Ecosystem management 

Ecosystem management focuses on sustaining and restoring ecosystem health while balancing ecological, economic and social needs. By recognizing the interconnectedness of natural systems and human activities, the integrity and resilience of ecosystems can persevere in the face of challenges like climate change, habitat degradation and over-exploitation. This approach is important to ensure the continued and sustainable provision of essential services, like clean water and fertile soil, and biodiversity conservation. 

Ecosystem management also supports transboundary cooperation. It offers a framework for managing natural resources across borders, which is vital for successfully implementing multilateral environment agreements, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Paris Agreement and the Ramsar Convention. Addressing shared environmental challenges promotes international collaboration, ensures ecosystem resilience and enables collective action to meet global environment and sustainability goals. 

Examples of ecosystem management 

Ecosystem-based approaches 

A key component of ecosystem management is ecosystem-based approaches, which promote the conservation and sustainable use of land, water and living resources in an equitable way. This approach emphasizes restoring ecosystems and enhancing ecosystem services to safeguard society from the negative impacts of climate change, land degradation, biodiversity loss, pollution and waste. Ecosystem-based approaches include strategies such as integrated water resource management, integrated coastal zone management, marine spatial planning, ecosystem-based adaptation and ecosystem-based risk reduction. These strategies highlight the need for coordinated management that considers the full range of ecosystem services. 

Key ecosystem management efforts