Managing ecosystems

Addressing ecosystem management means addressing complex systems. For this IUCN deploys a variety of tools and strategies, addresses information gaps and capacity needs in terms of sustainable management, and tackles conservation and restoration of ecosystems with the aim of achieving sustainable and resilient development.

 

Tools for managing ecosystems

[todo: rephrase intro, develop texts and link to correct pages] The well-being of people all over the world depends on healthy ecosystems to provide goods, like food and water, and services like climate regulation and protection from natural hazards. This is why common tools are central.

1
Ecosystem categorization

The IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology helps set a common framework and use a common terminology

2
Risk evaluation

The Red List of Ecosystems methodology helps evaluate the risk of ecosystems to collapse. 

3
Ecosystem Restoration

Supporting ecosystem restoration helps improve environmental condition, reverse ecosystem degradation, enhance adaptation to climate change and improve human wellbeing.

Ecosystem-based approaches

IUCN promotes Ecosystem based approaches for climate adaptation and mitigationto reduce risk associated with natural hazards and as a key measure of Nature-based Solutions.

read more Read more about Ecosystem-based Adaptation and Ecosystem-based mitigation.
read more Read more about Disaster risk reduction
read more Read more about Nature-based Solutions for climate

55 %

of global GDP
Description

is supported by healthy ecosystems. An ambitious new framework is therefore needed to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050.

90%

of major disasters
Description

have been caused by weather-related events such as heatwaves, storms, floods and droughts in the past 20 years.

Specific ecosystems management tools

Ecosystem management is always context specific and tools should be adjusted based on the type of ecosystems considered. Further guidance on specific tools and approaches for ecosystems management are thus accessible from these pages:

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