ECO - ECO Summer 2021

The Next Ten Years are a Crucial Window for Turning the Tide on Nature Loss

Corli Pretorius 2021-05-21 05:10:22

Corli Pretorius is the Deputy Director of the UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), based in Cambridge, UK. She brings 20 years of experience in global public policy on environment and development, including the last 10 years with the UN Environment Programme. Enabling governments and business to better integrate biodiversity and ecosystem knowledge in decision-making is a key component of her work. Earlier, she was IUCN’s head of global communications, based in Gland, Switzerland. She started her international career with the Secretariat of the World Commission on Dams, based in Cape Town, South Africa. She has degrees in planning, agricultural development and agricultural economics.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-30 aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. Ecosystem restoration is urgently needed on all scales and within all ecosystems, and is essential to securing a sustainable future for people and the planet.

Restoring coastal habitats is a crucial part of this. 10 percent of Earth’s population lives in low-lying coastal areas and 40 percent lives within 100 kilometers of the coast, according to the UN. But whether we live on the coast or further inland, we all benefit from a healthy ocean, directly or indirectly. All people rely on nature for survival, and coastal habitats like mangroves, seagrass meadows, and oyster and coral reefs provide us with essential ecosystem services, from food security to storm protection.

However, we are using nature’s resources faster than they can replenish, causing ecosystems to become degraded. Research published in Current Biology found that only 13 percent of the ocean is now free from human impact, and a third of our oceans’ commercial fish stocks have already collapsed according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. The world’s coral reefs are suffering bleaching events due to rising water temperatures, and pollution continues to impact our coasts and ocean waters. We need to transform this current pathway, and nature positive strategies can turn the social consequences of degradation into opportunities to create decent jobs that enhance ecological integrity, economic prosperity and social wellbeing.

Restoring coastal ecosystems is an essential part of this transformation and bring a range of benefits to coastal communities and those living further afield.

There are economic benefits; Research from UNEP and partners found that a shift toward healthy coral reefs by 2030 could unlock an additional $35 billion across the tourism, commercial fisheries and coastal development sectors in Mesoamerica, and an additional $37 billion in Indonesia. Likewise, restoring mangrove habitats could support sustainable livelihoods and fishing economies, alleviating poverty and increasing food security. Many fisherfolk in coastal communities rely on mangroves for their catch as they are home, feeding grounds, and nursery grounds for many species of fish.

Coastal habitat restoration is also a nature-based solution for both climate change mitigation and adaptation. Restoring seagrass meadows, for example, can help to safely store more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Seagrass meadows only cover 0.1 percent of the ocean floor, but they store up to 18 percent of the world’s oceanic carbon, according to research led by UNEP. Restoration can also protect coastal communities, who are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Habitats like oyster reefs and mangroves play a key role in reducing storm surges, helping to lessen the impact of severe weather events. Indeed, The Nature Conservancy research shows that in a severe weather event, the presence of mangroves can reduce loss of human life by 39% and value of property damage by 16 percent.

UNEP and FAO’s upcoming report launching the UN Decade on Ecosystems Restoration will show that restoration can help combat climate change, prevent a mass extinction and end poverty, and coastal habitats are a key part of this work. If we are to achieve this, global ambition must be met with action on the ground and in the water. This will require collaboration across all sectors of society, as we work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and Rio Conventions and secure a future where people and nature thrive together.

Published by Technology Systems Corporation. View All Articles.

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