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Hand in hand with nature – Nature-based Solutions for transformative agriculture

A revision of Nature-based Solutions for the Europe and Central Asia region, supported by Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) examples













Arnés García, M. 2021. Hand in hand with nature – Nature-based solutions for transformative agriculture. A revision of nature-based solution for the Europe and Central Asia region, supported by Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) examples. Budapest, FAO.




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    The adverse effects of anthropogenic-induced climate change on the sustainability and resilience of agri-food systems at inter-regional scales calls for a substantial reorientation and sectoral transformation of the existing production and governance systems. In this context, FAO’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia convened a webinar on 1 December 2020 under the theme “Hand in Hand with Nature: Understanding Nature-Based Solutions in agriculture through GIAHS”. The main thrust of the webinar was to open a debate on the potentialities of nature-based solutions (NbS) to support agri-food systems in the Europe and Central Asia region. The dialogue also sought to develop a multi-stakeholder platform for upscaling NbS in agriculture based on real cases, tools and science-based shreds of evidence in ECA countries. The two-hour virtual session encompassed keynote presentations, interactive dialogues, and panel discussions covering the concepts of NbS and the Globally Important Agriculture Heritage Systems (GIAHS). NbS are measures taken to sustainably conserve, restore and manage ecosystems in order to meet societal challenges in an effective and adaptable manner while also benefiting life on Earth. GIAHS is a major FAO programme that aims at identifying, supporting and safeguarding remarkable agricultural, forestry and fisheries production systems, with their livelihoods, agrobiodiversity, landscapes, knowledge systems and cultures around the world. Through this first webinar, FAO provided a revision of nature-based solutions in agriculture with real and time-tested examples coming from GIAHS.
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    Accessibility to clean and sufficient water resources for agriculture is key in feeding the steadily increasing world population in a sustainable manner. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) offer a promising contribution to enhance availability and quality of water for productive purposes and human consumption, while simultaneously striving to preserve the integrity and intrinsic value of the ecosystems. Implementing successful NBS for water management, however, is not an easy task since many ecosystems are already severely degraded, and exploited beyond their regenerative capacity. Furthermore, ecosystems are large and complex and the many stakeholders involved might have conflicting interests. Hence, implementation of NBS requires a structured and comprehensive approach that starts with the valuation of the services provided by the ecosystem. The whole set of use and non-use values, in monetary terms, provides a factual basis to guide the implementation of NBS, which ideally is done according to transdisciplinary principles, i.e. complemented with scientific and case-specific knowledge of the eco-system in an adaptive decision-making process that involves the relevant stakeholders. This discussion paper evaluated twenty-one NBS case studies using a non-representative sample, to learn from successful and failed experiences and to identify possible causalities among factors that characterize the implementation of NBS. The case studies give a minor role to valuation of ecosystem services, an area for which the literature is still developing guidance. Less successful water management projects tend to suffer from inadequate factual and scientific basis and uncoordinated or insufficient stakeholder involvement and lack of long term planning. Successful case studies point to satisfactory understanding of the functioning of ecosystems and importance of multi-stakeholder platforms, well-identified funding schemes, realistic monitoring and evaluation systems and endurance of its promoters.
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    Climate change is one of the most critical social and environmental concerns and the biggest threat to economic stability in human history. Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia countries, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, are vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. Although average forest cover is only 10.2 percent of these countries (FAO-SEC countries), they play an essential role in climate change mitigation and adaptation, including human well-being and biodiversity co-benefits. The NbS concept has gained attention since the late 2000s. Its practical contribution to global climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts has found significant implementation opportunities in forestry to support the protection and conservation, restoration and expansion, and sustainable management of forests under the impact of climate change. Globally, implementing NbSs to combat the negative impact of climate change on forestry is promoted by the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Regionally, implementing NbSs to combat the negative impacts of climate change on forestry has been included in the forest policy initiatives of the countries in the sub-region recently. As a result, governments have implemented NbSs through national strategies and programs to address societal challenges by enhancing ecosystem services and promoting human well-being and biodiversity co-benefits. For example, Azerbaijan has implemented afforestation, reforestation, rehabilitation, and restoration activities in forest fund lands on an average of 9 727 hectares (ha) annually since 2000. Kazakhstan aims to save the Aral Sea basin from salinity and improve soil fertility through afforestation activities of saxaul species on 0.25 million ha, and the afforestation area in the Aral Sea will be extended by 1 million ha till 2025. Kyrgyzstan has planned a 1,000-ha annual plantation program to expand protected natural areas to 10 percent. Tajikistan implements 2,000 ha of annual plantation activities to increase the greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential through participatory forestry sector development. Türkiye implemented afforestation, soil conservation, forest rehabilitation, pasture rehabilitation, private afforestation, artificial regeneration, and establishment of energy forests activities on 9.62 million ha from 1946 to 2022. Turkmenistan conducts afforestation activities with drought-resistant plant species and established the "Golden Century Lake" in the Karakum Desert to improve the climate conditions and conserve biodiversity. Uzbekistan declared the Aral Sea region

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