Azerbaijan Hosts COP29: Spotlight on Climate Finance and Nature-Based Solutions
The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recently convened in Azerbaijan, drawing global leaders, policymakers, and activists to address one of humanity’s greatest challenges: climate change. A central theme of COP29 was finance, a crucial element for accelerating global efforts toward reducing emissions and enhancing resilience. Floodlight presented at COP29 in Baku and highlighted the changes in the market with our new client, SageInt. Given the critical importance of knowing the climate risks in business, it was encouraging to see so many businesses, NGOs, and nations highlighting the same imperative: understand your risks and mitigate them.
As part of these discussions, countries are preparing for a critical milestone: submitting their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by early 2025. These new NDCs, setting targets for 2035, must be more ambitious than previous rounds to align with the Paris Agreement’s goals. Yet, the challenge is daunting.
The Emissions Gap: A Stark Reality
In advance of COP29, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released its Emissions Gap Report, which delivered an urgent message: unless emissions are significantly reduced beyond what current NDCs promise, limiting global warming to the critical threshold of 1.5°C will remain out of reach.
However, the report also offered a glimmer of hope. It emphasized that the world possesses the technologies and capabilities necessary to bridge this emissions gap by 2030 and 2035. The pathway to achieving this includes:
- Massive deployment of solar and wind energy technologies.
- A strong commitment to nature-based solutions (NbS), such as mangrove restoration and forest conservation.
- Enhanced efforts in reducing energy demand, improving efficiency, and advancing electrification and fuel switching in key sectors like buildings, transportation, and industry.
These solutions collectively provide a roadmap for achieving the dual goals of reducing emissions and building climate resilience.
The Role of Nature-Based Solutions: Mangroves in Focus
Among the suite of solutions, nature-based solutions have emerged as a cornerstone for climate action. At COP29, these strategies were spotlighted for their ability to address emissions reductions and climate adaptation simultaneously. Mangroves, in particular, took center stage as a powerful example of what NbS can achieve.
Nature-Based Solutions (NbS): Origins, Evolution, and Applications
Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) have emerged as a transformative approach to address critical societal challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, disaster risk, and food security by leveraging the benefits provided by natural ecosystems. By integrating ecosystem-based strategies with social, economic, and environmental goals, NbS offer a holistic framework for sustainable development. This essay explores the origins, definitions, and evolution of NbS, with a particular focus on their application through the lens of mangroves in mitigating climate risks.
Origins of NbS
The concept of working with nature to meet societal needs has long been rooted in traditional ecological knowledge. Indigenous communities globally have practiced methods such as agroforestry, wetland restoration, and sustainable fisheries to enhance food security and adapt to climate variability. These practices embody principles now codified as NbS, reflecting an innate understanding of the interdependence between human well-being and natural systems (Berkes et al., 2000).
Modern Evolution
While ancient practices highlight the historic use of nature in problem-solving, the scientific recognition of ecosystem services emerged in the 1970s, spurred by the publication of foundational works such as Odum’s ecosystem models and Ehrlich and Ehrlich’s discussions on ecological dependency (Odum, 1971; Ehrlich & Ehrlich, 1981). The 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment was a landmark in this evolution, providing robust evidence of the critical services ecosystems deliver to human societies (MEA, 2005).
The term “Nature-Based Solutions” gained prominence in the late 2000s through organizations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Bank, as a response to the limitations of conventional engineering approaches in addressing climate adaptation and development. By 2012, the IUCN had formally institutionalized NbS as a key strategy in its global programs (Cohen-Shacham et al., 2016).
Defining NbS
The IUCN defines NbS as actions that “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, 2016). Similarly, the European Commission emphasizes NbS as cost-effective, innovative strategies addressing urban and rural challenges through nature-inspired solutions (European Commission, 2015).
Key elements of NbS include:
- Multi-functionality: Addressing multiple objectives such as disaster risk reduction, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity conservation.
- Context-Specificity: Tailoring interventions to local ecological, social, and economic conditions.
- Adaptability: Ensuring resilience to changing environmental conditions, especially climate change.
These principles unify various approaches such as ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), ecological engineering, green infrastructure, and forest and landscape restoration (Chausson et al., 2020).
Applications of NbS: The Case of Mangroves
Mangroves epitomize the application of NbS by addressing diverse challenges, including disaster risk reduction, climate mitigation, and biodiversity conservation.
1. Indonesia: A Global Leader in Mangrove Conservation
Indonesia, hosting 23% of the world’s mangroves, plays a vital role in global carbon sequestration and disaster risk reduction. These ecosystems act as significant “blue carbon” sinks, storing up to 10 times more carbon per hectare than terrestrial forests (Alongi, 2014). Programs like the National Mangrove Rehabilitation Program aim to restore 600,000 hectares of degraded mangroves by 2024. However, deforestation driven by aquaculture expansion and illegal logging threatens these efforts (Setyawan et al., 2021).
2. Florida, USA: Natural Infrastructure for Urban Resilience
Florida’s mangroves act as natural barriers against hurricanes, reducing wave energy by up to 66% and preventing costly infrastructure damage (Narayan et al., 2016). These ecosystems also play a critical role in sequestering atmospheric carbon. Florida has adopted protective legislation to conserve its mangroves, recognizing their value for biodiversity and flood protection (Beck et al., 2018).
3. Belize: Integrating Mangroves with Reef Ecosystems
Mangroves in Belize stabilize coastlines, filter pollutants, and provide critical support to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Recognizing their economic importance, Belize has introduced strict policies to curb mangrove clearance, integrating their protection into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement (Friess et al., 2020).
4. South Asia: Mangroves in Disaster Risk Reduction
South Asia, home to the Sundarbans—the largest mangrove forest globally—relies on these ecosystems to protect millions from cyclones and storm surges. The dense root systems of mangroves in the Sundarbans reduce wind speeds and wave heights, minimizing cyclone damage (Dasgupta et al., 2017). However, climate change-induced salinity increases and land-use changes threaten this vital ecosystem.
Photo shows just destroyed mangroves in this area, Caye Caulker, Belize, visited on October 22, 2024
Photo shows real estate activity in many locations in Caye Caulker, Belize.
Land for sale with mangroves leads to destruction and dredging.
The Promise and Challenges of NbS
NbS offer numerous advantages:
- Climate Mitigation: Mangrove restoration projects sequester significant carbon, aiding global climate goals. Prior studies show the role of mangroves as “blue carbon” ecosystems, with carbon storage capacities significantly higher than terrestrial forests (Alongi, 2014).
- Adaptation and Resilience: NbS enhance ecosystems’ capacity to withstand environmental changes. Mangroves dissipate wave energy, providing natural infrastructure for climate adaptation (Narayan et al. 2016; Clausson et al., 2020).
- Biodiversity and Livelihoods: Ecosystems like mangroves protect endangered species and support local economies through fisheries and tourism. Studies indicate the role of mangroves in biodiversity conservation and their economic importance for fisheries and tourism (Cohen-Shacham, 2016).
- Challenges
- Misappropriation: NbS can be co-opted as greenwashing tools if not accompanied by genuine emission reduction efforts and ecosystem integrity safeguards. Industries might misuse NbS as a cover for unsustainable practices like continued fossil fuel reliance (Seddon, et al. 2021).
- Implementation Barriers: Land tenure conflicts, lack of community participation, and inadequate funding hinder effective implementation. Funding gaps and governance challenges are seen as critical barriers to scaling NbS (Reid, et al. 2019).
- Simplistic Approaches: Large-scale tree planting often overshadows the protection of existing intact ecosystems, undermining biodiversity. NbS initiatives often prioritize simplistic measures over comprehensive ecosystem protection and restoration, which has to be eliminated (Cohen-Shacham, 2016).
Global Efforts and Policy Support
The international community recognizes NbS as a cornerstone for sustainable development. Initiatives like the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) and the Bonn Challenge aim to restore millions of hectares of degraded ecosystems (FAO, 2021). For mangroves specifically, programs such as the Mangrove Alliance for Climate and Global Mangrove Watch focus on conservation and restoration globally.
Conclusion
Nature-Based Solutions represent a paradigm shift in addressing global environmental and societal challenges. By utilizing ecosystems like mangroves, NbS provide a pathway for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development. To realize their full potential, efforts must prioritize scientific integration, community participation, and the preservation of ecosystem integrity.
References
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FAO (2021). UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Retrieved from FAO Website.
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