International EbA Community of Practice

Knowledge sharing and mutual learning beyond projects, institutions and regional boundaries – a community of EbA practitioners, planners, think tanks and decision-makers

Objective

The international EbA Community of Practice aims at knowledge and experience sharing and mutual learning beyond projects, institutions and regional boundaries on Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA). Its purpose is to jointly develop harmonised approaches, evidence-based lessons learned and best practices for how to plan and implement effective EbA to help people adapt to the adverse effects of climate change through a collaborative learning process.

Members of this knowledge and exchange network are primarily from national governments, international organisations, civil society and research institutions with an interest in strengthening Ecosystem-based Adaptation in planning and decision-making.

Topics

Since its foundation in 2015, the network has focused on the following topics:

• Tools and methods for mainstreaming EbA;
• Entry points for EbA mainstreaming in planning and decision-making processes;
• Vulnerability and climate risk assessments;
• Evidence on the effectiveness of EbA measures;
• Strategic communication of EbA benefits;
• Financing options and instruments to formulate, implement and sustain EbA measures;
• Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) for EbA and
• Enabling structures for EbA governance

Outcomes of this joint work and co-creation have been documented and published in learning briefs, workshop reports, short movies, webinars and outcome papers.

Impressions from the international EbA Community of Practice workshops, trainings and field visits

Knowledge exchange and promotion of best practices: Tools and formats

PANORAMA – Solutions for a Healthy Planet (www.panorama.solutions): Learning from each others’ success – this is the concept of the PANORAMA platform. The partnership initiative enables cross-sectoral learning and inspiration by documenting and promoting examples of replicable solutions across a range of conservation and development topics. It allows practicioners to share their stories, get recognised for successful work, and learn how others have tackled problems across the globe. The EbA Solutions theme fosters sharing of field-proven knowledge and experience on Ecosystem-based Adaptation in different regions and ecosystems and shows that inspiring solutions can be found everywhere on this planet.

Annual workshops of the international EbA Community of Practice provide opportunities for members to exchange knowledge in face-to-face dialogues. They cover a combination of facilitated discussions on emerging issues of common interest as well as practical experiences on applied EbA approaches, methods and tools and/or the functioning of the community itself. Workshops commonly include field trips to expose participants to challenges and successes of EbA project implementation. Workshops have been organised in Berlin, Bangkok and Cape Town.

Virtual discussion series & webinars: Documented in the community’s internal member space on Global Campus 21 and on a YouTube channel, these online formats provide regular information from practicioners, experts, planners and decision-makers on EbA related topics. Broadcasted webinars are announced here.

EbA short movie: A picture is worth a thousand words. When it comes to the dissemination of complex information, moving pictures come to the fore. The EbA short film provides an illustrative introduction to the concept of EbA, practical country examples and the role of the international EbA Community of Practice.

The international EbA Community of Practice is facilitated by the Global Project ‘Mainstreaming EbA’, which is funded by the International Climate Initiative of the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and implemented by GIZ.

If you are interested in joining the Community, kindly contact Luise Richter (luise-katharina.richter@giz.de) or Andrea Bender (andrea.bender@giz.de).