Nature at the Heart of Climate Action: Our Vision for COP30

In Ecuador, the project “Ecosystem Services in Key Biodiversity Areas for Climate Change” is helping communities in El Oro, Podocarpus–El Cóndor, and the Chocó regions understand how nature supports their daily lives. 

Led by BirdLife International, UNEP-WCMC, the University of Durham, and our Partner in Ecuador, Fundación Jocotoco, the initiative utilizes participatory tools to assess ecosystem services, including water provision, carbon storage, and forest products. Together, partners are identifying practical nature-based solutions, such as reforestation and watershed restoration, that protect biodiversity while improving local well-being. 

The project is also informing sustainable financing approaches that provide economic incentives to protect Key Biodiversity Areas. As BirdLife calls on governments to put nature at the heart of climate action, this project showcases how doing so will enhance our efforts to adapt to and mitigate climate change. 

“Our project in Ecuador champions data-driven decisions as the cornerstone of effective climate action. By modeling future ecosystem service flows and combining them with local knowledge, we can precisely target interventions like reforestation and watershed restoration, ensuring climate resilience is built where it matters most.” – Stefano Barchiesi, Senior Ecosystem Services Officer, BirdLife International.