How Nature Conservation Can Help Reduce the Effects of Climate Change
Climate change poses one of the greatest threats to humanity’s survival and continued existence. Nature and the natural habitats of thousands of animals are affected by its harmful effect. However, it is essential to note that nature also has a larger role in combating climate change. How ecosystems are handled worldwide can either contribute to the problem or give effective nature-based solutions to solve it.
Forest loss and degradation contribute roughly 12 percent of human-caused carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, significantly contributing to the climate problem. Agriculture, forests, and other land uses account for about a quarter of world emissions. Avoiding these emissions through better conservation efforts is an achievable and cost-effective solution that may be implemented now. Furthermore, repairing damaged lands and strengthening existing ecosystems can absorb additional CO2 produced by other industries.
According to United Nations (UN) research, more than one million plant and animal species are in danger of extinction. Phytoplanktons have provided a large amount of oxygen for the earth as far as 500 million years ago. However, new research shows that phytoplankton productivity, which is at the bottom of the ocean’s food chain, has been continuously declining since the industrial revolution, correlating with an increase in surface temperature.
Excessive animal trade, overfishing, and deforestation, in addition to human activities like carbon dioxide emissions, are all wreaking havoc on the planet. The world’s vertebral population has decreased by 60 percent since 1970, and between 1990 and 2016, the world lost 502,000 square miles (1.3 million square kilometers) of the forest. Well-managed protected areas are beneficial in reducing threats to biodiversity, and many scientists believe that by 2030, at least 30 percent of land and water bodies must be conserved to protect our planet’s biodiversity.
In a study published in 2017, scientists identified and assessed 20 significant conservation, restoration, and enhanced land management methods that can boost carbon storage and reduce GHG emissions across agricultural lands, forests, wetlands, and grasslands. They discovered that the potential of these nature-based climate solutions is 30 percent more than previously assumed, even after incorporating safeguards for food and fiber security, as well as biodiversity.
The scientists also looked at whether nature-based climate solutions cost more than reducing emissions from other sectors of the economy such as energy, transportation, and manufacturing. They discovered that natural climate solutions like conservation are highly successful, delivering about 37 percent of the cost-effective mitigation required to keep global warming below 35.6 Fahrenheit between now and 2030.
Nature-based solutions such as forest restoration and grassland and coral reef protection can help communities better manage and recover from disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts. Nature-based solutions such as green roofs and conservation have helped Milwaukee, Wisconsin, preserve 12 million gallons of water. Furthermore, studies in Chile have indicated that increasing the density of trees around the urban outskirts of the capital, Santiago, can help minimize river flow into the city.
Finally, despite evidence that natural-based solutions lessen natural catastrophe risk and damage, funding for these solutions is lacking. More has to be done to boost resilience investments in nature-based solutions. According to the Deputy Executive Director of the UN, we have a dual responsibility to improve infrastructure while also conserving the environment.
