By Salam Rajesh
In today’s complex dialogues on global warming, climate change and extreme weather events, and the relative debates on the consequent loss and damage, one fundamental concern is on the possible and observed impacts on biodiversity and agriculture resulting from these climate and weather extremes.
This concern looks at food and water security, human health, biodiversity loss and species decline owing to the extreme climate and weather events which are hammering the planet left and right, and which in recent years are becoming more intense, violent and destructive.
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has since been dwelling on this pervasive issue in these past years, looking at possible and feasible solutions to minimize loss and damage from the climate phenomena.
In its report, ‘Sustainable Agriculture and Nature-based Solutions’ (IUCN 2024, https://doi.org/10.2305/EZVW9195), the organization looks critically on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as possible pathways in resolving some of the issues with particular reference to loss and damage owing to the climate extremes.
The IUCN defines Nature-based Solutions as “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 Members Assembly, 2016).
According to the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions, an intervention must address one of these seven societal challenges – climate change adaptation and mitigation; disaster risk reduction; reversing ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss; human health; socioeconomic development; food security; and, water security – while not hindering the achievement of the others in order to be considered an NbS.
The IUCN Global Standard for NbS contains eight criteria, and twenty-eight indicators. These criterions look at critically addressing the challenges and in achieving pathways.
- NbS effectively address societal challenges wherein the most pressing societal challenge(s) for rights-holders and beneficiaries are prioritized.
- Design of NbS is informed by scale where the design of the NbS recognizes and responds to interactions between the economy, society and ecosystems.
- NbS result in a net gain to biodiversity and ecosystem integrity wherein the NbS actions directly respond to evidence-based assessment of the current state of the ecosystem and prevailing drivers of degradation and loss.
- NbS are economically viable where the direct and indirect benefits and costs associated with the NbS, who pays and who benefits, are identified and documented.
- NbS are based on inclusive, transparent and empowering governance processes wherein a defined and fully agreed upon feedback and grievance resolution mechanism is available to all stakeholders before an NbS intervention is initiated.
- NbS equitably balance trade-offs between achievement of their primary goal(s) and the continued provision of multiple benefits where the potential costs and benefits of associated trade-offs of the NbS intervention are explicitly acknowledged and inform safeguards and any appropriate corrective actions.
- NbS are managed adaptively, based on evidence wherein a NbS strategy is established and used as a basis for regular monitoring and evaluation of the intervention.
- NbS are sustainable and mainstreamed within an appropriate jurisdictional context where the NbS design, implementation and lessons learnt are shared to trigger transformative change(s).
Nature-based Solutions were incorporated in the IUCN 2013-2016 Programme Area, ‘Deploying Nature-based Solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development’ (IUCN, 2012).
The organization acknowledged that food security, climate change, and economic and social development have a deep impact on the status and trends of ecosystems, species and genetic resources.
This resounds on the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)’s mandate that the adoption of NbS interventions that protect natural resources and biodiversity can support the transformation of current agri-food systems into nature positive production systems, while supporting farmers.
Dialogues on NbS also featured at the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (K-MGBF/CBD, 2022), wherein the Framework included NbS in two of its primary targets, namely, Target 8 and Target 11.
Target 8 of the K-MGBF lays stress on minimizing the impact of climate change and ocean acidification on biodiversity, and to increase its resilience through mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction actions, including through nature-based solution and/or ecosystem-based approaches, while minimizing negative and fostering positive impacts of climate action on biodiversity.
Target 11 of the K-MGBF lays stress on restoring, maintaining and enhancing nature’s contributions to people, including ecosystem functions and services, such as regulation of air, water, and climate, soil health, pollination and reduction of disease risk, as well as protection from natural hazards and disasters, through nature-based solutions and/or ecosystem-based approaches for the benefit of all people and nature.
These suggestions follow the (wise use) paths of nature where humans can correlate finding solutions through sustainable use of nature and natural resources without wreaking havoc in nature as is seen in many development paradigm where even vital tropical rainforests are simply wiped out for oil and mineral sourcing, oil palm plantations, cattle ranching, industrial build-ups, and expansion of human settlements and industries.
With climate and weather extremes heating up year after year, the concerns on food and water security plagues the world today. Wildfires, flashfloods and super cyclones have wiped out homes and hearths, extreme heat had killed thousands this year (50,000 in Europe alone), and droughts are causing pain and sorrow for many across the globe.
And within these extremities is the fallout on agriculture, with extensive damages to crops due to extreme heavy rains, extreme heat, rainfall deficits and extended droughts all in one go. Crops have also matured earlier owing to the extreme heat, compromising their quality and produce. These in its totality will probably see huge crop deficits in the coming years, impacting rural economies and possibly famine in some parts.
Finding solutions to these issues based on sustainable resource use without causing unwanted destruction of nature can ensure safety for the blue planet and all life forms within it.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 member organizations and around 16,000 experts.
{The author is a member of IUCN CEESP (Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy)}
