Andre Lindner

Publications (23) View all

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  Available from: Andre Lindner

  Article: Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity - The Setting of a Lingering Global Crisis

  Rinawati F, Stein K, Lindner A
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  ABSTRACT: Climate change has created potential major threats to global biodiversity. The multiple components of climate change are projected to affect all pillars of biodiversity, from genes over species to biome level. Of particular concerns are ―tipping points‖ where the exceedance of ecosystem thresholds will possibly lead to irreversible shifts of ecosystems and their functioning. As biodiversity underlies all goods and services provided by ecosystems that are crucial for human survival and wellbeing, this paper presents potential effects of climate change on biodiversity, its plausible impacts on human society as well as the setting in addressing a global crisis. Species affected by climate change may respond in three ways: change, move or die. Local species extinctions or a rapidly affected ecosystem as a whole respectively might move toward its particular ―tipping point‖, thereby probably depriving its services to human society and ending up in a global crisis. Urgent and appropriate actions within various scenarios of climate change impacts on biodiversity, especially in tropical regions, are needed to be considered. Foremost a multisectoral approach on biodiversity issues with broader policies, stringent strategies and programs at international, national and local levels is essential to meet the challenges of climate change impacts on biodiversity.
  Diversity 03/2013; 5(1):114-123.
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  Book: Understanding Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies of Andean People - Project Results and Proceedings of Summer-School 2012

  Lindner A, Pretzsch J
  edited by Lindner A, Pretzsch J, 02/2013; Technische Universität Dresden, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Professorship for Tropical Forestry., ISBN: 978-3-942934-02-2
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  Article: An International Network on Climate Change Impacts on Small Farmers in the Tropical Andes - Global Conventions from a Local Perspective

  Lindner A, Pretzsch J
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  ABSTRACT: The agricultural sector of Andean countries like Peru and Bolivia perceives the consequences of climate change in increasing water stress due to melting glaciers and changing precipitation patterns. Therefore mainly subsistence agricultural systems are increasingly vulnerable. Traditional inhabitants of the tropical Andean region are aware of the recurrent diversity of climate related impacts and its consequences, thus livelihood strategies are based on principles of risk management. Andean farmers are nowadays applying traditional strategies in a combination of homegrown experimentation and scientific know-how to cope with and adapt to a changing climate. Understanding these adaptations has become one of the most important aspects of research into climate change impacts and vulnerability. It provides essential knowledge for developing and transferring strategies towards a sustainable management in agriculture and agroforestry systems. But there still is a lack of a comparative assessment, especially in regions with high impact of extreme climate conditions. The endogenously determined strategies, which are based on the experience of the farmers, are to be complemented by knowledge and experiences coming from outside farm-household systems and communities. In a collaborative way, this exogenous knowledge is to be placed at the disposal of local actors. The necessary network approach leads to a comprehensive involvement of local stakeholders. Therefore a participative network on climate change may work as a tool to bridge the gap between the global discourse on climate change and local action.
  Sustainable Agriculture Research. 01/2013; 2(2):92-98.
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  Conference Proceeding: Assessing Adaptation to Climate Change: Environmental and Socio-economic Changes in the Andes of Bolivia

  Vidaurre de la Riva M, Lindner A
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  ABSTRACT: Bolivia contributes only 0.04% carbon dioxide emission of the world, yet smallholders are particularly vulnerable to changing social and environmental conditions. These changes have led to an increase in food insecurity and losses in production due to drought, frost, disease, and pests. This article outlines the understanding of adaptation to climate change and its impact on environmental and socioeconomic changes that are affecting the livelihoods in communities of the Andean region. We use a case study of Charazany valley in The Apolobamba National Park; northwest of La Paz – Bolivia. Mainly qualitative methods were used to collect and analyse data following the framework for participatory vulnerability assessments. Primary data was collected at the community level applying different participatory research methods. According to the Bolivian National Institute of Statistics (INE 2010), the occurrence of extreme weather events are increasing since 2002, particularly drought, frost, hailstorms, landslides and fire. Equal observation has been made by local communities which highlight them as the principle reasons for their losses in production. Community members are forced to search for new off-farm alternatives beyond agriculture for subsistence, like working in construction, mining, and manufacturing (INE 2004). This means a significant impact on the structure of the families and their respective role in the agriculture activities. Nevertheless there is a correspondingly large array of possible adaptation options that families are implementing. Most of them are related to ancient traditional techniques in agriculture; as example the use of local bio-indicators to forecast the weather, variation in time and space of plantations, conservation in situ of indigenous crop varieties. Intensification of land use, diversification of irrigation system and water storage practices and the use of artificial products are some techniques adopted as conventional practices that can prevent losses in production. The local organisation is aware of the problem, however, testimonies point out that farmers don't have the capacity or the economical resources to mitigate the risk in production. Several actions have been considered to promote the adaptive capacity; nevertheless the current target is to improve existing livelihoods and reducing vulnerability in the long term in comparable short time.
  Proceedings of Tropentag 2012: Resilience of agricultural systems against crises; 09/2012
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  Conference Proceeding: Challenges Presented by Climate Change in the Andean Region: Land Use Cover Change and Adaptive Response of Small Farmers

  Vidal Merino M, Jost F, Amos G, Medina F, Pretzsch J, Lindner A, Berger U
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  ABSTRACT: For people living in the Andean Mountains, climatic change is not a problem of the future - they already face the effects. The Andean region of Peru is bearing the consequences of climate change, such as retreat of glaciers and extreme weather events, which are increasingly affecting the livelihoods of small local farmers and increasing the vulnerability of the farm systems they depend on. This paper presents the first results of the “International Network on Climate Change in the Andean Region (INCA)” project. The INCA is a scientific network specialised on climate change that seeks to understand the situation of local farming and forestry systems in the Andean Region, deriving and testing livelihood strategies for farming systems and indigenous communities. First results of the INCA project, based on research in the Achamayo Watershed in Peru, include: a) A study of the perception of local people towards the development of climate over the last 10 years. b) An analysis via satellite images and field research on land use cover/change since 1921. c) An assessment of the adaptation strategies available and used by small-scale farmers. Project results show that farmers are well aware of the ongoing changes in weather patterns, signaling the occurrence of frosts and heavy rainfall as main causes of agricultural loss. The decrease of water springs during dry season was reported to have a direct impact on the livestock which rely on natural grasslands as main fodder source. The analysis of land use cover change supported this former statement, reporting severe grasslands degradation, with 21.26% decrease of the “high density grassland” land cover since 1921. Concrete strategies to forecast, disperse and mitigate the climatic risk were identified. Ongoing research within the INCA project applies modelling techniques for assessing the development of farming systems under potential climate change scenarios and the consequences of the resulting land use mosaics on economical utilities (food security and income) and environmental services.
  Proceedings of Tropentag 2012: Resilience of agricultural systems against crises; 09/2012