This Guidance for using the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions accompanies the Global Standard to provide the scientific basis and guidance for users.
Inland waters – such as rivers, lakes and other wetlands – are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. They are also the most threatened; almost one in three species is at risk of extinction and monitored populations of freshwater species have declined by 85% since 1970. The loss of these ecosystems has cascading effects on human livelihoods, cultures and our overall well-being. While protected and conserved areas can play an important role in bending the curve of inland water biodiversity and ecosystem loss, they have rarely been designed, designated, and managed for that purpose. Motivated by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s inclusion of inland waters in the target to conserve 30% of the planet by 2030, this report provides guidance in employing protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures to benefit these ecosystems and the biodiversity they support. Through a series of case studies and synthesized research, it highlights how integrating the unique needs of inland waters into area-based strategies can improve conservation effectiveness across all realms, build climate resilience and sustain critical ecosystem services.
Many protected areas worldwide overlap with ‘territories and areas conserved by Indigenous peoples and local communities’ or ‘ICCAs’ (Indigenous peoples’ and community conserved areas’). These overlapped ICCAs include conserved commons, sacred places and Indigenous and community protected areas. Appropriately recognising and respecting overlapped ICCAs in protected area governance, management and practice can strengthen conservation, affirm rights and promote equitable protected area governance. This volume identifies six approaches or pathways and provides guidance on implementing 20 good practices for appropriately recognizing, respecting and supporting overlapped ICCAs in existing, new and expanded protected areas of all governance types and management categories.
As a typical coastal city, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, faces serious societal challenges such as the impact of climate change, overexploitation of natural resources, and loss of biodiversity. Xiamen is implementing Nature-based Solutions (NbS) by strengthening ecological protection, promoting ecosystem restoration, building sponge city, supporting sustainable community development and green transformation of mines, while encouraging funding and diverse public participation. After more than 30 years of exploration and practice, the green development concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature has been integrated into areas and processes of Xiamen’s economic and social development, making Xiamen’s practice a global example of excellence in NbS and a model for sustainable development of coastal cities.
Historically, droughts have caused extensive damage. Effective responses to drought remain a challenge, with reactive and crisis-oriented approaches dominating many interventions. The consequences of drought extend beyond households and rural livelihoods, impacting industrial operations and sectors such as energy, agriculture and water supply. Integrating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) into drought policies requires a comprehensive, context-aware approach. The aim of this publication is to give authorities and stakeholders the knowledge required to integrate NbS into drought management efforts at global, national, and local levels.
Global climate mitigation policies are promoting a radical shift in emission reduction activities to achieve net-zero targets by 2050. Although recent scientific studies have explored the impacts of some climate mitigation initiatives on biodiversity in various contexts, a global perspective of these developments is required. This report contributes to these needs and includes a current synopsis of the carbon market mechanisms implemented around the world, how these mechanisms are related to natural ecosystems, the potential impacts of their operation, and the potential contribution of natural ecosystems in the design of Nature-based Solutions to reducing carbon emissions.
Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are sites outside protected areas that deliver effective and long-term in situ conservation of biodiversity. Biodiversity conservation may be the primary objective of the site, a secondary objective of a site that is managed for other purposes, or it may be an unintended consequence of the way the site is managed. OECMs may be governed and managed by governments, private entities or Indigenous peoples and local communities, or a combination of these. This tool guides an assessor through three steps to apply eight criteria which determine if a site qualifies as an OECM as set out under the Convention on Biological Diversity. For sites which do not currently meet all the criteria, the tool serves to highlight areas where further information or improvements in governance and management are required.
The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is the global standard for ecosystem risk assessment and a framework for monitoring the status of the world’s ecosystems. It is part of the growing toolbox for assessing risks to biodiversity and aims to support conservation, resource use and management decisions by identifying ecosystems most at risk of biodiversity loss. By targeting a level of biological organisation above species, the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems complements The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ in supporting biodiversity conservation decision-making and action. The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Categories and Criteria are designed to be widely applicable across ecosystem types and geographical areas, transparent and scientifically rigorous, and easily understood by policy makers and the public.
Nature (covering the water, biodiversity, soil/land, and air/climate realms) continues to decline with significant negative impacts on society. Businesses need to understand their impacts and dependencies on nature, manage their nature-related risks and embed the value of nature into their decision making to identify and implement opportunities that contribute towards the nature-positive global goal. Achieving nature-positive requires collective action across sectors, value chains and landscapes. Fundamentally, nature-positive represents a systemic and transformative shift rather than ‘re-shaping’ of current practices. Utilising prioritisation approaches can enable businesses to identify areas where they can have a material and meaningful contribution from the outset as systemic and transformative change is adopted through the business.
Nature (covering the water, biodiversity, soil/land, and air/climate realms) continues to decline with significant negative impacts on society. Businesses need to understand their impacts and dependencies on nature, manage their nature-related risks and embed the value of nature into their decision making to identify and implement opportunities that contribute towards the nature-positive global goal. Achieving nature-positive requires collective action across sectors, value chains and landscapes. Fundamentally, nature-positive represents a systemic and transformative shift rather than ‘re-shaping’ of current practices. Utilising prioritisation approaches can enable businesses to identify areas where they can have a material and meaningful contribution from the outset as systemic and transformative change is adopted through the business.
La nature (l’eau, la biodiversité, les sols et l’air/le climat) continue de décliner, ce qui a des impacts négatifs considérables sur la société. Les entreprises doivent comprendre leurs impacts sur la nature et leurs dépendances envers elle, gérer leurs risques naturels et intégrer la valeur de la nature dans leur processus décisionnel pour repérer et mettre en oeuvre les occasions contribuant à la réalisation de l’objectif mondial positif pour la nature. Fondamentalement, le positif pour la nature représente un changement systémique et transformateur plutôt qu’un « remodelage » des pratiques actuelles. Le recours à des méthodes d’établissement des priorités peut permettre aux entreprises de cibler des domaines où elles peuvent apporter une contribution importante et significative dès le début de l’adoption d’un changement systémique et transformateur au sein de l’entreprise.
La naturaleza (en los ámbitos del agua, la biodiversidad, la tierra/suelo y el aire/clima) sigue disminuyendo, con importantes repercusiones negativas para la sociedad. Las empresas deben comprender su impacto y su dependencia respecto a la naturaleza, gestionar los riesgos relacionados con ella e integrar el valor de la naturaleza en su toma de decisiones para identificar y aplicar oportunidades que contribuyan al objetivo global de una naturaleza positiva. Fundamentalmente, naturaleza positiva representa un cambio sistémico y transformador más que una «reformulación» de las prácticas actuales. El uso de enfoques de priorización puede permitir a las empresas identificar áreas en las que pueden tener una contribución material y significativa desde el principio, a medida que se adopta el cambio sistémico y transformador a lo largo de la empresa.
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