Protected areas play a major role in reducing climate changing carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. Fifteen percent of the worlds terrestrial carbon stock - 312 gigatonnes - are stored in protected areas around the world. Protected areas also serve as natural buffers against climate impacts and other disasters, providing space for floodwaters to disperse, stabilizing soil against landslides and blocking storm surges. And protected areas can keep natural resources healthy and productive so they can withstand the impacts of climate change and continue to provide the food, clean water, shelter and income communities rely upon for survival. (Available in English, French, Spanish, Turkish, Korean) - 2009
Summary (40-page version, also in Spanish, Turkish) - 2009
Natural Solutions: Fact sheets
Protected areas helping to meet the Sustainable Development Goals - 2017
Protected areas are vital for human health and well-being - 2015
Protected Areas Protecting People: a tool for Disaster Risk Reduction (English, Japanese) - 2013
Protected areas maintaining essential water supplies - 2012
Protected Areas helping people deal with desertification and drought (English, French, Spanish) - 2011
Protected areas helping people cope with climate change (English, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, Russian) - 2010
