ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL1.CCS/2024/TP.2
Country: People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Kingdom of Bahrain, Arab Republic of Egypt, Republic of Iraq, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, State of Kuwait, Lebanese Republic, Kingdom of Morocco, Sultanate of Oman, State of Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
Publication Type: Information material
Cluster: Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability
Focus Area: 2030 Agenda, Climate change, Natural resource sustainability
Initiatives: Climate Resilience through Regional Cooperation, Arab Centre for Climate Change Policies, Monitoring Sustainable Development Goal Data, Arab Forum for Sustainable Development, Voluntary reporting on the 2030 Agenda, Partnerships for Agenda 2030
SDGs: Agenda 2030, Goal 13: Climate Action
Keywords: Agroforestry, Algeria, Biological diversity, Climate change adaptation, Climate change mitigation, Egypt, Environmental degradation, Environmental management, Environmental protection, Gulf states, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Open spaces, Recommendations, Reforestation
Nature-based solutions to operationalize the biodiversity conservation and climate action interface
June 2025
The dual threat of biodiversity degradation and climate change is increasingly being felt across the Arab region. Efforts implemented by countries are failing to meet national commitments to international climate and biodiversity agreements. This report argues that nature-based pathways can complement countries’ conventional approaches towards the achievement of optimized biodiversity and climate synergies.
The report builds its analysis on global studies that have identified priority hotspot areas where nature conservation and restoration would generate optimal outcomes for joint climate and biodiversity objectives. Thorough examination of the hotspot areas in the Arab region is provided, identifying associated threats and challenges and taking into consideration socioeconomic conditions to generate location–specific nature-based solutions for each of the selected areas. The proposed solutions include reforestation, agroforestry and pasture optimization, sand dunes stabilization, and the establishment of green belts.
The report can guide regional and international funding opportunities and collaborative conservation programmes for optimized biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation benefits. It also calls for further national assessments, particularly in relation to the value of ecosystem services needed to devise context-specific nature-based solutions.
Related content
2030 Agenda, Climate change, Natural resource sustainability
The dual threat of biodiversity degradation and climate change is increasingly being felt across the Arab region. Efforts implemented by countries are failing to meet national commitments to international climate and biodiversity agreements. This report argues that nature-based pathways can complement countries’ conventional approaches towards the achievement of optimized biodiversity and climate synergies.
The report builds its analysis on global studies that have identified priority hotspot areas where nature conservation and restoration would generate optimal outcomes for joint climate and biodiversity objectives. Thorough examination of the hotspot areas in the Arab region is provided, identifying associated threats and challenges and taking into consideration socioeconomic conditions to generate location–specific nature-based solutions for each of the selected areas. The proposed solutions include reforestation, agroforestry and pasture optimization, sand dunes stabilization, and the establishment of green belts.
The report can guide regional and international funding opportunities and collaborative conservation programmes for optimized biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation benefits. It also calls for further national assessments, particularly in relation to the value of ecosystem services needed to devise context-specific nature-based solutions.
