IUCN Ecosystems, Livelihoods and Disasters

Improved ecosystem management could significantly reduce the impact of natural hazards, such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, landslides in Leyte 2006, Hurricanes Katrina and Stan in 2005 or the floods in Mozambique. In addition, taking into account ecosystem characteristics and their services in the disaster response phase can assist people securing their livelihoods over the long term.

IUCN, as a global conservation union of more than 1000 government and NGO members as well as its’ expert networks, is mobilizing its members and partners to develop and use conservation knowledge for human well-being. In the case of natural hazards, we assist societies around the world to make better ecosystem management decisions to reduce the risk of disasters and to re-establish sustainable livelihoods in the aftermath of disasters.