Climate Change News South Africa

Conservation costs double due to climate change

'Responding to Climate Change' (RTCC) NGO reports that, according to studies by Conservation International and the Environmental Defence Fund, the cost of environmental conservation could double as a result of climate change.

The EDF study looked at California, South Africa and Madagascar and found that preserving existing ecosystems, such as forests, would be cheaper and more effective than attempting to replace those lost to climate change.

"This set of studies from around the world is a wake-up call," said Rebecca Shaw, a climate scientist and associate vice president with the EDF. "The truth is that we have been struggling to conserve the nature we depend on for clean air and clean water without climate change." Shaw added that these costs are only likely to increase in the future. "It is time to get much more creative about inspiring innovative and cost-effective private incentives for conservation to more efficiently sustain our planet's life-support system for our benefit and the benefit of our children," Shaw said.

Read the full article on www.rtcc.org.
For more information, go to www.edf.org.

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