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		Climate Change Climate Change and Global Warming What's New The Impacts of Climate Change Climate Change and Biodiversity: An Interactive Map What You Can Do:   Carbon Footprint Calculator   Voluntary Carbon   Offset Program   Climate-Saving Tips   Get the Facts   Take a Quiz   Get our e-Newsletter   Donate now What We Do:   Stop Deforestation   Adapt to Impacts   Support Policy Where We Work on Climate Change Contact Us Press Releases Tell us what you think about climate change

Our Policy by Issue Emissions reductions Forest carbon Adaptation Our Policy Engagement International Federal State and regional Go Deeper Helping Natural Areas Adapt to Climate Change Find out how the Conservancy is helping people and nature adapt to climate change. Adaptation in the Field: Yunnan Province, China Native alpine meadows are being threatened by a rapidly warming. The Conservancy is studying potential strategies to protect native alpine grasses, such as changing grazing patterns and fire management techniques. The Bali Climate Change Conference See how the Conservancy helped frame  the global discussion that will lay the groundwork for the next international agreement to address climate change. We Want to Hear from You Tell us what you think about our climate change work. What national or international policies should be implemented to fight climate change?

Around the world, people depend on natural systems for their economic survival. For instance, an estimated 500 million people rely on coral reefs  for their food and livelihood. Similarly, over 1 billion people around the world, many living in extreme poverty, depend on forests  for freshwater, food and fuel.

Wildlife, fish and plants also depend on these systems for their survival.  However, these natural systems — and the lives and wildlife they support — are threatened by the inevitable impacts of climate change.

In addition to achieving significant emissions reductions, climate change policies must address these unavoidable impacts. Programs and funding for implementing nature-based adaptation strategies are needed to help build the resilience of nature and communities in the face of climate change.

Preparing for Climate Change

The Conservancy is calling for governments around the world to implement strong climate change adaptation policies that:

• Recognize the role of healthy, resilient natural areas in reducing climate change impacts on people;
• Seek adaptation strategies that look at conserving natural ecosystems first before building new infrastructure;
• Incorporate ecosystem resilience principles and nature-based adaptation strategies into development and adaptation planning;
• Adjust conservation and natural resource management approaches to enable plants, animals and natural communities to adapt to inevitable impacts;
• Provide dedicated and incremental funding to implement nature-based adaptation strategies; and
• Fund programs and efforts to address scientific gaps in regards to climate change impacts on ecosystems and people.

Policy frameworks that achieve these objectives can ensure that natural areas around the world adapt to the impacts of climate change and continue to protect and support people’s livelihoods.

With your help, we can reduce the impacts of climate change on our lives, on our environment and on future generations.

 

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Charlie Ott (Alaskan caribou); Erika Nortemann/The Nature Conservancy (Indigenous children in Honduras)