The Vital Role of the Eco-Climate Nexus in Mitigation and Adaptation

1/12/20230 min read

The eco-climate nexus has the potential to deliver immediate direct benefits for climate mitigation and adaptation and in my view ought to be awarded due priority.

In essence, the eco-climate nexus framework posits that, with the adoption of inter alia nature-based solutions (“NbS”), ecosystems could supply both mitigatory and adaptive tools to address the climate crisis (NCC 2022). This is achieved by conservation, restoration, and improved land use practices (CarbonBrief 2021). More specifically, ecosystem-based adaptation/mitigation approaches to NbS examine the function of ecosystem services in alleviating social vulnerability to climate impacts (Nesshöver et al 2017: 1218).

Reforestation in upstream regions can reduce carbon emissions by supporting carbon sequestration and safeguarding biodiversity, while also reducing flood risk to downstream communities (Seddon et al 2020: 2). Afforestation in urban areas mitigates climate impacts by storing carbon, and helps lower temperatures, reduce flood risk, purify the air, and improve residents’ quality of life (Seddon et al 2020: 2). The protection of high-carbon ecosystems, such as peatlands, wetlands, rangelands, mangroves, and forests produce the quickest results (IPCC 2019: 18). Mangroves in particular are useful both as a carbon reservoir but as defence against storm surges (CarbonBrief 2018).

NbS is likely to be most useful in adaptive strategies when designed and operationalized by local and Indigenous communities (Seddon et al 2020: 2). Such strategies, which consider the social, economic, and cultural needs of local and Indigenous groups, may involve sustainable ecosystem management, protection, and restoration (Seddon et al 2020: 2).

Although there are concerns over the complexities in measuring the effectiveness of NbS and over its vulnerability to cross-border governance challenges (Seddon et al 2020), it remains in my view a promising methodology which, if formulated with appropriate affected stakeholders and in accordance with wider social and ecological goals (NCC 2022), could be of great service in tackling the climate emergency.

Importantly, by calling attention to the interconnectivity between the social, environmental, and economic facets of sustainable development (Nesshöver et al 2017: 1220), NbS situates environmental objectives such as sustainability within mainstream business and policy sectors (Nesshöver et al 2017: 1224).

While the eco-climate nexus locates ecosystems at the forefront of adaptation and mitigation efforts, the converse relationship is also of significance, given that climate change affects ecosystems at all spatial and temporal scales. Further delays in ameliorating negative climate impacts may result in irreversible loss and damage to essential ecosystems, leading circularly to those ecosystems’ reduced capacity for mitigation and adaptation.

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References:

  • Carbon Brief. (2021). ‘Q&A: Can ‘nature-based solutions’ help address climate change?’ https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-can-nature-based-solutions-help-address-climate-change/

  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (“IPCC”). (2019). ‘Summary for Policymakers’. In: Climate Change and Land: an IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems [P.R. Shukla, J. Skea, E. Calvo Buendia, V. Masson-Delmotte, H.- O. Pörtner, D. C. Roberts, P. Zhai, R. Slade, S. Connors, R. van Diemen, M. Ferrat, E. Haughey, S. Luz, S. Neogi, M. Pathak, J. Petzold, J. Portugal Pereira, P. Vyas, E. Huntley, K. Kissick, M. Belkacemi, J. Malley, (eds.)]. In press.

  • Nature Climate Change (“NCC”). (2022). ‘The eco–climate nexus’. Nat. Clim. Chang. 12, 595 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01418-1

  • Nesshöver, C., T. Assmuth, K.N. Irvine, G.M. Rusch, K.A. Waylen, B. Delbaere, D. Haase, L. Jones-Walters, H. Keune, E. Kovacs, K. Krauze, M. Külvik, F. Rey, J. van Dijk, O.I. Vistad, M.E. Wilkinson, and H. Wittmer. (2017). ‘The science, policy and practice of nature-based solutions: An interdisciplinary perspective’. Science of The Total Environment, Volume 579, 2017, Pages 1215-1227, ISSN 0048-9697, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.11.106.

  • Seddon, N., A. Chausson, P. Berry, C.A.J. Girardin, A. Smith, B. Turner. (2020). ‘Understanding the value and limits of nature-based solutions to climate change and other global challenges’. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 375: 20190120. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0120