforestation, REDD, etc)
Agroforestry, agriculture and grasslands
Rural energy

The story began in 2009 in Senegal between Oceanium and Danone with a reforestation project. 70 millions of trees were planted by 400 villages and the Livelihoods Fund was created.

Livelihoods by Livelihoods.eu

Livelihoods mobilizes companies, financial institutions, large foundations which invest their money in a mutual fund. The Fund uses this money to finance the programs in the field. In return, the investors will get carbon credits to offset their own C02 emissions or sell the credits if they are not interested in carbon offsets.

All Livelihoods programs are registered under existing CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) or VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) carbon methodologies. Livelihoods aims at the best quality social and environmental standards such as the Gold Standard or CCBA. A rigorous process is followed to measure the carbon sequestration and register the projects at United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Initiated by Danone, the fund is opened to other companies: Schneider Electric, Credit Agricole, CDC Climat, La Poste have already joined Livelihoods.

Find more about the projects and the fund with our tag “Livelihoods”.

2 months ago

Livelihoods Fund and Yagasu : A wonderful story begins in Indonesia

By Jean-Pierre Rennaud, General Delegate of Livelihoods Venture

On December 22nd, Jean-Pierre Rennaud, General Delegate of Livelihoods Venture and Guillaume Bouculat, CFO of Livelihoods Venture went to Paluhkuro (Indonesia North Sumatra) to inaugurate the first planting of mangrove run by Yagasu, a local NGO. This is the latest project supported by the Livelihoods fund.

After a one hour journey by boat through the mangroves, from Medan harbor where we started, the sound of water and the engine is gradually replaced by music and songs. About a thousand locals, young people and officials were there, excited to start planting the first seedlings of the new Livelihoods mangrove project.

The seedlings were brought from the nursery where they had reached the germination process after five weeks … they waited, they were waiting to start a “new life”.

We decided to get involved in this project. By participating in community meetings, we have started to better understand the needs of these people to restore their ecosystem of life.

We decided for these reasons to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Yagasu in April 2011 for three years. In this time period, we will begin the eligibility program for registered carbon project on mangrove planting on a total area of 5000 ha.

When planting mangrove, people know that they participate in the regeneration of the fish ponds. The strong partnership between Yagasu now, local communities, authorities and Livelihoods will certainly contribute to a significant change for all.

Before leaving, Guillaume and I left this message: “We will be back to see the first fishes and crabs move in the mangrove. We hope that within twenty years, we will be back as well and the restored mangrove will remain intact and viable for your children”.

Jean-Pierre Rennaud,

General Delegate, Livelihoods Venture

YaGaSu, or the Sumatra Elephant Foundation, is a national NGO that was founded in 2001. Its work focuses on elephants, the habitat (for example coastal rehabilitation) and people’s livelihoods. Its operations started in Banda Aceh in August 2002. It has been involved in livelihoods since 2006 as a result of the vast need in this area following the tsunami. Find out more on this NGO here.

Find out more about the livelihoods venture on their website.

Read our articles about the Livelihoods fund by clicking on the “Livelihoods” tag, or here:

- After Durban: Which carbon markets for what development? By Bernard Giraud, President of the Livelihoods Venture

- Adivasi tribes celebrate the million trees!

- The call of the land in Ethiopia

3 months ago

Livelihoods Fund carbon project in India receives official approval from the government

The Livelihoods Carbon project of planting 6 million fruit trees in partnership with Naandi in Araku (India) has just been officially approved by the federal government of India. It follows a process started 16 months ago with the DNA (Designated National Authority), the official body responsible for carbon projects registration.

The recognition of the quality of the process implemented by the Naandi teams with poor rural communities in Andhra Pradesh by the highest authorities of the Indian is a very encouraging sign for Livelihoods Fund and its partners, Danone, Credit Agricole Schneider Electric and CDC Climat.

After a visit on the field last november, the Minister for Rural Development, Jairam Ramesh, showed his interest in this project which will have a major impact on the lives of local communities. It will also sequester 800,000 TCO2 on 20 years.

The way is now open for the second stage: the registration of the Araku project to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), the United Nations body responsible for the approval of carbon projects. The Araku project covers an area of 6000 ha spread over 200 villages. Nearly 3000 acres of various varieties of fruits and forest species have been planted in 2010 and 2011 thanks to a very strong involvement of local communities.

Learn more on Livelihoods.eu

3 months ago

"After Durban, it is not yet the end of the road. The path is still open, but for how much longer? The responsibility lying on the shoulders of both public and private players has never before had such importance in determining the world we leave to future generations."

Bernard Giraud, President of Livelihoods Venture

(Source: downtoearth-danone)

3 months ago