Background/Objectives

Nature can deliver up to one-third of the mitigation required to stabilize the planet while also providing ecosystem and human well-being benefits, such as improving water and air quality, public health and building communities that are resilient to extreme weather events.  Knowing where, why and how to deploy these interventions is critical to unlocking nature’s potential towards achieving these goals. Naturebase.org is designed to fill data accessibility gaps that often stifle action.

Approach/Activities

Naturebase.org integrates an array of data and information acquired through various technologies, including satellite data analysis and land system modelling, machine learning, and qualitative research. It meticulously assembles and validates existing knowledge rooted in peer-reviewed scientific research, presenting a comprehensive repository of information related to related to carbon mitigation, ecosystem and biodiversity advantages, and impacts on human well being.  Naturebae.org enables informed decision-making when implementing nature-based solutions (NBS) in every corner of the world.

Results/Lessons Learned

Each spatial dataset presented in naturebase.org estimates the mitigation potential of natural climate solution activities derived from original geospatial analysis using the latest satellite and peer-reviewed datasets of current land systems, varied geospatial data, and carbon emissions/sequestration estimates informed by a review of peer-reviewed publications.  We employ a series of base accounting rules and default NCS hierarchy rules (Cook-Patton et al.) to allow the users to estimate the aggregate of climate benefits of multiple NCS activities anywhere on earth. 

(Cook-Patton, S.C., Drever, C.R., Griscom, B.W. et al. Protect, manage and then restore lands for climate mitigation. Nat. Clim. Chang. 11, 1027–1034 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-021-01198-0)