Cooperative agreements for ecosystem services have become increasingly important tools for reducing conflicts. These agreements include voluntary cooperation, corporate-private agreements and Payments for Environmental Services (PES – also known as Payments for Ecosystem Services). Countries as diverse as Costa Rica, Mexico, and China are using national tax revenues to pay citizens to conserve forests and natural vegetation. National forest conservation PES schemes seem perfect precursors for national REDD (Reduced Emissions from Degradation and Deforestation) schemes given their economies of scale for equitable disbursement of benefits to providers of public goods.

The Pacific Island nations, consisting of many low-lying islands or areas with large population and infrastructure concentrations in the coastal zone, are at risk of climate-related disasters such as extreme weather events and sea-level rise. As many Pacific Island nations rely on their natural capital, the impact of climate-related disasters on their ecosystems and actions taken to mitigate climate risks are critical to the on-going resilience of their populations.

Provision of shelter following disasters is one of the largest recurrent cost for governments and relief organizations, and the failure of shelters to protect people from hazards is a significant risk. Improving shelter design is therefore central to reducing hydro-meteorological disaster risk and supports adaptation to climate change.

Coasts are regions of great importance for human well-being and are of national economic importance for coastal states. Coastal ecosystems provide numerous ecosystem services supporting a significant proportion of the world’s population, particularly in developing countries, but are some of the most vulnerable areas to climate change.