About this data collection
Protecting, restoring, and sustainably managing nature can provide one third of the solution needed to mitigate climate change, while also providing additional benefits for climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report states that humanity has less than 10 years left to take action on climate change and prevent planetary warning from exceeding 1.5°C, while the Intergovernmental Panel on BIodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) report cites an unprecedented decline in nature with over 1 million species at risk of extinction. If action is not taken immediately to protect, sustainably manage and restore nature, not only will nature continue to decline, but so will human well-being, as nature provides a safety net of resources and ecosystem services for billions of people. Nature-based solutions are defined as “actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural and modified ecosystems, that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits”.
How to use this data collection
The Nature-based Solutions for Climate Collection examines nature-based actions for protection, sustainable management, and restoration across different ecosystems to support achievement of the three Rio Conventions -- the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) --, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Explore the collection in three easy steps:
- Browse the key policy questions provided below.
- Select a question of interest to view a description of the map available, input data layers, and policy relevance.
- Click view data to view a map that provides input to address the question.
Note: These policy-relevant questions and associated data layers are provided for users to develop their own prioritization when pursuing nature-based solutions for climate change. While global layers from the UNBL public platform are used here, users may also want to consider using national data to create similar overlays via our UNBL workspaces.
ⓘ Data layers to address policy-relevant questions
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biomass carbon | This map presents above and below ground biomass carbon density showing extent and distribution | UNFCCC | All |
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| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forests and carbon storage | This map presents forest ecosystems and carbon storage, identifying opportunities for conservation and sustainable management of forests with carbon benefits. | CBD, UNFCCC | Forests |
|
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forests, protected areas and OECMs, carbon storage and biodiversity | This map presents forest ecosystems, protected areas, carbon stocks and biodiversity, identifying opportunities for safeguarding remaining intact forest ecosystems, especially with high carbon stocks and biodiversity. | CBD, UNFCCC | Forests |
|
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forests, restoration and carbon storage | This map presents forest ecosystems, restoration and carbon, identifying opportunities for restoring degraded or fragmented forest ecosystems and high carbon stocks. | CBD, UNFCCC | Forests |
|
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wetlands and carbon storage | This map presents wetland ecosystems and carbon storage, identifying opportunities for conservation and sustainable management of wetlands for carbon. | CBD, UNFCCC, Ramsar | Wetlands |
|
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wetlands, protected areas and OECMs, carbon stotage and biodiversity | This map presents wetland ecosystems, protected areas, carbon stocks and biodiversity, identifying opportunities for safeguarding remaining wetland ecosystems, especially with high carbon stocks and biodiversity. | CBD, UNFCCC, Ramsar | Wetlands |
|
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wetland restoration, and carbon storage | This map presents wetland ecosystems, restoration, and carbon, identifying opportunities for restoring wetlands with high carbon stocks. | CBD, UNFCCC, Ramsar | Wetlands |
|
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine and coastal ecosystems and carbon storage | This map presents marine and coastal ecosystems distribution and carbon storage, identifying opportunities for sustainable management of marine and coastal ecosystems for carbon. | CBD, UNFCCC | Coastal Ecosystems |
|
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine and coastal ecosystems, protected areas and OECMs, biodiversity, and carbon storage | This map presents marine and coastal ecosystems, protected areas and carbon stocks, identifying opportunities for sustainable safeguarding remaining marine and coastal ecosystems, especially with high carbon stocks. | CBD, UNFCCC | Coastal Ecosystems |
|
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine and coastal ecosystem restoration, and carbon storage | This map presents marine and coastal ecosystems, restoration and carbon, identifying opportunities for restoring wetland with high carbon stocks. | CBD, UNFCCC | Coastal Ecosystems |
|
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croplands and carbon storage | This map presents croplands and carbon, identifying where croplands overlap with areas of high carbon storage. | CBD, UNFCCC | Croplands |
|
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croplands, protected areas and OECMs, and carbon storage | This map presents croplands, protected areas, carbon stocks and biodiversity, identifying where croplands coincide with protected areas and offer opportunities for safeguarding high levels of carbon stocks. | CBD, UNFCCC | Croplands |
|
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croplands rehabilitation and carbon storage | This map presents croplands, restoration and carbon, identifying opportunities for rehabilitating croplands with high carbon stocks. | CBD, UNFCCC | Croplands |
|
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grasslands and carbon storage | This map presents grasslands and carbon storage, identifying opportunities for sustainable management of grasslands for carbon. | CBD, UNFCCC | Grasslands |
|
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grasslands, protected areas and OECMs, carbon storage and biodiversity | This map presents grasslands, protected areas, carbon stocks and biodiversity, identifying opportunities for safeguarding remaining grasslands, especially with high carbon stocks and biodiversity. | CBD, UNFCCC | Grasslands |
|
| Name | Description | Policy relevance | Ecosystems | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grasslands restoration and carbon storage | This map presents grasslands, restoration, and carbon, identifying opportunities for restoring grasslands with high carbon stocks. | CBD, UNFCCC | Grasslands |
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