Bhubaneswar: Nature captures and stores over fifty per cent of the man-made carbon emissions from the atmosphere which causes a slowdown in the rate of global warming. Alongside, nature can help reduce the impact of extreme weather like storms, heatwaves, and drought.
With the use of the advanced technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), it can be understood how mangrove ecosystems are affected by climate change and its impacts.Â
Mangroves provide a nature-based solution to climate change. They can hold up to four times as much organic carbon per hectare as other types of forests, which means losing mangroves creates a disproportionately high amount of greenhouse gas emissions.Â
In Mexico, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is working to protect and restore mangrove ecosystems. This will make contributions to local livelihoods and economies as well. More frequent hurricanes, changing rainfall, and sea level rise are harming these complex ecosystems and the carbon they store.Â
Mexico has a world-class mangrove monitoring system that informs Government institutions and private sectors. But this system does not yet integrate climate change variables, resulting in a major blind spot in planning and management.Â
With the use of advanced Artificial Intelligence technology such as the ManglarIA model will provide and integrate actionable climate risk information into protected area management plans.Â
We need nature to fight climate change. Technology is a powerful ally in closing information gaps. The technology will set us on the right path to ensure durable nature-based solutions that curb climate change and its impacts on lives and livelihoods.
[Disclaimer: This story is a part of ‘Punascha Pruthibi – One Earth. Unite for It’, an awareness campaign by Sambad Digital.]