Scene-setting presentation by Valerie KAPOS, Head of Programme, Climate Change & Biodiversity at UNEP-WCMC.

1. NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS:
REDUCING RISK FROM CLIMATE
CHANGE & BIODIVERSITY LOSS
Valerie Kapos

2. • What are Nature-based Solutions
(NbS)?
• Why NbS? Why now?
• Mitigation
• Adaptation/resilience
• Emerging business case
• Moving forward

3. “actions to protect, sustainably
manage, and restore natural or
modified ecosystems, that address
societal challenges effectively and
adaptively, simultaneously providing
human well-being and biodiversity
benefits” - IUCN
What are Nature-based
Solutions?

4. • Address a range of societal
challenges
• Valuable – and essential – for
both mitigation and adaptation
• Provide multiple benefits
• Biodiversity conservation
• Local livelihoods
• Can replace or complement
other approaches
Nature-based
Solutions
Nature-
based
Solutions
Green
infrastructure
Natural
infrastructure
Ecological
engineering
Ecosystem-
based
mitigation
Ecosystem-
based
adaptation

5. Global Risk Report 2020

6. UNFCCC CBD
Synergies between global climate and biodiversity policy agendas

7. • Biodiversity conservation
• Local livelihoods
• Food security
• Mental health
• Carbon sequestration
Co-benefits
(and trade-offs)

8. New tools help prioritise for
multiple benefits
Strategic choice of areas to be
managed for conservation, increasing
totals to 30% of land globally could
• safeguard >500 gigatons of
carbon.
• secure:
• 95% of the biodiversity
benefits, and
• nearly 80% of the carbon
stock
that could be obtained by prioritising
based on either value alone.
Mitigation

9. • Ecosystems already contribute
to resilience
• Their resilience is also critical
• Management & restoration can
increase resilience
• Communities & livelihoods
• Businesses
• Whole sectors & economies
NbS for Adaptation
Climate
Hazard
Storm
surge
Sea level
rise
Extreme
weather
events
Drought /
water
scarcity
Other
Flood risk
/ damage
Soil
erosion

10. • Mangrove restoration instead of/ in
addition to engineered sea
defences for protecting coastal
assets
• Restoring reefs to reduce the need
for breakwaters
• Forest restoration to reduce
siltation and dredging costs,
prolong equipment life
NbS for Adaptation

12. In increasing use across
• Climate hazards
• Types of NbS
• Sectors
NbS to support
infrastructure resilience
0
5
10
15
20
25
Other
Manufacturing
Water Supply and
Management
Automotive Industry
Hydroelectric Power
Agriculture
Tourism

13. Business
Case
Contribute to
many objectives
(co-benefits)
Mitigate and
Reduce Climate
Change Risk
External
commitments
and targets
(co-benefits)
Reduced Costs
(often)
Potential future
regulatory
requirements
Why NbS?

14. Moving Forward