The resilience of ecosystems can be enhanced and the risk of damage to human and natural ecosystems reduced through the adoption of biodiversity-based adaptive and mitigative strategies. Mitigation is described as a human intervention to reduce greenhouse gas sources or enhance carbon sequestration, while adaptation to climate change refers to adjustments in natural or human systems in response to climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.
Given the interlinkages that exist between climate change and biodiversity, there is a need to:
- identify and conserve biodiversity components that are especially sensitive to climate change,
- preserve intact habitats so as to facilitate the long-term adaptation of biodiversity,
- improve our understanding of the climate change – biodiversity linkages, and
- fully integrate biodiversity considerations into climate change mitigation and adaptation plans.
Examples of activities that promote mitigation of or adaptation to climate change include:
- maintaining and restoring native ecosystems,
- protecting and enhancing ecosystem services,
- managing habitats for endangered species,
- creating refuges and buffer zones, and
- establishing networks of terrestrial, freshwater and marine protected areas that take into account projected changes in climate.
For information on how the Convention on Biological Diversity addresses climate change, please refer to
Programme and
Implementation.
