Forest Ecosystem Services as Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for Climate-Resilient Forest Landscapes in Ethiopia: A Review
Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: Climate change poses severe risks to both forest and agricultural systems in Ethiopia. Nature-based solutions (NbS) have emerged as a promising approach for addressing the interconnected challenges of climate change, forest ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss and unsustainable agriculture. Forest ecosystem services represent one of the most important nature-based climate solutions. This review examines how nature-based solutions from forest ecosystems contribute to strengthening the resilience of forest landscapes to climate change in the Ethiopian context. A synthesis review approach was used to analyse 63 peer-reviewed articles, institutional reports and policy documents published between 2000 and 2025. The findings indicate that forests improve microclimatic conditions, regulate climate and hydrological cycles, enhance soil fertility and support pollination and pest control. These ecosystem services reduce climate-related risks such as droughts and floods, and enhance the resilience of forest and agricultural systems to the impacts of climate change. The review further reveals that despite a favourable policy environment, diverse forest ecosystems and rich indigenous knowledge, several challenges limit harnessing the benefits of nature-based solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation in forest and agricultural sectors. These include a lack of integration between the forestry and agricultural sectors; weak enforcement of land-use planning and land tenure security; financial and incentive gaps; knowledge and monitoring limitations in ecosystem services valuation; and the underutilization of indigenous practices. Therefore, landscape-level planning and the integration of forest conservation with climate-smart agricultural practices can enhance ecosystem service benefits and sustain forest and agricultural productivity under climate change.
Institution: Ethiopian Forestry Development
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDGs: Life on land, Climate action
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7155367309