{"id":1194019,"date":"2023-08-29T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenqueen.com.hk\/?p=66967"},"modified":"2023-08-29T03:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T03:00:00","slug":"these-four-nature-based-solutions-can-help-solve-biodiversity-climate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2023\/08\/29\/these-four-nature-based-solutions-can-help-solve-biodiversity-climate\/","title":{"rendered":"These Four Nature-Based Solutions Can Help Solve Biodiversity & Climate"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Pete Smith<\/a>, Professor of Soils and Global Change, University of Aberdeen; Camille Parmesan<\/a>, Professor of Climate Change Impacts, CNRS, University of Texas, University of Plymouth; Mark Maslin<\/a>, Professor of Earth System Science, UCL<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A\u00a0landmark report<\/a>\u00a0by the world\u2019s most senior\u00a0climate<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0biodiversity<\/a>\u00a0scientists argues that the world will have to tackle the climate crisis and the species extinction crisis simultaneously, or not at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s because Earth\u2019s land and ocean already absorb about\u00a0half of the greenhouse gases<\/a>\u00a0that people emit. Wild animals, plants, fungi and microbes help maintain this carbon sink by keeping soils, forests and other ecosystems healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Failing to tackle climate change, meanwhile, will accelerate\u00a0biodiversity loss<\/a>, as higher temperatures and changing rainfall patterns make survival for many species more difficult. Both problems are intertwined, and so solutions to one which exacerbate the other are doomed to fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, there are options for addressing climate change and biodiversity loss together, called nature-based solutions<\/a>. If implemented properly, these measures can enhance the richness and diversity of life on Earth, help habitats store more carbon and even reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, making ecosystems more resilient while slowing the rate at which the planet warms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone is familiar with the need to preserve tropical rainforests, but there are other pristine habitats, on land and in the ocean, which are in dire need of protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mangrove swamps occupy less than 1% of Earth\u2019s surface, but store the equivalent of\u00a022 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide<\/a>. That\u2019s around two-thirds of total emissions from burning fossil fuels each year. These\u00a0coastal habitats<\/a>\u00a0act as a home, nursery, and feeding ground for numerous species. More than 40 bird, ten reptile and six mammal species are only found in mangroves.<\/p>\n\n\n1. Protect and restore ecosystems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n