The global scientific evidence of recent IPCC and IPBES reports is clear: this decade represents a critical window for tackling both the biodiversity and climate crises. The IPCC Working Group II report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, released this year, drew attention to the interlinkages of climate resilience, ecosystem integrity, biodiversity, and human well-being – and noted that Nature-based Solutions (NbS)1 offer feasible and effective options to reduce vulnerabilities and risks to people and nature and strengthen the resilience of social and natural systems against climate change.
When implemented properly and following robust standards and criteria, Nature-based Solutions can enhance the resilience of ecosystems and the societies that depend on them, to climate hazards such as sea level rise and more frequent and intense flooding, droughts, heatwaves and wildfires - while delivering significant biodiversity benefits in a manner that safeguards and promotes the rights and interests of vulnerable and historically marginalized communities.
Oceans & Land Day explored the capacities needed to mainstream and scale up Nature-based Solutions and ecosystem-based approaches – across geographies, ecosystems, and themes - into climate adaptation plans and resilience-building.