Over recent years, extreme weather has become the backdrop of our global climate dialogue.
This year alone we have seen unprecedented wildfires sweeping through southern Europe and North America to catastrophic floods displacing millions in South Asia. With the frequency of these events only increasing, extreme weather has been oriented in the public discourse as being inextricably linked to the climate crisis.
But not only are disasters fuelled by the climate crisis but they contribute to it. Extreme weather such as fires and floods can destroy swathes of land, biodiversity and vital carbon sinks. The destruction of these elements of the landscape results in environmental degradation that further exacerbates the climate crisis. The consequences of this feedback loop construct a grim vision of the future in which one thing is clear, we are not prepared for disaster.
As global leaders gather at COP29, there is a pivotal opportunity to shift the conversation toward tangible, proactive measures that will better prepare communities for the growing threat of climate-related disasters.
Here are 3 ways that we can use nature to lessen the impact of disasters and what agreements need to be made at COP29 to make it happen.
1. We need adequate funding to restore landscapes and increase disaster resiliency.
Around 22% of land in Latin America is degraded. Land degradation contributes to food and water insecurity, biodiversity loss, and increased disaster risk. In Latin America alone, degraded landscapes are estimated to cost billions in lost productivity, disaster relief, and reduced biodiversity.
Yet, financing remains a major barrier to large-scale restoration, with most funding coming from short-term, small-scale projects. Long-term funding is essential for successful large-scale landscape restoration because it provides the financial stability needed for projects to extend beyond short-term solutions. Given that restoring a degraded landscape can take up to 20 years, these efforts require sustained investment to not only initiate restoration but to support ongoing management, monitoring, and adaptive practices that ensure resilience and ecological health over time.
COP29 has been dubbed the ‘finance COP’ with conversations centring on the topic of climate finance. Now is the time for these conversations to prioritise dedicated long-term financing for nature restoration as well. Decision makers should support a move towards public-private investment models that combine subsidies with private capital, to ensure restoration efforts can scale to meet the urgency of climate impacts.
2. We need to mix nature-based infrastructure with traditional infrastructure
Many nations continue to prioritise funding and building traditional (grey) infrastructure, such as dams, concrete levees, and drainage systems, to manage water flow and control flooding. However, while grey infrastructure serves immediate needs, it often lacks the climate resilience required to adapt to increasingly erratic weather patterns. In fact, reliance solely on grey solutions can exacerbate vulnerabilities over time by altering natural water cycles, disrupting ecosystems, and limiting biodiversity.
Integrating grey infrastructure with green infrastructure has demonstrated remarkable success in building climate resilience. The case of Peru’s Abancay Model Forest exemplifies how. The forest model combines traditional infrastructure with nature-based solutions like rewetting and planting native vegetation. These green measures restore natural hydrological processes, improve soil health, and promote biodiversity bolstering the ecosystem’s capacity to absorb and retain water. This dual approach not only enhances the longevity and efficacy of the pre-existing grey infrastructure but also creates a buffer against the extremes of climate variability.
Conversations at COP29 must prioritise and advocate for policies that encourage the integration of natural infrastructure with traditional (grey) infrastructure across both urban and rural landscapes. This approach should promote and fund nature-based solutions (NbS) that are designed to increase resilience to extreme weather events, protect biodiversity, and foster long-term sustainability.
3. We need financial systems that support more than just carbon credits
While carbon offsets help mitigate emissions, they only address part of the problem. Focusing solely on carbon could cause critical ecosystem health elements such as biodiversity, water security, and soil integrity to go unsupported, leaving communities vulnerable to floods, droughts, and food shortages.
Biodiversity loss also weakens ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change and inadequate water management leads to scarcity and flooding. Soil degradation undermines agriculture and long-term carbon storage, compounding climate challenges. True resilience requires integrated strategies that balance carbon goals with biodiversity and water management, ensuring sustainable, climate-resilient landscapes that support both people and nature.
COP29 needs to establish robust frameworks for investing in biodiversity credits and payments for ecosystem services (PES), moving beyond carbon-focused solutions to address broader ecological resilience. By valuing and monetising ecosystem services—such as water filtration, carbon sequestration, and habitat preservation—countries can create new revenue streams that incentivise sustainable land management and restoration practices.
Financial incentives should be designed to support projects that go beyond carbon offsetting to include comprehensive restoration of ecosystems like wetlands, forests, and watersheds. Restoring these critical habitats has multiple co-benefits: wetlands can absorb excess water during floods and filter pollutants, forests regulate local climates and promote biodiversity, and healthy watersheds secure clean water supplies. Such nature-based solutions build climate resilience by enhancing the capacity of landscapes to adapt to extreme weather and ensure that water systems remain stable and abundant.
Will COP29 reshape how we prepare for disaster?
As the world’s leaders convene for COP29, we stand at a critical juncture where the consequences of climate inaction are underscored by the increasingly visible consequences of extreme weather. The path forward requires a shift in mindset—from reactive, fragmented solutions to integrated, proactive strategies that restore and harness the power of nature. Prioritising long-term financing, blending nature-based solutions with traditional infrastructure, and expanding financial mechanisms beyond carbon credits are vital steps in creating disaster resiliency for the most impacted communities. At COP29 we need to reshape how we prepare for, respond to, and mitigate climate disasters.
Authored by: Claire Patterson