Indonesia’s Contribution to the Mitigation of Global Warming
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Conference of the Parties, 20th Session (UNFCCC COP 20) was held in Lima, Peru, during the first half of December 2014. The results of the conference offer a glimmer of wish for the future.
At present the entire world has warmed 0.8°C since pre-industrial levels (1750). This particular is usually, however, predicted which under current conditions, the increase could reach 4°C. The results of the Lima conference do, however, offer wish. The delegates through the nearly 200 countries along with territories which attended have agreed on a framework for setting national pledges to achieving a global climate deal at next year’s summit in Paris.
The main stumbling block remains the financing of the programme. The richer nations are not only requested to lead the way in doing cuts in emissions, although also to help finance the programmes of the developing countries—the agreement calls for “developed countries to provide financial support to “vulnerable” developing nations”.
At a global scale, the key greenhouse gases resulting through human activities are: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) along with fluorinated gases (F-gases). Methane along with nitrous oxide are mainly caused by agricultural activities, while fluorinated gases result through industrial processes along with the use of a variety of consumer products. although the main contributor to greenhouse gases is usually CO2. The way in which land is usually used is usually also an important source of carbon dioxide (17%), especially when This particular involves deforestation along with degradation of land, like the draining of peat swamps.
Forests along with land can also absorb CO2 through reforestation, improvement of soils along with landscapes, along with different similar activities. This particular is usually in respect of This particular land use along with forestry-related carbon dioxide emission which Indonesia has an important role to play.
On the entire world list of global warming contributors (2012), Indonesia ranked ninth at 490,000 tonnes of CO2, or 1.29% of total world emission. This particular can be safely assumed which these emissions are mainly due to deforestation along with alterations in land use, rather than the burning of fossil fuels. The numbers one along with two within the entire world emission rankings—China along with America—contributed 24.65% along with 16.16% respectively, mainly due to their burning of fossil fuels for the generation of electricity along with transportation.
Global emissions in 2012 resulted in a concentration of CO2 within the atmosphere of 397 parts per million (ppm), or a 43% increase over the pre-industrial level of 278 ppm. The current annual increase in CO2 concentrations is usually about 2.2 ppm. This particular means which the CO2 concentrations will exceed 400 ppm This particular year or next. along with 400 ppm constitutes a threshold. Contrary to earlier climate versions, which assumed which concentrations below 550 ppm might—that has a relatively high certainty—limit global warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels, recent climate research argues which the 2°C limit can only be reached when concentrations are kept below 400 ppm. Heated arguments about the projected levels of these concentrations along with their effect on global warming are continuing unabated.
One of the programmes designed to reduce Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions, therefore significantly contribute to a reduction in global warming is usually REDD+ (Reduction of Emissions through Deforestation along with Degradation, with the “+” standing for sustainable management of forests, along with conservation along with enhancement of forest carbon stocks). This particular partnership programme has been concluded with Norway along with provides financial rewards, initially USD1 billion, for Indonesia’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Payment will depend on verification of the efforts along with corroboration of the results achieved.
The first phase of REDD+ was the collection of data in nine pilot provinces. Progress has been much slower than initially projected; currently the achievements have drawn down less than 5% of the total pledged, caused by bureaucratic red tape along with confusion when completely new projects are initiated, combined that has a lack of direction along with prescriptions on how to implement a programme of This particular magnitude along with complexity.
Anto Haryuatmanto, GM of PT Waindo SpecTerra, a company specialising in spatial information, informed me which the main difficulty is usually the lack of a map which is usually accepted by every stakeholder as representing the actual situation on the ground. Maps differ in respect of land use along with vegetation cover, forest boundaries, watersheds, along with road alignments. Consequently, authorities along with agencies at national, provincial along with district level do not accept the maps used by their peers, or the maps used by their technical counterparts at different levels, each stakeholder insisting which its style is usually the correct one.
Conflicts, such as overlaps of conservation forests along with oil palm estate permits, are thus insolvable. As the map shows, forests—only 50 years ago covering 90% of Sumatra along with Kalimantan—have been squeezed out.
When contracted for the REDD+ pilot project within the province of Riau, Waindo SpecTerra started off with producing a completely new along with highly accurate map for each district, using remotely-sensed data along with GPS-supported ground verifications. Detailed discussions were then held within the districts to explain the techniques along with methodology used to produce the maps. Juxtaposing the existing maps with the completely new one along with highlighting the differences quickly led to an acceptance of the completely new map.
A second obstacle remains, which could be described as the absence of political will. REDD+ directly involves a fairly large number of stakeholders: 1) government authorities at all levels through Jakarta to the villages, 2) agro-estates, 3) logging companies, 4) smallholder farmers, along with 5) indigenous forest dwellers. The first four generally prefer a dead tree to a living one, because a tree, once felled, can be sold for timber, burned to make room for plantation crops along with the expansion of smallholdings. Indigenous forest dwellers are the only ones with an interest in preserving the forests. Their voices are, unfortunately, hard to hear, as the money is usually within the different camp. The REDD+ compensation for leaving a tree standing will thus be weighed against the profits derived through cutting This particular down.
During the next phase of REDD+ the amount paid as compensation [per hectare] for not disturbing forest along with land will need to be set with the extractive uses in mind.
For more info, visit www.reddplus.go.id
Comments
Indonesia’s Contribution to the Mitigation of Global Warming
Indonesia’s Contribution to the Mitigation of Global Warming