CI's science, policy and field work focuses on protecting and maintaining the health of the species, habitats and ecosystems that are the building blocks of a healthy planet. Without thriving ecosystems, we cannot guarantee a stable climate, accessible fresh water and sufficient food, limited threats to human health, rich cultural diversity and the innumerable unknown benefits that nature provides.
CI focuses on these key areas of human needs because they illustrate the deep links between humanity and nature, maximize the impact of CI’s experience and expertise, and demonstrate the importance of taking a coordinated local, regional and global approach.
No single initiative stands alone. CI seeks to address all of these efforts simultaneously and transform our greatest challenges into the greatest opportunity of our time.
Climate change is one of the greatest environmental issues of our time and we need to act quickly to take advantage of existing solutions in order to prevent irreversible damage to our planet. Through a nature-based approach, CI is demonstrating the important role that ecosystems can play in mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts.
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Water security is the reliable availability and quality of fresh water at the times and places where it is needed to meet the needs of people and other life on Earth. To achieve water security, CI promotes the conservation of freshwater landscapes from "ridge to reef" through an approach comprising integrated watershed management, protection of upstream natural ecosystems and conservation of downstream habitats and freshwater services.
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Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. CI supports food security by ensuring wild harvests, conserving the ability of ecosystems to support productivity in agricultural areas, and resolving unsustainable resource and land use practices.
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Health security exists when people are protected from, prepared for and resilient to major health threats. To support health security, CI focuses on valuing natural ecosystems and ecosystem services in terms of health costs and vulnerability to natural disasters, disease emergence, disease incidence and transmission and nature’s known and undiscovered contributions to medicine.
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Cultural services refers to the fundamental role that landscapes, seascapes and diverse species have played in science, arts, recreation and religion. To help secure these services and the economic benefits they provide, CI ensures that cultural services are accounted for in development strategies and that the insight and input of indigenous and local communities are incorporated in such plans.
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Species contributions refers to the function fulfilled by all life forms as the building blocks upon which everything depends. CI’s conservation efforts include species and habitat conservation as a means for safeguarding the current and future benefits natural systems provide to people.
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