Proposed Methodology to Assess the Socio-Economic Impacts of Changes in Biodiversity (Arising from Climate Change)

Lim Hin Fui & Mohd Parid Mamat Environmental sociologist Forest Research Institute Malaysia 28-29 January 2008 Workshop for Working Group on Vulnerability & Adaptation, Second National Communication (NC2) Awana Hotel, Genting Highlands

Outline of Presentation
1. The Context 2. The Biodiversity Sector 3. The Proposed Methodology

The Context
1994 - Malaysia ratified both the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 2002 Malaysia ratified Kyoto Protocol. 2002 - Malaysia submitted its Initial National Communication (INC) with the support from UNDP/GEF. Current Second National Communication (NC2) is a continual step towards further implementation of the UNFCCC at national level which aims to generate a comprehensive report on climate change related issues in Malaysia.

NC2 Project

PSC Project Mgt Group

GHG Inventory WG

Vulnerability & Adaptation WG

Mitigation WG

agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, water resources, coastal and marine resources, public health and energy Climate Projection Support Group Socio-economic Impacts and Response Support Group

The Context
3 Main Working Groups under Second National Communication (NC2) (a) National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory (b) Vulnerability and Adaptation (chaired by NAHRIM) (c) Mitigation (PTM) The Vulnerability and Adaptation Working Group (WG) To undertake assessment of potential impacts of climate change on several vulnerable sectors and to formulate corresponding adaptation measures. To fulfil its task, this WG sets up 7 sub-working groups for 7 sectors i.e. agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, water resources, coastal and marine resources, public health and energy.

The Context
Under Vulnerability and Adaptation Working Group (WG) (a) Climate Projection Support Group (SG) (b) Socio-Economic & Responses Support Group (SP) led by LESTARI Socio-Economic & Responses Support Group (SP) To strengthen the inputs from the seven sectors for climate change impact assessment at the socio-economic level. While waiting Biodiversity Sector to make analysis based on input from Climate Projection Support Group, this Support Group is to develop the methodology to assess the socio-economic impacts of climate change.

The Biodiversity Sector

Biodiversity means the variety of ecosystems and the range of types and variability of animals, plants and microorganisms within them. Biodiversity of trees, orchids, birds, fish, ferns, fungi, insects, etc. Ecosystem diversity is evaluated through measures of the diversity of the component species at the local level.

The Proposed Methodology

Assumption: when there is a significant change in biodiversity resources caused by climate change Methodology here concerns finding out the socio-economic impacts

Objective
To assess the socio-economic impacts of change in biodiversity resources arising from climate change

Literature Review
Land use change & its impacts on biodiversity Socio-economic change & its impact on land use Climate change leads to flood, drought, soil erosion & degradation affects agriculture sectors socio-economic impacts Socio-economic impacts related to change in water resources

Subjects for study

1. Local biodiversity dependent community 2. Biodiversity resource traders 3. Biodiversity product value-added processing industries 4. Tourist operators

How to reach the subjects of study

Identifying the extent of the 4 subjects (local community, traders, industries, tourist operators) Selecting the number to be study (a) Small number of subject census (b) Big number of subject sampling based on some knowledge of the characteristics of the population being sampled

Key Variables, Measurement & Data Collection

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Local biodiversity dependent communities Occupation (harvesters) Employment status (employer, self-employed, employee, unpaid family worker) Use of biodiversity resources (subsistence, sale or both) Yield of products (Quantity) & Price (RM/unit) Income (cash & non-cash) Rural-urban migration (number of out-migrants) Remittance (RM) Poverty (per capita income poverty line) Loss of traditional knowledge (frequency use of medicine)

Method of data collection: Socio-economic survey & field observation on community as a whole & households

Key Variables, Measurement & Data Collection

1. 2. 3. 4.

Biodiversity product traders Yield of products (Quantity) Price (RM/unit) Gross income (RM) Net profit (RM)

Method of data collection: Socioeconomic survey on traders

Key Variables, Measurement & Data Collection

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Resource-dependent down-stream processing industries Employment (number of workers employed) Biodiversity materials supplied (quantity) & price (RM) Annual sale (RM) Net profit (RM) Income per worker (RM)

Method of data collection: Socio-economic survey on (a) biodiversity resource processing industries (b) workers

Key Variables, Measurement & Data Collection

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Local tourist operators Employment (Number of workers employed) Visitors (Number of visitors) Annual sale (RM) Net profit of operators (RM) Income tourism guides (RM)

Method of data collection: Socio-economic survey & field observation on (a) tourist operators (b) tourist guides

Reference period
Option 1: If there is a base year data, use it to compare with the current research data, where appropriate. Option 2: If there is no relevant base year data, then gather time series data (actual or estimated) from the socioeconomic survey Option 3: If time is not a constraint, make comparison between current year data with data to gather in the future, assuming that climate change is expected to continually affecting biodiversity change.

Thank You MAY ALL OF US BE HAPPY & HEALTHY so that we can continue contributing to Climate Change R & D activities for the benefits of mankind.