Ecosystem Management: The Need to Adopt a Different Approach Under a Changing Climate

The paper contends that current economic and political models fail to value ecosystems, which are critical for both climate mitigation and adaptation. It argues that climate stabilisation requires a three-way balance between human-induced emissions, natural ecosystem emissions, and the absorptive capacity of global ecosystems. Because ecosystem absorptive capacity is declining by approximately 1% per decade, the authors propose a radical change that places ecosystem conservation at the heart of decision-making, serving as a 'safety net' against failures in human emission reductions. The document recommends four strategies—political commitment, investment, incentives, and information—and urges policymakers to integrate ecosystem-based adaptation and mitigation into international frameworks like the UNFCCC and national plans such as NAMAs and NAPAs.

• Climate stabilisation depends on a three-way balance between the capacity of global ecosystems to absorb greenhouse gases, natural emissions from ecosystems, and human-induced emissions.
• Global ecosystems currently absorb about 54% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, with oceans accounting for 24% and land for 30%, but this absorptive capacity is decreasing by roughly 1% every ten years.
• Current climate policy is overly focused on human-based emissions, ignoring the risk that regulating these alone will be insufficient for stabilisation if ecosystem emissions increase and absorption capacity continues to fall.
• Ecosystem management provides a 'win-win-win' by simultaneously supporting climate mitigation through carbon sequestration, enabling societal adaptation, and ensuring long-term sustainability.
• The authors propose four complementary strategies to shift ecosystem management: increasing political commitment, securing investment (specifically via a Global Climate Change Fund), introducing incentives for resilience and protection, and improving information sharing and monitoring.
• To prevent total ecosystem degradation during market failures or climate uncertainty, the authors advocate for the precautionary principle through the establishment of predetermined levels of conservation that economic activity cannot degrade.

APA

Mumba, M., Munang, R., & Rivington, M. (2010). Ecosystem Management: The Need to Adopt a Different Approach Under a Changing Climate. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-4-response-2.pdf

Chicago

Mumba, Musonda, Richard Munang, and Mike Rivington. Ecosystem Management: The Need to Adopt a Different Approach Under a Changing Climate. World Resources Institute, 2010. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-4-response-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mumba |first1=Musonda |last2=Munang |first2=Richard |last3=Rivington |first3=Mike |title=Ecosystem Management: The Need to Adopt a Different Approach Under a Changing Climate |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=2010 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-4-response-2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mumba2010ecosystem, author = {Mumba, Musonda and Munang, Richard and Rivington, Mike}, title = {{Ecosystem Management: The Need to Adopt a Different Approach Under a Changing Climate}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2010}, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-4-response-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }