By Gaulbert Sutherland in Hawaii
More emphasis needs to be placed on often overlooked nature-based solutions such as conservation to protect against the challenges of climate change and ensure sustainable development, according to a top United Nations climate official.
“Nature-based solutions hold significant potential for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, maintaining healthy ecosystems and restoring degraded lands,” Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Patricia Espinosa said during a panel discussion on ‘A Changing Climate: Championing Nature- Based Solutions’ during the World Conservation Congress in Hawaii on Friday.
To illustrate, she pointed out that burning and clearing of tropical forest alone, account for 16% of global carbon emissions while unsustainable agriculture accounts for another 14%. “Thirty percent of global carbon emissions could be avoided by changing how we manage land and restoring what we have degraded. Nature-based solutions are also good for people,” she said, pointing to actions such as the protection of mangroves which act as a buffer against storm surges and provide a nursery for fish.