Climate change

Natural World Heritage sites are internationally recognised as having the highest global nature conservation priority. As of November 2017, there are 241 natural and mixed (both cultural and natural) World Heritage sites, representing about 0.1% of the total number of protected areas globally, but yet with a total coverage of 294 million hectares, accounting for 8% of the combined surface of terrestrial and 6% of marine protected areas.

This open access book brings together research findings and experiences from science, policy and practice to highlight and debate the importance of nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation in urban areas. Emphasis is given to the potential of nature-based approaches to create multiple-benefits for society.

This resource material is designed as a generic guide for planning, implementing and reporting an integrated vulnerability assessment (IVA) that targets atoll communities in the Pacific Islands region. It is based on a sustainable livelihoods-based approach that combines the assessment of vulnerability to both climate change and disasters. 

A wide ranging, comprehensive, and multi-disciplinary study, this is the first book that focuses on the challenges posed by climate change impacts on the all small island developing states, not just those in a specific region. As the global effects of climate change become increasingly evident and urgent, it is clear that the impact on small islands is going to be particularly severe. Small island developing states emit only small amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

La biodiversidad y el carbono orgánico en los suelos determinan en gran medida el papel de la tierra en la producción de alimentos, el almacenamiento de agua, y la mitigación del cambio climático. Para restaurar o preservar la biodiversidad y el carbono orgánico de los suelos se necesita aumentar los insumos de materia orgánica o reducir las pérdidas de carbono, o ambas a la vez.

La biodiversité des sols et le carbone déterminent en grande partie le rôle de la terre dans la production de nourriture, le stockage de l’eau et l’atténuation des changements climatiques. Ce rapport souligne comment le carbone organique des sols et la biodiversité des sols constituent la base des services écosystémiques terrestres.

Soil biodiversity and soil organic carbon are vital to the way ecosystems function and they largely determine the role of land in producing food, storing water, and mitigating climate change. This report highlights how soil organic carbon and soil biodiversity provide the foundation for terrestrial ecosystem services. Restoring or preserving soil biodiversity and soil organic carbon requires increased inputs of organic matter or a reduction of carbon losses, or both.

This publication is the result of the International Conference held in Frankfurt, Germany 14-16 June 2011 organized in the framework of an International UN Project funded by IFAD “Reinforcing the resilience of poor rural communities in the face of food insecurity, poverty and climate change through on-farm conservation of local agrobiodiversity”.