Earth Day 2021: a focus on nature-based solutions

The theme for this year’s Earth Day, which takes place on April 22, is Restore Our Earth. It’s based on the growing understanding that humans can do more than simply mitigate the impacts of climate change. In addition to transforming the world’s energy, urban and industrial systems, we can restore and use natural processes to combat climate change.

Capturing carbon
To reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the power of nature can be harnessed in a number of ways. Solutions include planting trees, restoring coastal wetlands, and adopting agricultural practices that improve soil health.

In addition to capturing carbon emissions from the air and sequestering them in plants, soil, and sediments, restored ecosystems increase biodiversity and help provide cleaner air and water.

In fact, according to the Global Commission on Adaptation, these types of ecological restoration projects can provide one-third of the climate mitigation needed over the next decade to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius.

Increasing resilience
Communities ranging from rural towns to major cities can become more resilient against the impacts of climate change by restoring and protecting natural ecosystems.

For example, restoring mangrove forests helps protect coastal regions from rising seas and storm surges. Doing so is significantly cheaper than building breakwaters and other infrastructure. Plus, mangroves have the added benefit of storing carbon, preventing erosion, and helping to sustain local fisheries.

For more information about Earth Day and how you can take action against climate change, visit earthday.org.