Natural resilience: healthy ecosystems as climate shock insurance

This briefing paper looks at resilience to climate change and calls to policy-makers to take action. It looks looks at the National Adaptation Programmes of Action of the Least Developed Countries and highlights that many of these nations recognise and prioritise the role that biodiversity, ecosystems and natural habitats play in adaptation. The paper emphasises that a healthy, biodiverse environment is increasingly recognised as key to resilience, particularly in poor communities directly dependent on natural resources. It stresses that knowledge about ways of coping with climate variability is also essential – and for many of the poor who live in climate-vulnerable regions, already an area of expertise.