Environment
To help people adapt to the effects of climate change, community forestry can build the resilience and social capital
To help people adapt to the effects of climate change, community forestry can build the resilience and social capital
Climate Change Adaptation
To help people adapt to the effects of climate change, community forestry can build the resilience and social capital of local communities, as well as the stability of their forest ecosystems.
The Need for Forest-Based Adaptation
As we take the first steps toward a low-carbon world, we must also prepare for uncertain yet unavoidable climate change impacts. Even with mitigation efforts, experts predict that rising seas, extreme weather events, increased droughts and floods, and the spread of disease and pests will become increasingly common and more intense. Climate change will worsen existing problems of food insecurity and water access in many places, particularly in the vulnerable Asia-Pacificregion. We must ensure that local communities and indigenous people are as well-prepared as possible for a changing environment.
Most of the millions forest-dependent people in Uganda live below or near the poverty line, and climate change threatens their already vulnerable livelihoods. The vast majority of these are farmers who rely on forests to provide timber and other products for supplementary income or household use. Climate change threatens their core business of agriculture. When crops fail or natural disaster strikes, forests are often their safety net, providing essential food and income sources. This puts further pressure on already vulnerable ecosystems.
However, if well-managed, forests provide indispensible environmental services to local communities, such as providing clean water and protecting against landslides, floods, and other natural disasters.Climate change will be incremental and will occur over decades. Meanwhile, local people will continue to face dramatic socioeconomic changes. Already, the drive for economic development has led to the clearing of vast natural forest areas for large-scale commercial interests.Ultimately, ensuring local people are prepared for uncertain change is about more than climate issues: Adaptation is about enabling local people to adjust to a dynamic world by taking opportunities and staving off threats.
Adaptation through Community Forestry
The most practical support for local people and the forests they depend on is to ensure they have secure rights over forests and other resources, and are able to use those resources to diversify and strengthen their livelihoods. Community forestry is an investment in local people. It encourages adaptation to climate change by strengthening the following:
Expanding community forestry in our six focal countries is the main focus of RCIDC’s work and is where we contribute most to preparing local people for future challenges.As we fight to retain our forests, we can no longer afford to ignore the skills and experience of local people as effective forest managers. Ensuring that they receive fairer rewards and benefits for providing these vital environmental services will also help lift millions of people out of the trap of rural poverty, promising a much brighter future for both people and forests.