"This book clearly articulates for the
first time how protected areas contribute significantly to reducing the
impacts of climate change and what's needed for them to achieve even more,"
says Lord Nicholas Stern, who wrote a foreword for the report.
Protected areas play a major role in reducing climate changing carbon dioxide
emissions in the atmosphere. Fifteen percent of the world's terrestrial
carbon stock - 312 Gigatonnes - are stored in protected areas around the
world. In Canada, over 4 billion tons of carbon dioxide is sequestered
in 39 national parks, estimated to be worth $39-87 billion in carbon credits.
In the Brazilian Amazon, protected lands are expected to prevent 670,000
km² of deforestation by 2050, representing 8 billion tons of avoided carbon
emissions.
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. It has been estimated
that coastal wetlands in the United States provide $23.2 billion a year
in protection against flooding from hurricanes.