This article was originally published on Triple Pundit.
“In our search for better management of natural capital, cities are where the difference can be made. City authorities often show genuine leadership in protecting the natural environment, and pursue ambitious targets beyond those set at national and international levels. They recognize the immense potential of using ecosystems, such as forests, wetlands, peatlands and urban green spaces, for climate change adaptation and mitigation. These ecosystems can store carbon and purify water, improve the health and wellbeing of citizens, and reduce the impacts of flooding and the urban heat island effect.
The extensive green spaces found in many cities are often part of an integrated network that links them to forests and other natural ecosystems far outside the city. To ensure this interconnectivity at the governance level, regional authorities have a crucial role in the protection and management of natural resources and landscape planning, and in demonstrating the benefits of nature-based solutions to societal challenges like climate change.
Cities and regional governments need to be recognized for their important contribution in determining the sustainability of our planet, and the essential role they have in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and biodiversity targets. In recent years, the IUCN European Regional Office has been exploring connections between our organization’s work on biodiversity protection and on promoting the value of urban nature and its links to ecosystems outside cities…”
…“Cities of Tomorrow” will be one of the main topics explored at the World Forum on Natural Capital, taking place from 27-28 November in Edinburgh, UK…”
Read on at: Triple Pundit.
