Nature holds key to climate fight

As Namibia joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Environment Day, deputy environmental commissioner Caroline Garus-Oas says nature offers some of the most effective solutions to climate change. This year’s World Environment Day is observed under the theme ‘Inspired by Nature for Climate and Our Future’. Garus-Oas says protecting natural ecosystems such as forests, rivers, oceans and wetlands is critical in addressing the climate crisis.

“The world needs to understand that we need to look at nature to find possible interventions against climate change,” she says. She explains that trees help regulate temperatures by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing carbon in their roots. Garus-Oas says forests are not the only natural systems that help reduce greenhouse gases.

Rivers, oceans and algae also absorb carbon dioxide and help maintain environmental balance. “Algae are microorganisms that absorb carbon dioxide. If we continue changing the acidity of water bodies, we reduce their ability to perform this important function,” she says.