Promoting carbon sequestration and payment for ecosystem service schemes:The case for rangelands

Promoting carbon sequestration and payment

for ecosystem service schemes:

The case for rangelands

Jimmy Smith

THE WORLD BANK

Meeting of the Norwegian Climate Network, Oslo, 31 August 2011

Rangelands are important for livelihoods and the environment

There are opportunities for rangeland management to contribute to:Carbon stocksBiodiversityWater resources

Incentives for good management need to contribute to livelihoods

Challenges for measuring, monitoring and payments remain

Key messages

Climate – carbon stocks

Biodiversity

Water and sediment management

Wind erosion control

Payment for ecosystem services

Carbon in most rangelands below saturation level

Under saturation offers scope to sequester carbon:

Improved grazing management Management to build organic matter Managing fire Restoring degraded lands (pasture species and

management)

Carbon sequestration in rangelands

Getting the science right -measuring, monitoring and reporting carbon stocksIncentives structure for good rangeland managementAssessing and rewarding good management Co-benefits (water, soil health, biodiversity)

Mechanisms for fundingResearch and payments

Institutional –local and globalEquityCollective action vs. individualManaging mobility

Carbon sequestration -the challenges

Why rangelands?

Tropical arid and semi-arid rangeland based systems

population density less than 20 persons/km²length of growing period (LGP) less than 60 days/annum

no significant crop production possible

Largest land use system on earth

35 million km2 – 24% of the total land area

Support 50% of the World’s livestock

200 million people depend on rangelands for livelihoods

Half live on less than $2/day

Multipurpose rangelands for livelihoods and the

environment

Livestock productivity“sustainable

intensification”Environmental

stewardship“Payment for Ecosystem

Services”

Potential of rangelands for carbon

sequestration?

Atmospheric C

C sequestration

Reduce emissions

X

Where is the carbon?

G T Carbon

Total forestsTemperate grasslandsTropical grasslandsOther

Potential C sequestration by 2040

Agrofo

restr

y

Grazin

g manage

ment

Fore

st manage

ment

Cropland m

anagement

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

M T

C y

r-1

Potential for carbon sequestration (Tg C/yr) in global rangelands of different grazing intensity

light moderate Strong extreme Total

Africa

Australia/

Pacific

Eurasia

North

America

South

America

Total

1.9

4.5

0.8

0

6.1

13.3

8.6

-0.1

3.2

1.6

11.3

24.4

6.1

0.0

0.6

0.7

7.4

0.1

0.3

0.4

16.7

4.4

4.3

2.2

18.1

45.7

Moderate grazing improves sequestration!

Potential of rangelands for other ecosystem services?

Importance of rangelands for global biodiversity

Hotspots of biodiversity “Gene-banks” for animal and forage diversity High level of endemism Migrations of large herbivores

Payment for wildlife conservation Example: Olare Orok group ranch

2002-2004 – preparation:• Visioning future income from tourism• Inventorying resources and opportunities • Connecting tourist operators and land owners • Develop business plan PES for wildlife conservation

2006: Establishment of Olare Orok Conservancy (OOC) and institutional arrangements

Over 40 community based conservancies in Kenya (also southern Africa); I million ha

Payments from $1 to $40/ha – sufficient to impact poverty levels

Poverty impacts of PWC on Olare Orok Conservancy, (OOC) Maasai Mara, Kenya

N Mean income (US$/person/day)

CV % Contribution to household income

Agriculture Wildlife Conservation

Mara Group Ranches (1998-2004)

210 0.84 116 70 21

OOC – PWC 2009 58 1.51 157 79OOC + PWC 2009 73 2.45 93 42 40

1. Individuals: Higher income for those benefitting from PWC in Olare Orok Conservancy (OOC)

2. Households: Significant % household income derived from PWC payments

3. Equity income among households increased because families received more or less same area of land

Water resources

Upstream livestock grazing impacts on sediment loads downstream :ReservoirsHydro plants

Potential for incentives to manage grazing upstream

Wind erosion (China)Flood preventionWater release

Other potential opportunities for payments for rangeland management with ecosystem benefits

Rangelands are important for livelihoods and the environment

There are opportunities for rangeland management to contribute to:Carbon stocksBiodiversityWater resources

Incentives for good management need to contribute to livelihoods

Challenges for measuring, monitoring and payments remain

Key messages

Thank you