Integrating adaptation and mitigation in climate change and land-use policies in Peru.

Abstract

The interactions between mitigation and adaptation to climate change are particularly evident in agriculture, forestry and other activities based on land use. Adaptation projects can affect ecosystems and their ability to capture and store carbon, while mitigation projects can improve resilience or increase the vulnerability of people. These interactions should be considered in the design of policies and strategies. The discussion on the integration of policies to mitigate and adapt to climate change should focus on two issues: (1) integrating adaptation and mitigation policies on climate change in order to consider multiple objectives, assess the tradeoffs and search results that are mutually supportive; and (2) integrating adaptation and mitigation policies together in sectors, such as agriculture and forestry, in order to balance the tradeoffs and maximize co-benefits between climate change and other goals. The national plans and strategies related to climate change in Peru, and the main policies of land use, covering both goals adaptation and mitigation. In the new National Strategy on Climate Change and the draft National Strategy for Forests and Climate Change we have developed frameworks for integrated adaptation and mitigation implementation. While most of the other strategies and action plans do not mention the joint implementation of adaptation and mitigation, they include the provision of ecosystem services. However, the improvement of ecosystem services can ultimately be beneficial to both adaptation and mitigation and other national priorities. A strong emphasis is necessary on the generation and management of information and knowledge, and an evaluation of current and potential national and sub-national policies on ecosystem services at different scales impacts. It is also essential to establish mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of policies, stakeholder participation and adaptive management.

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