The World Bank's mission is toalleviate poverty and support sustainable development.Climate change is a serious environmental challenge thatcould undermine these goals. Since the industrialrevolution, the mean surface temperature of earth hasincreased an average 2 degree Celsius due to theaccumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Most ofthis change has occurred in the past 30 to 40 years, and therate of increase is accelerating. These rising temperatureswill have significant impacts at a global scale and at localand regional levels. While it remains important to reducegreenhouse gas emissions and reverse climate change in thelong run, many of the impacts of climate change are alreadyin evidence. As a result, governments, communities, andcivil society are increasingly concerned with anticipatingthe future effects of climate change while searching forstrategies to mitigate, and adapt to, its current and futureeffects. Global warming and changes in climate have alreadyhad observed impacts on natural ecosystems and species.Natural systems such as wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs,cloud forests, arctic and high latitude ecosystems areespecially vulnerable to climate-induced disturbances.Current efforts to address climate change focus mainly onreducing emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly throughcleaner energy strategies, and on attempting to reducevulnerability of communities at risk by improvinginfrastructure to meet new energy and water needs. Thisreport attempts to set out a compelling argument forincluding ecosystem-based approaches to mitigation andadaptation as a third and essential pillar in nationalstrategies to address climate change. The report is targetedat both Bank task teams and country clients. Suchecosystem-based strategies can offer cost-effective, provenand sustainable solutions contributing to, andcomplementing, other national and regional adaptation strategies.
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