USAID Biodiversity and Development Handbook 2015

Virtually all USAID programs operate within socioeconomic systems, impacting other sectors and vice versa. This chapter provides information on the linkages and impacts between biodiversity conservation and other sectors, for consideration in multi-sector programming. Climate change has profound implications for natural resource management and the conservation of biological diversity. Integrating climate change adaptation measures into conservation programs will be a necessity. At the same time, healthy and diverse ecosystems will provide resilience to climate change for other sectors. Climate change is defined as a change in global climatic patterns, primarily caused by increased levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) and produced by human activities such as burning of fossil fuels, clearing and burning of forests, and grazing of livestock. The impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystems are highly variable globally and depend on the geographical context. Examples include low-lying coastal areas susceptible to rising sea levels, areas at the poles susceptible to rapid warming, and areas closest to the equator and dry areas susceptible to drought and heat extremes. Even where short-term climate conditions are compatible with the persistence of species, the current speed of climate change is expected to outpace many species' ability to migrate or adapt, especially in the case of species with highly restricted ranges or those whose habitat has been severely fragmented. Climate change is expected to be one of the main causes of biodiversity loss this century. The effects of climate change on ecosystems and biodiversity will also have profound impacts on human communities, including decreased productivity in fisheries, grazing lands, forests, and agriculture; increased incidences of human disease; increased numbers of forest fires in proximity to human habitations; increased frequency and intensity of catastrophic storms; increased numbers of floods and droughts; and impacts to coastal cities through sea-level rise. Conservation planners can take steps to help strengthen resilience to climate change and promote adaptation by identifying long-term biodiversity conservation and development goals for an area, focusing on the ecosystem goods and services that are most vulnerable to climate change. This can involve integrating climate change adaptation measures into conservation programs, such as restoring degraded habitats, promoting sustainable land-use practices, and enhancing ecosystem resilience through the use of natural and nature-based solutions. In addition, conservation planners can engage with efforts to strengthen legal and justice systems and apply best practices to specific conservation challenges such as trafficking or illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. This can involve working with local communities to develop and implement effective conservation strategies, promoting sustainable livelihoods, and enhancing ecosystem services. By taking a proactive and strategic approach to addressing climate change, conservation planners can help to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable development outcomes.