World Climate Conference COP29 in Baku: Focus on coastal ecosystems for climate and biodiversity protection
Side event at the German Pavilion with participation of the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)
Mangrove forests, salt marshes and seagrass meadows absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, strengthen biodiversity and protect coastal regions. On 21 November, a side event at the German Pavilion at COP29 will see experts debate how effective management of vegetation-rich coastal ecosystems could be planned to preserve these important services and support reaching climate targets. Prof. Dr Martin Zimmer, mangrove ecologist at the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), will take part in the panel discussion organised by the CDRmare research mission of the German Marine Research Alliance (DAM), the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) and the DLR Project Management Agency. Martin Zimmer will be in Baku from 19 to 22 November and is available for interviews.
In times of profound changes, such as the climate crisis, threats to biodiversity and population growth, expectations for the services provided by vegetation-rich coastal ecosystems are increasing. As nature-based solutions to climate change, mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and salt marshes are expected to protect our coasts from rising sea levels, provide food, purify water, remove CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it as carbon, and much more. But can they still do all of this (on their own)?
Across the globe, the areas of seagrass meadows, salt marshes, mangroves and kelp forests have decreased sharply in recent decades – caused by coastal development, overuse, pollution and the effects of climate change.
- Can targeted management of coastal ecosystems maintain or even expand their range of services so that they are able to fulfil the growing demands of humans?
- How should such management be organised?
- How can science, state authorities and, in particular, local communities work together to preserve vegetation-rich coastal ecosystems and the services they provide for nature and people, and optimise their use for the common good, biodiversity and the climate?
- What can be done, when the overarching interests of climate and coastal protection conflict with the interests of local actors?
These and similar questions will be addressed at COP29 at the scientific side event ‘Strengthening the resilience of coastal communities: How people, nature and climate benefit from mosaic spatial planning and co-designed management of coastal ecosystems’, which takes place on 21 November at the German Pavilion.
The panel discussion, organised by the CDRmare research mission of the German Marine Research Alliance (DAM), the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) and the DLR Project Management Agency, will bring together experts with different perspectives and approaches to solutions. Prof. Dr Martin Zimmer, mangrove ecologist at the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen, is also taking part in the discussion.
He has developed the concept of ecosystem co-design as a management strategy for the (re-)
establishment of vegetation-rich coastal ecosystems and the preservation of their services. This idea emphasises human needs for certain ecosystem services. Which conservation approaches are implemented and which management measures are permitted depends on a prioritisation of needs. “Management measures do not always meet the needs of all affected population groups, and the corresponding decisions do not always lead to greater sustainability,” says Zimmer. “With ecosystem co-design, the human use of natural and (re-)
established ecosystems is planned jointly with the local population. Our concept combines resilience with sustainability and forward-planning climate adaptation and ideally offsets the intervention costs with economic benefits.”
For the panellists this also raises the question whether a massive transformation of existing coastal ecosystems, which is oriented towards the needs of local coastal communities, can still be described as a nature-based method of climate change impact adaptation – or in short: are so-called hybrid systems still nature? And can we foresee the potential risks of such massive interventions, assess their extent and limit them – especially with regards to biodiversity?
Side event “Strengthening the resilience of coastal communities: How people, nature and climate benefit from mosaic spatial planning and co-designed management of coastal ecosystems”
When: 21 November 2024 | 10:00 am to 11:30 am local time Baku, 7:00 am to 8:30 am German time
Where: COP29, German Pavilion, Blue Zone(https://german-climate-pavilion.de/?nav=Location)
Website of the event: https://german-climate-pavilion.de/?nav=Program-Page&pgm=93&scroll=1
The event will be streamed live: https://www.youtube.com/live/49HTGeKQIpk
Prof Dr Martin Zimmer is available for interviews before and during COP29. He will be on site in Baku from 19 to 22 November.
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