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Show Notes
What is ecosystem-based adaptation, and why should we be implementing it? The thirteenth episode of Not Cool explores how we can conserve, restore, and manage natural ecosystems in ways that also help us adapt to the impacts of climate change. Ariel is joined by Val Kapos, Head of the Climate Change and Biodiversity Programme at UN Environment’s World Conservation Monitoring Center, who explains the benefits of ecosystem-based adaptation along with some of the strategies for executing it. Val also describes how ecosystem-based adaption is being used today, why it’s an effective strategy for developed and developing nations alike, and what could motivate more communities to embrace it.
Topics discussed include:
- Importance of biodiversity
- Ecosystem-based vs. engineered approaches to adaptation
- Potential downsides/risks of ecosystem-based adaptation
- Linking ecosystem-based adaptation to other societal objectives
- Obstacles to implementation
- Private sector acceptance of ecosystem-based adaptation
- National Determined Contributions
- Importance of stakeholder involvement
References discussed include:
A lot of ecosystem-based interventions are lower cost. They tend not to be as expensive as building big things with metal and concrete. So if you're thinking about coastal defense, for example, or flood control, it's actually a lot cheaper to manage flood plain ecosystems to help absorb floods than it is to build massive engineered flood control mechanisms.
~ Val Kapos
