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1st draft of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework released
On 12 July 2021, the 1st draft of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework debuted. This comes ahead of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in October, to develop the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. With 21 action targets [...] 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

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

Multi-dimensional well-being associated with economic dependence on ecosystem services in deltaic social-ecological systems of Bangladesh

Adams et al. 2020 This paper investigates the relationship between ecosystem services and poverty in the south and south-west coastal zone of Bangladesh. To account for the complex nature of poverty, the authors used two different poverty measures: material poverty (inability of a household to meet the cost of basic needs), and life satisfaction (head of [...] Read more
April 21, 2020

Protecting wetlands for people: Strategic policy action can help wetlands mitigate risks and enhance resilience

Endter-Wada et al. 2020 The authors of this paper propose national wetland commissions to coordinate protection, management and restoration of wetlands across national, regional and state borders. The wetland commission could be modeled on river and lake commissions, which have facilitated cooperatation, and brought together technical expertise and funding to enable management of water resources across boundaries. [...] Read more
April 16, 2020

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