Too often, people think that technology will provide the answers we need to the nature loss and climate crises.
While this is sometimes the case, nature itself can provide many of the solutions we need - from mangroves that help prevent flooding of coastal communities to wetlands that improve water quality.
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Nature-based Solutions to a changing climate
Protecting coast lines
Rising sea levels and increased extreme weather due to the climate crisis threaten coastal communities around the world. Protecting or restoring mangroves, reefs and salt marshes can protect people and property from storm surges and erosion.
These coastal habitats are also good at storing carbon, which would otherwise add to the climate-warming greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The same goes for forests – for example, plans to support the planting of around 3 million hectares of forest by the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo will remove about 3 million tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere.
Bringing nature into cities, for example creating green roofs and walls and planting trees can capture stormwater, abate pollution and moderate the impacts of heatwaves, Green cities can also have positive outcomes for mental and physical health.
What can you do
Nature can play a vital role in protecting people from the impacts of a changing climate. But world leaders must act now to put nature-based solutions to work.