Nature’s Contribution to People: The Africa Regional Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Mariteuw Chimère Diaw 8th African RCE Meeting 8-10 August, 2018, Zomba, Malawi

1. Nature’s contribution to people
The Africa Regional Assessment of
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Mariteuw Chimère Diaw
AfRA 2015-2018

2. Main points
I. The Africa Assessment
II. The Scope of Nature’s
contribution to people in
Africa
III. A potential unrealized yet
deteriorating
IV. Going Further: A New
Economy for Africa

3. L’Évaluation africaine

4. The African expertise
95
143
Authors
Experts
23
African
countries
8 non-
African2359
Sources
3112
external
comments
AfRA in
numbers
The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services www.ipbes.net
17
15
8
34
19
24
Francophones
8 countries 8%
Anglophones
2 countries, 9%
25 % + 2 afro-canadiens
Western Europe (15)
16%
- USA (5)
15% : Egypte,
Maroc, Soudan
(1 algérien)
2 RDC (Canada)
6 Cameroun
8%
34% - South Africa (26) 27%
+ Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia
18%
Kenya (8) 8%
Madagascar (4) 4%
Tanzania, Ouganda, Ethiopia
20%

5. Cadrage
43 sous
sections
Contributions de la
Nature aux gens et
à la qualité de vie
(38 )
Statut,
tendances et
dynamiques
futures (70)
Options de
gouvernance
et de
politique
Interactions
présentes et
futurs
(scénarios)
Moteurs directs
and indirects de
changement
(60)
1 2 3
6 5 4

6. SPM: An optimistic narrative structure
Africa has unique and
diversified biodiversity
and natural assets
She is under
pressure and these
natural assets are
degrading
But Africa has
options and
solutions
That can strengthen
existing
transformation
frameworks To move toward an
Africa-led post-carbon
industrial model that invests
in ecological innovation and
in inclusive polycentric
governance adapted to
diverse scénarios on the
evolution of the world and
markets

7. 2. Nature’s contributions to
people in Africa

9. Rich and diverse ecosystems that generate flows of goods and services
essential for the food, water, energy, health and security needs of the
continent.
More than any other continent, rural and urban Africa remains deeply
rooted in nature and its services in order to produce and reproduce
Africa's extraordinary wealth in biodiversity and ecosystem services, and
the wealth of indigenous and local knowledge is a strategic asset for the
sustainable development of the region.
But Africa is underutilizing its resources, even as it is losing
them
The true value of biodiversity and nature's contributions is
underestimated in decision-making in Africa
Unique, diverse and
contrasted natural assets

10. Vast resources
Unevenly distributed
Exceptional Ecosystems
Outstanding number of large
transboundary basins and water bodies: Nile,
Congo, Zambezi Niger/Lake Tanganyika
– e.g. L. Victoria ($600 M, 3M people)
3 of the 4 most productive LMEs
(Large Marine Écosystems) of the world
– Estimated value: $139 Billion/year
25 % of the world
watersheds (out of 63)
Water
But Watersheds split
between water-rich and
water-poor countries and
areas (e.g. Nile, Zambezi)
66% of the continent is arid
300 to 400 M people live
in water-poor areas
Fisheries
West Africa one of the world’s most
important fishing areas
4,5 millions tons of fish in 2000
$24 Billion contribution to national
economies IF all catches were landed
8 million
fishermen and
families Fisheries are in decline -
catches are largely diverted
out of Africa
A continent under pressure
Unique, diverse and
contrasted natural assets

11. Energy
Mines
Bois de feu : + de 80% de l’énergie primaire
+ de 90% de la population (cuisine)
Demande de charbon de bois augmente
Abundant and diverse energy sources, incl.
oil, gas and clean énergy
La réalisation du
potentiel hydroélectrique,
solaire, éolien, géothermique
est restée fortement limitée
Des ressources minières
extraordinaires – Plus de $34 000
milliards USD rien que pour la RDC
(pas directement traité par l’ERA)
Hydroélectricité : 1/5ème de l'alimentation électrique
Moins de 10% du potentiel utilisé. Seulement 9% de la
population en RDC a accès à l'électricité
Une grande pauvreté d’accès
à l’énergie sur la plus grande
partie du continent
A continent under pressure
Unique, diverse and
contrasted natural assets

12. Species
and
genetics
Species and genetics
Africa is the last place on Earth
with a broadly intact assemblage
of big mammals. It is a center of
richness and endemism for
freshwater fish, mollusc and
crustacean species. ¼ of the
mammals, 1/5th of bird species
and at least 1/6th of the planet’s
vegetal species
Animal and plant genetic
resources adapted to
drought, pests and
environmental change.
Food and cash crops of African
origin: wheat, barley, millet and sorghum
species; teff (Eragrostis tef); coffee;
rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis); cowpea
(Vigna unguiculata); and the oil palm
(Elaeis guineensis). The Sudanese belt is
the only shea producing area (vitella
paradoxa) for the domestic and
international market and the chocolate
industry
But decline and loss of
that biodiversity – habitats,
fertility, productivity, and
economic opportunities; loss
of food, water, energy, health
and subsistence security
Driving forces of decline incl. natural
habitats conversion to agricultural land & urban
settlements; infrastructure development ;
overexploitation of biological resources;
introduction of invasive alien species; and
pollution of air, water and soilA continent under pressure
Unique, diverse and
contrasted natural assets

13. 17% of natural forests and 31% of
« other forested lands »
2nd tropical forest
(Congo Bassin)
Forest
s
Agriculture
Part moyenne des PFNL dans le
revenu total des ménages en Afrique
rurale : 21,4% - 20% en Tanzanie,
27% en Éthiopie, jusqu'à 44% en
Zambie....
Les insectes constituent une autre source
de protéines, de minéraux et de vitamines.
Environ 250 espèces comestibles
répertoriées
65 % of uncultivated
arable lands
Extraordinalrily diversified pool of NTFPs
Mais seulement 6% de $ 88 milliards
(sous estimé) A continent under pressure
Unique, diverse and
contrasted natural assets
Yet, the region, which was a
net exporter of food in the
1990s, now foots a bill of US
$35 Billion just for rice.
Subsaharan Africa now exports
less than Thaïland (Africa
Progress Report, APR 2014)
Africa uses less improved
seeds and fertilizers than any
other region, and its soils are
literally mined as a
consequence : «It is estimated
that 8 million tons of nutrients
are depleted every year in
Africa. » (APR, 2014)

15. In the rest of the world, processing represents 68% to 80% of the
value added. In Africa, the opposite is true: ⅔ VAB comes from low
added value activities: logs, sawnwood, firewood ...

16. For timber, cane and bamboo and wooden furniture, African countries
have a trade deficit of more than US $ 1 billion
While Asian countries recorded a trade surplus of 66.3 billion US
dollars and Latin American countries 6.8 billion US dollars during the
same period.
The furniture industry in Asia is booming, with Vietnamese exports
alone reaching US $ 7 billion in 2016 (ITTO 2017).
For 08 tertiary processed wood products, Indonesia makes $ 28.12
billion surplus; alone printing and writing paper: $ 19.6 billion more
Value-added processing generates on average 4 to 12 times more
jobs than a primary sawmill (Hierold, 2010).

17. Impacts of climate change
 Significant losses of African plant species
 More than 50% of some bird and mammal species
 Drop in African lake productivity by 20 to 30% by 2100
 Impacts on coastal water systems, sea level rises, changes in upwellings, sea
elevations and changes in sea surface temperature an impact on coastal
ecosystems.
Africa's current population of 1.25 billion is expected to double by 2050
 Strong pressure on biodiversity and the contributions of nature to people
 unless innovative policies and strategies are in place and implemented.
 Rapid and unplanned urbanization is putting considerable pressure on urban
infrastructure and the demand for services, including water supply, food supply,
pollution control and waste management, as well as energy supply. households and
industrial development
Climate change and Population growth
Africa under pressure

18. Key Drivers of Change in Africa's Biodiversity by Sub-region and Ecosystem Type

19. Africa has options
 Range of options for governance and the sustainable use of
biodiversity for the benefit of its people. The choice of governance options
and appropriate policies is essential
 Africa's existing policies, strategies, plans and programs at the
national, subregional and regional levels are moving in the right direction
by addressing the underlying direct and indirect threats to biodiversity and the
contributions of nature, guaranteeing inclusive development. green and blue
economies that promote a good quality of life.
 Actions by African governments to protect biodiversity and the
contributions of nature to populations have contributed to the recovery of
threatened species, particularly in key biodiversity areas, and these efforts
could be strengthened (B5).
 Many recognized ecosystems of ecological, social, economic and cultural
importance at the regional and global levels have been classified as protected
(14.7% of the continent's land and 5.4% of the seas under national
jurisdiction), or considered as protected areas. important for conservation (A5)
The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services www.ipbes.net

20. Africa has options
Africa’s population is young,
with more favorable ratios
between workers and inactive
compared to other parts of
the world
Our urban areas are still
developing: it is possible to
build green sustainable cities

21.  Africa has the opportunity to take advantage of a rich
biodiversity and use it for its economic development. Africa begins
with the benefit of a small ecological footprint
 Africa is in a unique position to adopt a more balanced
approach to development. It is the only region that has not yet
industrialized: it can move directly to a Third Industrial Revolution
green-blue economy
 It can accelerate its structural transformation by changing
paradigm. Governments who want to « converge » with the rest of
the world must do it a bit differently and make sure to acquire the
right technologies, make the right innovations and investments,
and resolve financing by using the countries’ internal possibilities
Africa has options

22.  Biotech in the form of GM crops being promoted for years as a possible response
to low agricultural productivity, Africa is not going in that direction. Burkina Faso's
2016 decision to phase out Monsanto's genetically modified Bt cotton production is the
latest indicator.
 Ecological intensification of agriculture, which relies solely on natural processes
such as biomass, indigenous micro-organisms and symbiotic micro-organisms, is an
alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Their significant market potential has
been barely scratched.
 The potential of pastoralism is immense. The AU 2010 Policy Framework for
Pastoralism shows that there is population growth and shrinking and fragmentation of land,
resource conflicts, pastoral resource security, climate change and rises in food prices and
financial crises. But pastoralists, who feed their animals only on natural pastures,
can achieve productivity rates as high as in modern ranches. Pastoralism has this
potential, particularly because it is based on the indigenous knowledge acquired over the
ages by generations of pastoralists.
Ecological intensification, GMOs, pastoral systems
Africa has options

23. The future
Scenarios are underutilized in decision-making in Africa. The
majority of scenario studies identified were exploratory (80%) and strongly oriented
towards modeling the impacts of climate change. A concerted effort is needed to build
the capacity of African researchers, policymakers, and institutions to understand,
implement, and use scenario analysis in a meaningful way for intervention planning
and informed decision-making.
Achieving the African Union's vision of an integrated,
prosperous and peaceful Africa by 2063 and associated Sustainable
Development Goals and Aichi Biodiversity Targets is problematic in a Global Fortress-
like national sovereignty, autonomy and security. It is also unlikely that the trajectories
of the policy reform and market-force scenarios fully meet the above-mentioned vision,
given their greater propensity to undermine the natural resource base in the long run.
However, regional archetypes of sustainability and local sustainability offer the most
likely options for achieving multiple, coupled goals.
Anticipate on various possible futures scenarios
The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services www.ipbes.net

24. The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services www.ipbes.net

25. 355 scenario studies,
2005+ numerous different
possible futures for Africa,
wide range of geographies
population, urbanization,
consumption and use of
natural resources are
expected to increase in
the 5 major trajectories
Increased water, food
and energy trade-offs
with economic growth
SDG of eradicating
hunger without
compromising water
quality is unlikely

26. Link regional and global trends using the scenarios and policy tools needed to build the
"future we want"

27. Strengthening African transformation frameworks (with changes)

29. 3.Going Farther: At the Science-
Policy Interface

30. BES issues are complex, interconnected and often interlinked, as
potential outcomes and entry points for policy making.
 Water, conservation and energy have an impact on food systems,
people, health and poverty
 Governance and tenure issues have turned into security issues
 This is amplified by climate change, which is now being redesigned in
terms of security.
 Disproportionate impact on youth and women
 Loss of ethno-scientific knowledge needed for more ecological growth
solutions
For example

31. www.ipbes.net
Population
Climate change
Energy
Invasive
Sustainable Livelihoods and ecosystems / green-blue economy
Aïchi targets
SDGs
Agenda 2063
alien
species

32. Climate change as an
opportunity
“The strange parallel”
between carbon emissions and
the wealth of nations
Data sources: World GDP: Knoema, http://knoema.com/nwnfkne/world-gdp-ranking-2015-data-and-charts; EU 28 GDP: Eurostat,
https://www.stat.ee/29958; Emissions and emissions per capita: Netherland Environmental Agency, 2014,
http://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/news_docs/jrc-2014-trends-in-global-co2-emissions-2014-report-93171.pdf
Per capita emissions
and GDP correlation, 10
top emitters
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Emissions per capita
GDP per capita 2013 (in $US 1,000)
Note: Germany is the
only EU 28 country
among the big 10
emitters; it appears
twice, as a country
and as member of EU
28, to illustrate higher
per capita trends
(GDP and emissions)
than the EU 28
average. Worldwide,
Australia has the
highest GDP
(US$64,429) and a
high emission per
capita (16.6), in par
with the US

33. Millions of energy-
poor disconnected
Africans, who earn
less than US$2.50 a
day, constitute a
US$10-billion yearly
energy market
Invest US$55 B/y until
2030 to achieve
universal access
Africa energy problem, an
investment opportunity
Original: APR 2015
The world's most expensive
electricity - A village woman
in a northern Nigeria
spends 60 to 80 times
more per unit for her energy than a
resident of NYC or London
Huge clean energy potential
 natural gas, hydro, solar,
wind and geothermal power
Shortages cost 2 -4 % points of GDP per year.

34. ><
tension
Development
of resilient
infrastructures,
industrialisation and
inclusive and
sustainable
innovations
Inclusive &sustainable growth
inclusive productivity
diversification and innovation
formalization and growth of
SMEs and micro entreprises
decoupling of economic growth
and environmental degradation
Agricultural productivity &
small farmers income X2
Sustainable food systems and
resilient farm practices

35. E1. Africa can move towards meeting its
commitments and goals by linking its industrial
transformation to adaptive multi-stakeholder and
multi-level governance, as well as better
integration of indigenous and local knowledge
into the economy and public policies.
E2. 'Polycentric' governance options that
leverage synergies and offer multiple benefits,
relying on a supportive environment, can help
balance ecosystem access and allocation
patterns in Africa

36. Thank You