Macro-climate mitigation

The drylands of the world are considered to hold significant climate change mitiga - tion potential through sequestration of carbon and avoidance of emissions. Yet, climate change mitigation in drylands is complex for a variety of reasons. This section reviews the potential for climate change mitigation, the conditions required to make this hap - pen and ongoing initiatives in the drylands of the Eastern African region to implement mitigation projects. The world’s drylands store a significant amount of carbon. Thirty-six per cent of the global terrestrial carbon stock and 59% of the African carbon stock is in drylands [253]. Drylands are also considered to have potential for climate change mitigation through sequestration of carbon and avoidance of emissions [254, 255]. This potential emerges first from the large extent of rangeland systems, which comprise the majority of the African continent. A second reason is the carbon under-saturation of many drylands 93 systems, which is due to land degradation, land use change and burning and this un - der-saturation offers opportunity for sequestration. A third reason why drylands hold mitigation potential is the potential to avoid emissions from burning and erosion [255]

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