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This book is one of the main contributions of the Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to the international discussions on how we should address climate change impacts on natural and human systems, including ecosystems and the services they provide to society and communities. It was produced through contributions of CEM members worldwide and those from other scientists with key experience in research on, and implementation of climate change adaptation measures. Eleven case studies were selected by a team of editors, covering different ecosystems and regions around the world.

This report is targeted at policy-makers, particularly those responsible for developing climate mitigation and adaption strategies that address issues like conservation, ecosystem services, agriculture and sustainable livelihoods. It focuses on the primary linkages between invasive species and climate change, as well as the secondary and tertiary interactions of their corresponding impacts. Finally, the enclosed recommendations are intended to provide guidance on the best ways to integrate invasive species prevention and management into the consideration of climate change responses across a range of sectors. Building on a review of existing scientific and conservation literature (which is frequently centered on well-studied invasive species in developed countries), our research has reaffirmed that there are significant gaps and questions about the intersection of these two major drivers of change. The case studies included below highlight key relationships and questions related to invasive species, climate change and the role of ecosystem-based adaptation. The three key messages that can be distilled from this report are: 1. Climate change will have direct and second order impacts that facilitate the introduction, establishment and/or spread of invasive species. 2.Invasive species can increase the vulnerability of ecosystems to other climate-related stressors and also reduce their potential to sequester greenhouse gasses. 3.Using an ecosystem-based adaptation approach, these pressures on ecosystems and their ability to provide important services can be offset by preventing the introduction of new invasive species and by eradicating or controlling those damaging species already present.

In response to the dire social and economic consequences predicted to result from climate change—especially for the most vulnerable populations in developing countries— policy makers around the world are working toward a new long-term international framework to address this global challenge. Asia and the Pacific has the world’s most dynamic economies but also the greatest number of people at risk from climate change as well as the fastest-growing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs)—the cause of global warming. Unless Asia and the rest of the world act to stabilize GHG emissions, poverty reduction efforts will experience new threats from climate-induced risks to the health, safety, and productivity of the poor. Such impacts are already affecting populations across the region, so even with aggressive actions, measures are needed to protect the most vulnerable from the adverse effects of sea level rise, melting glaciers, more frequent and severe climate-related natural disasters, greater variability of rainfall, and other predicted consequences of climate change.

This Reef Rehabilitation Manual is intended to complement the Reef Restoration Concepts & Guidelines1 and provide more detailed hands-on advice, based on lessons-learnt from previous experience, on how to carry out coral reef rehabilitation in a responsible and cost-effective manner. The two booklets should be used together. We build on the work of many people, notably Maragos (1974), Miller et al. (1993), Harriett and Fisk (1995), Heeger and Sotto (2000), Clark (2002), Job et al. (2003), Omori and Fujiwara (2004) and Precht (2006)2-9, who have provided a considerable body of advice on restoring reefs (see References). Despite considerable advances over the last 35 years, coral reef restoration is still in its infancy as a discipline. A few rehabilitation projects appear to have been successful at scales of up to a few hectares; many, perhaps most, have failed or not met original expectations. The primary aims of this manual are 1) to reduce the proportion of reef rehabilitation projects that fail, 2) to introduce protocols for methods that could allow larger areas of degraded reef to be repopulated with corals whilst minimizing collateral damage to reefs where corals are sourced, 3) to highlight factors to take into consideration at the planning stage so as to minimize the risk of failure, and 4) to underline the current limitations of reef rehabilitation. The focus is on corals because these are the keystone species that give structure and topographic complexity to coral reef ecosystems. Unfortunately, they are also among the taxonomic groups most vulnerable to global climate change.

Interest in the world’s forests has grown to unprecedented heights, especially with growing awareness of their role in the global carbon cycle. The possibility of mitigating climate change by reducing carbon emissions caused by deforestation and forest degradation, and by increasing carbon uptake through afforestation and sustainable forest management, highlights the essential role of forests in supporting life on Earth.