Swaziland's First National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change National Report on Climate Change National Report on Climate Change

Chapter 5 Mitigation Options Analysis

5.1 INTRODUCTION

In accordance with article 4.7 under the UNFCCC, member states in the developing world are expected to ensure that greenhouse gas emissions are linked to sustainable development through encompassing environmental considerations and socio equity in their drive for economic growth.

As indicated in the inventories, CO2 per capita of 0.871 Gg is on the low side compared both to the African region and lower still compared to the developed world’s average. In view of this, it is Swaziland’s position that GHG emission reduction is linked to sustainable development goals of economic growth, environmental protection and socio equity. In the same vein, Swaziland recognizes its extreme vulnerability to climate change owing to the nature of its national circumstances. For this reason the country commits itself outlined resources permitting to undertake programmes aimed at avoiding emissions, and hence the protection of the climate.

Although Swaziland has not yet put in place a Climate Change Policy per-se, its commitment to climate change is manifested through a number of initiations both in the national and international fronts amongst which are the following:

i. Ratification of international protocols/conventions related to the environment.

ii. Formulation of several national development and environmental policies, each of which in one way another contributes to avoidance of emissions and/or mitigation of climate change.

iii. Including environmental concerns in the Swaziland National Energy Policy (SNEP) being developed with assistance from the Danish Cooperation for Environment and Development (DANCED).

In addition, Swaziland, with assistance from UNDP/GEF has undertaken as part of the enabling activities for the preparation of the national communication, studies in mitigation analysis. The mitigation analysis will assist in the formulation of appropriate policies and measures which will go a long way towards avoidance of GHG emissions.

5.1.1 Enabling Activities

For the preparation of the National Communication as part of this activity, an in-depth study on mitigation analysis and strategies involving an examination and development of the baseline scenario, and analysis of various mitigation options including changes in policy, was undertaken by a multidisciplinary team.

The main focus of the study was to develop baseline scenarios in energy and forest sectors. The rationale for selecting the energy and forest sectors was largely driven by the level of emissions emanating from the former and the degree of land degradation caused by the latter together with its apparent huge GHG sink capacity. The baseline which was developed for both sectors, adopted a business as usual approach and was mainly influenced by the economic development path that Swaziland would follow without implementing any mitigation option to reduce GHG emissions and implementing strategies elaborated under the NDS, due to constraints of availability of financial resources.

In most developing countries such as Swaziland, fuel-wood is the main source of energy for rural communities. As such, there is strong interdependence between the energy and the forest sectors.

This interdependence is underlain by the fact that increasing demand for energy is associated with increasing deforestation hence the need to undertake mitigation analysis in these two sectors. Apart from supplying energy, forests and woodlands also supply timber and non-timber (e.g. fruits, honey, edible insects and medicine) products in Swaziland.

This page was last updated on 11 October 2004