This dissertation investigates three economic aspects of the climate change issue: optimal allocation of investment between adaptation and mitigation, impacts on a ground water dependent regional agricultural economy and effects on global food insecurity. This is done in three essays by applying mathematical programming. In the first essay, a modeling study is done on optimal temporal investment between climate change adaptation and mitigation considering their relative contributions to damage reduction and diversion of funds from consumption and other investments. To conduct this research, we extend the widely used Integrated Assessment Model?DICE (Dynamic Integrated Climate Economy) adding improved adaptation modeling. The model results suggest that the joint implementation of adaptation and mitigation is welfare improving with a greater immediate role for adaptation. In the second essay, the research focuses on the ground water dependent agricultural economy in the Texas High Plains Region. A regionally detailed dynamic land allocation model is developed and applied for studying interrelationships between limited natural resources (e.g. land and groundwater), climate change, bioenergy demands and agricultural production. We find out that the effect varies regionally across hydrologically heterogeneous regions. Also, water availability has a substantial impact on feedstock mix. In terms of biofuel feedstock production, the model results show that limited water resource cannot sustain expanded corn-based ethanol production in the future. In the third essay, a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model is applied in an attempt to study potential impacts of climate change on global food insecurity. Our results show that climate change alters the number of food insecure people in a regionally different fashion over time. In general, the largest increase of additional food insecure population relative to the reference case (no climate change) is found in Africa and South Asia, while most of developed countries will benefit from climate change with a reduced proportion of food insecure population. In general, climate change affects world agricultural production and food security. Integrated adaptation and mitigation strategy is more effective in reducing climate change damages. However, there are synergies/trade-offs between these two options, particularly in regions with limited natural resources.

The “2015 proceedings” document the contributions of the third and final annual Summer-School Workshop of the “Scientific Cooperation Network on Climate Change Adaptation”, a project within the DAAD program “Welcome to Africa”. The workshop took place on 17-31 May, 2015 at Tharandt campus of the Technische Universität Dresden and at selected locations in the region.:Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation 1 Methodological Fundamentals of Socio-Economic Climate Change Adaptation Research at the Institute of International Forestry and Forest Products, TU Dresden 2 Climate Change Adaptation in Saxony 4 Historical Path of Forestry and the Role of ‘Ujamaa’ Ideology to Today’s Policy of Community Forest Management in Tanzania 19 Contribution of the National Adaptation Plan of Action Project to Sustainable Livelihoods in North Kordofan State, Sudan 31 Local People’s Perception of Climate Variability Including Their Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies in Mountainous Areas of Uganda 47 Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Traditional Farming System Management under Changing Climate, Sudan 54 Quarterly Climate Change Preparedness Workshop in Arsi Negelle, Ethiopia 63 Impact of Farmer Field Schools in Diffusion of Information about Climate Change in South Kordofan State, Sudan 74 Effects of Climate Change on Traditional Rain-fed Agriculture in Sheikan Locality, North Kordofan State, Sudan 81 Can Rain Water Harvesting Mitigate Flooding Associated with Climate Change in Urban Areas? A Case Study of Jinja Municipality, Uganda 91 Agroforestry, Reforestation, and Climate Change 97 Agroforestry in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+): Africa, Where Are You? 98 Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agroforestry: Summary of Global Data and Implications for Africa 113 Propagation Techniques for Ethiopian Highland Bamboo Yushania alpina in Amhara Region, Banja Districts, North-Western Ethiopia 121 The Performance of GAPAs on Enhancing the Production and Marketing of Gum Arabic Production in West and North Kordofan States, Sudan 131 CHAnces IN Sustainability – Promoting Product Chains of Natural Products in Eastern Africa 132 Biodiversity Conversation and Bioenergy 135 Land Use, Land Cover and Climate Change Impacts on the Bird Community in and around Lake Zeway, Ethiopia 136 African Baobab: Urgent Need for Assessments and Management Approaches for Sustainable Development in Sudan 137 Ecotourism as Alternative Mean of Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Improvement of the Local Community 145 The Role of Wood Fuel in Climate Change: A Case of Urban and Rural Areas in Uganda 159 Scientific Cooperation Network on Climate Change Adaptation 169 Network Contact Persons 169