Thursday, November 6, 2008

Adapting to Climate Change

Can people and nature actually adapt to climate change's impacts? Yes — and The Nature Conservancy is a global leader in developing strategies to do so. Our strategies include:

  • Protecting lands and waters in new ways to meet the demands of a changing climate.
  • Restoring and rehabilitating critical ecosystems that climate change has altered or compromised.
  • Reducing invasive species, pollution and fragmentation — all factors that prevent species and ecosystems from adapting to climate change.

Read the stories below to find out more about the Conservancy's exciting adaptation work around the world.

Climate Change: Adaptation 101

Climate Change: Adaptation 101

What is climate change adaptation? How does it work? And if we’re “adapting,” does that mean we’re giving up on preventing climate change? John Hoekstra, the Conservancy's conservation science director for emerging strategies, explains the details behind this complex strategy.

Inundation on the Albemarle Sound

Inundation on the Albemarle Sound

North Carolina’s Albemarle and Pamlico Peninsula faces near-total inundation from sea-level rise caused by climate change. Find out how The Nature Conservancy is working with local partners to address this threat, preserve habitat and save the coastal way of life.

Protecting the World's Center of Ocean Biodiversity

Protecting the World's Center of Ocean Biodiversity

In the heart of the Coral Triangle — which supports 76 percent of the world’s coral species — the Conservancy has helped design the first network of marine protected areas designed to help corals withstand the deadly pressures of climate change.

Alaska: Saving the Canary in the Coal Mine

Alaska: Planning a Resilient North

For climate change, the Arctic North is often referred to as the canary in the coal mine — changes happen here before they hit anywhere else in the world. In Alaska, the Conservancy is working with partners in Canada's Northwest Territories to maintain the ecology of a changing landscape.

Australia's Kalamurina Wildlife Sanctuary: A Vast Desert Oasis

Australia's Kalamurina Wildlife Sanctuary: A Vast Desert Oasis

In Australia’s central desert, climate change is drying rivers and making it difficult for wildlife to survive. See how the Conservancy is teaming with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy to connect protected lands and allow desert wildlife to find the dwindling resources they need to survive.



http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/features/art26188.html