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Role of NbS for Climate Change Adaptation in UK Policy
Just ahead of tomorrow's Climate Ambition Summit, this report considers the important role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in climate change adaptation policy for the UK and its fourteen overseas territories. The report was written by NbSI, in collaboration with WWF and RSPB; together we will work w [...] read more
On the misuse of nature-based carbon ‘offsets’
Nature-based solutions (NbS*) are being misused for greenwashing. Promoting NbS as carbon 'offsets' while continuing business as usual in fossil fuel use is not a solution to climate change. In fact, it can encourage continued or even increased fossil fuel consumption leading to more emissions o [...] read more

Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity

Grantham et al. 2020 The effects of human activities on forests goes beyond deforestation – forests that are still standing are often disturbed by humans as well. This study generated a global map of forest condition, using an index of forest integrity on a continuous scale from 0 to 1. The forest integrity index acts as [...] Read more
December 10, 2020

Climate reverses directionality in the richness–abundance relationship across the World’s main forest biomes

Madrigal-González et al. 2020 It is critical that forest restoration is informed by the best possible science, to maximise carbon storage and other benefits over the long term. There are two competing hypotheses about whether the number of tree species or tree abundance is more important for maximising forest carbon storage. This study tested these hypotheses [...] Read more
November 30, 2020

The greenhouse gas offset potential from seagrass restoration

Oreska et al. 2020 Seagrass meadows are highly productive systems that bury organic carbon in sediment. This study is the first to quantify net greenhouse gas removal from the atmosphere from seagrass restoration. The authors measured all the necessary greenhouse gas parameters in the 7km2 of restored eelgrass meadow in Virginia, USA, finding that the restoration [...] Read more
November 30, 2020

Strengthening synergies: how action to achieve post-2020 global biodiversity conservation targets can contribute to mitigating climate change

De Lamo et al. 2020 This report looks at how much climate change mitigation would be achieved if we meet biodiversity conservation targets. It is the first output of ongoing research on this topic, and uses information on carbon stocks in locations that have been identified as priorities for meeting biodiversity targets. The report finds that [...] Read more
November 30, 2020

Global priority areas for ecosystem restoration

Strassburg et al. 2020 It is of critical importance that multiple different outcomes of ecosystem restoration are considered when deciding where and how to restore; failure to do so can lead to detrimental trade-offs between outcomes. This study assessed the effects of ecosystem restoration on both biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration, quantifying how this varies at [...] Read more
October 14, 2020

Mapping carbon accumulation potential from global natural forest regrowth

Cook-Patton et al. 2020 Estimating how much carbon is taken up by growing forests, and what the global climate change mitigation potential of reforestation is, has been a topic of much debate for the last few years. This study provides the latest estimate of carbon accumulation over the first 30 years of regrowth of natural [...] Read more
September 23, 2020

Economic and social constraints on reforestation for climate mitigation in Southeast Asia

Zeng et al. 2020 Reforestation will play an important role in mitigating climate change, but some estimates of reforestation potential lack consideration of social and economic constraints. This paper takes the example of Southeast Asia to estimate the extent to which such constraints reduce total mitigation potential from reforestation. 121 million ha of land were identified [...] Read more
August 25, 2020

Local People’s Participation in Mangrove Restoration Projects and Impacts on Social Capital and Livelihood: A Case Study in the Philippines

Valenzuela et al. 2020 Participatory management of mangrove restoration projects by local People’s Organisations in two communities in Quezon, Philippines, has been shown to provide substantial benefits for the people involved as well as increasing long-term sustainability of the restoration projects themselves. Members of People’s Organisations increased their social capital by gaining more numerous and more [...] Read more
August 24, 2020

Climate change mitigation potential of wetlands and the cost-effectiveness of their restoration

Taillardat et al. 2020 Although inland and coastal wetlands are highly efficient sinks of carbon dioxide, they also release methane – another carbon-containing greenhouse gas. Hence, wetlands can in some cases draw down carbon and yet have a net warming effect on the climate due to methane release. This means that restoration, protection and management of [...] Read more
August 24, 2020

Active restoration accelerates the carbon recovery of human-modified tropical forests

Philipson et al. 2020 Over half of tropical forests have been degraded by human activities, such as timber harvesting, reducing carbon storage and biodiversity value, and making them more vulnerable to conversion to agriculture. This paper investigates the effect of natural regeneration and active restoration of degraded forests on recovery of carbon stocks in Sabah, Malaysia; [...] Read more
August 24, 2020

Saving the Sundarbans from development

Mukul et al. 2020 A 6 km-long bridge is being built in Bangladesh. This will increase connectivity across the country, and has already prompted development in the south-western Khulna Division. This region is home to the largest mangrove forest in the world: the Sundarbans. These mangroves are already under pressure from human activities, but the growth [...] Read more
June 17, 2020

Financial valuation of wetland ecosystem services in Nepal

Thapa et al. 2020 This study estimated the financial value of ecosystem services from the Begnas Watershed System, which covers 49 sq km in the mid-hills of Nepal. The authors found that the wetland generated US$3.91 million annually, equating to US$651 per household, and US$800 per hectare. 85% of the total value was attributed to recreational [...] Read more
May 13, 2020

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