Harnessing ecosystem services for climate adaptation and mitigation: Evidence from drylands, restored landscapes and coastal wetlands
Abstract
Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to both natural ecosystems and human societies, intensifying droughts, floods, sea-level rise and biodiversity loss. Ecosystem services-the benefits that humans derive from nature-offer powerful, nature-based solutions for both climate adaptation and mitigation. Drylands, restored terrestrial landscapes and coastal wetlands are increasingly recognized as critical systems that, despite their vulnerability, play outsized roles in regulating climate, sequestering carbon, buffering extreme events and sustaining livelihoods. This article synthesizes evidence from these ecosystems to demonstrate how ecosystem services can be harnessed to address climate change. It highlights key mechanisms underpinning climate regulation, resilience and human well-being, emphasizing the integration of ecological processes with land management and policy. By examining multiscale interactions across diverse landscapes, the article underscores the importance of ecosystem-based approaches as cost-effective, resilient and socially inclusive strategies for climate adaptation and mitigation.