CBD COP11: Nature knows best in climate change adaptation

CBD COP11: Nature knows best in climate change adaptation

Rio Conventions Pavilion TV, CBD COP11 (18/10/2012) – Dominique Benzaken, Expert of IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management, discusses how ecosystem-based initiatives can be used by communities to adapt to the effects of climate change.

Benzaken explains that using ecosystem services to reduce the vulnerability of communities to the impacts of climate change is usually the most effective way for communities to adapt to climate change.

Benzaken asserts that this type of solution is especially important on islands as they are important internationally for their biodiversity, more vulnerable than other areas to climate change and their communities are inherently dependent on local biodiversity.

Benzaken adds that this is a low cost approach, especially compared to engineering solutions such as sea walls, and most of the time this type of solution is also more effective.