Ecosystem services & Biodiversity
Ecosystem services & Biodiversity
Many of cities’ basic needs depend on nature’s ecosystem services. These in turn are dependent on biodiversity. A wide range of ecosystem services come from the natural spaces in and around cities. They clean the air and water, temper floods, provide water and food, and conserve biodiversity.
Nature – a city’s skin and lungs
The breadth of ecosystem services provided by nature is often undervalued – they can also reduce noise, increase physical and psychological wellbeing, regulate the local climate, sequester CO2, and provide renewable energy. Some cities have started to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem services – for the benefit of current and future generations – by preserving and recreating greenbelts, natural parks and waterways, using land trusts and anti-sprawl regulations, and generally prioritizing nature protection.
Nature – a city’s skin and lungs
The breadth of ecosystem services provided by nature is often undervalued – they can also reduce noise, increase physical and psychological wellbeing, regulate the local climate, sequester CO2, and provide renewable energy. Some cities have started to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem services – for the benefit of current and future generations – by preserving and recreating greenbelts, natural parks and waterways, using land trusts and anti-sprawl regulations, and generally prioritizing nature protection.
