Our Thinking

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) members adopted a resolution at the 2016 World Conservation Congress and members’ assembly which, for the first time, defined the use of nature for simultaneous benefits to biodiversity and human well-being. According to the resolution, nature-based solutions are defined as “actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits”.  The crucial role of nature-based solutions in addressing the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss was highlighted in a COP27 session organised by the IUCN. At…

In the last few decades, Aotearoa New Zealand’s rocky reef coastal ecosystems have undergone significant changes. We’re now facing a massive ecological challenge, but it’s one that most people don’t know about because it’s happening under the water. Vast stretches of our seafloor that were once abundant with dense kelp forests have been overtaken by exploding populations of kina (sea urchins) which have grazed the kelp down to bare rock.  The combination of the removal of kina’s natural predators (like snapper and crayfish) through commercial and recreational fishing, impacts from land use and warming oceans have led to a proliferation…