CBD COP11: Ecosystems can be powerful climate adaptation tool, says IUCN

CBD COP11: Ecosystems can be powerful climate adaptation tool, says IUCN

Angela Andrade Pérez, Deputy Chair, Commission on Ecosystem Management, IUCN, interview: Rio Conventions Pavilion, CBD COP11, 17/10/2012 – Angela Andrade Pérez, Deputy Chair of the Commission on Ecosystem Management with the IUCN explains how ecosystems can be used to combat climate change.

Ecosystem adaptation seeks to restore water supplies, improve the health of vegetation and ensure that nature can continue to provide the services required for human survival.

Pérez says while it is a cost effective way to adapt to climate change, the long-term nature of its results makes it harder to attract funding with short-term fixes frequently the preferred option.

For example, responses to flooding are typically the building of levees and storm channels, whereas returning a river to its natural course or planting mangroves can provide superior results in the longer term.