Climate Change and Nature: Adapting for the Future

This report argues that climate change requires an adaptive management style that focuses on transparency and learning. It suggests that such an approach needs to address stakeholders in decision making and implementation at the level of landscapes and seascapes. Coalitions, including governments and their agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), local communities and research institutions, can support immediate actions, plan for the medium term and establish key priorities for the longer term. Several recommendations are included within this report.

Recommendations for policy and planning include:

• improving natural resource planning and management to focus on ecosystem functionality across the landscape and seascape
• assessing nature conservation legislation and regulation in light of the impacts of climate change
• adopting policies that lessen pressures on resources, remove perverse incentives for agriculture, forests, water and fisheries, and incorporate climate change into poverty reduction strategies
• developing policies for creating and restoring ecosystems
• ensuring compliance with existing regulations on the use of land, water and marine resources

Recommendations for capacity building and awareness include:

• developing awareness campaigns to highlight the value that ecosystem services provide as buffers against climate variability and secure public acceptance for climate change adaptation
• strengthening institutional and individual capacities within nature conservation organisations especially in developing countries for dealing with climate change
• sharing information between governments and their agencies, NGOs, communities, and research institutions on potential and observed climate change impacts and extreme events
• making resources available for investing in adaptive management especially in developing countries
• developing disaster preparedness and recovery systems including forecasting, early warning and rapid response measures

Recommendations for management include:

• including adaptation to climate change in the management objectives and strategies of conservation areas
• creating robustness and flexibility within conservation areas to allow for the management of ecosystems and their services
• in addition to species of conservation interest enlarging conservation areas where appropriate
• creating and restoring buffering zones and habitat mosaics around conservation areas
• implementing ex-situ conservation and translocation strategies if appropriate