Exploring Synergies for Integration: Adaptation to Climate Change and Ecosystem Management

It has been recognized that climate change is the greatest challenge faced by humanity today. It already has far reaching consequence to natural ecosystems (IPCC, 2007, Berry, 2007) and human systems (IISD, 2006). However, proper management and sustainable use of natural resources can allow for both ecosystem and people to adapt to climate change. Climate change impacts both ecosystem and human well-being. At the same time, ecosystem well-being affects human well-being. It also has a strong effect on the impacts of climate change. Human well-being also impacts ecosystem. On the other hand, the relationship may also be causal human activities are the cause of both ecosystem degradation and climate change. Similarly, climate change causes ecosystem degradation, and ecosystem degradation contributes to climate change. (Adopted from Schipper et.al., 2006)