A natural safety net 06 September 2012 | Article As climate
change increases the incidence of natural disasters like
flooding and landslides, governments are looking for ways to
protect their people and they’re finding that nature can help.
“Conserving ecosystems such as forests, river basins and
mangroves — or ‘natural infrastructure’ — can help buffer the
worst impacts of extreme weather,” says Kaia Boe of IUCN’s
Ecosystem Management Programme. Natural solutions are a cost-
effective way of reducing the magnitude of hazards and
protecting livelihoods. Healthy forests stabilise soil, wetlands
absorb flood water and mangroves can protect coastal communities
and their livelihoods. “What we need to do now is better
communicate the links between ecosystem management and reducing
the risk of disasters as well as build partnerships that bring
the conservation, development and humanitarian sectors
together,” adds Boe. Many conservation projects already include
natural strategies to reduce risks but others could go f