DROUGHT AND DESERTIFICATION

1. DROUGHT AND DESERTIFICATION Paolo Soprano Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea Third ECE Regional Implementation Meeting on Sustainable Development 28 – 29 January 2008

2. Contributing to CSD 16 and 17 from a regional perspective • How to give full implementation to the Agenda 21 and JPoI commitments? • How RIM and CSD could contribute to fostering the implementation of the UNCCD “10 year Strategic Plan and Framework to enhance the implementation of the Convention (2008-2018)”?

3. UNCCD Terminology and Definitions Desertification is defined by the UNCCD as land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities. Also Land degradation is defined in relation to arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas as the reduction or loss of the biological or economic productivity and of the complexity of rainfed cropland, irrigated cropland, or range, pasture, forest and woodlands resulting from land use or from a process or combination of processes, including processes arising from human activities and settlement patterns.

4. GEF Terminology and Definitions Land degradation“… any form of deterioration on the natural potential of land that affects ecosystems integrity either in terms of reducing sustainable ecological productivity or in terms of native biological richness and maintenance of resilience.”

5. The EC Soil Thematic Strategy Terminology and Definitions Soil: top layer of the earth’s crust. Soil is a non-renewable resource which performs vital functions that are worthy of protection because of their socio-economic as well as environmental importance. Soil protection is a tool to fight desertification.

6. Soil degradation in theUNECE Region Progress has been made both in terms of policy development and the availability of information. However, soil is still a relatively neglected natural resource across the pan-European Region. Major challenges are: - lack of information available to analyse known threats - paucity of budgets allocated - piecemeal character of soil policy actions. There is the need for new thinking on mechanisms to ensure that the evidence base for soil meets future policy challenges.

7. UNCCD Terminology andDefinitions Drought: naturally occurring phenomenon that exists when precipitation has been significantly below normal recorded levels, causing serious hydrological imbalances that adversely affects land resource production systems.

10. Policy frameworks and coherence(Agenda 21 AP 4 and UNCCD 10 Year Strategy Op. Ob. 2) • Which tools does the current UNECE trend in policy coherence for sustainable development offer? • Are indeed the UNECE National Sustainable Development Strategies, in synergy with UNCCD National Action Plans, such tools? • How can the UNECE Member States move from policy making to putting into practice and measuring results?

11. Climate change, adaptation and drought “The latest climate change scenarios suggest significant summer drying across many parts of Europe in particular in the south, lower rainfall in other seasons, and increased variability. Combining these patterns leads to an assertion that, over the coming decades, Europe is likely to suffer more frequent meteorological droughts, potentially further exacerbated by generally elevated temperatures, increasing the demand for water." (Europe’s Environment IV Assessment)

12. Climate change, adaptation and drought “In Southern Europe, climate change is projected to worsen conditions (high temperatures and drought) in a region already vulnerable to climate variability, and to reduce water availability, hydropower potential, summer tourism and, in general, crop productivity.” (IV IPCC Assessment Report)

13. Climate change, adaptation and drought “In Central and Eastern Europe, summer precipitation is projected to decrease, causing higher water stress. Forest productivity is expected to decline and the frequency of peatland fires to increase.” (IV IPCC Assessment Report)

14. Synergies and awareness rising(JPoI and UNCCD 10 year Strategy Op. Ob. 1) • How can the UNECE Region ensure synergies among relevant regional and international processes, including trade opportunities? • How can those synergies be transformed in effective programmes and projects at local level, in particular in Southern and Eastern Europe? • How can we ensure that adaptation measures to climate change take into consideration the tragic effects of desertification and drought?

15. Drought in the UNECE Region Conflicts between human requirements and ecological needs for water are on the increase. • How can the UNECE further move from crisis to risk management? • How can we ensure positive synergies between water resources protection and the fight against drought? • To answer to the implementation of A21 AP n. 2 and 5, can the development of drought management centres in UNECE MSs be considered as a necessary step in this sense?

16. Challenges for the UNECE Region Science, technology and knowledge • Has the UNECE Region developed regional monitoring systems and regional or sub-regional benchmarks and indicators? • Does the UNECE Region allows effective access to available and relevant data on drought and desertification?

17. Challenges for the UNECE Region Encouraging and promoting public participation and environmental education How can the UNECE Region further apply the Aarhus Convention? How can the UNECE work on ESD support the rise of awareness on desertification and drought?

18. THANK YOU !