Topic: Ecosystem-based Adaptation

Factsheet: Explanation of terms EbA and NbS

Understaning and explaining what Ecosystem-based Adaptation is can be tricky. This new facthseet developed by the Global project Mainstreaming EbA provides you with a brief overview and a simple visualization to help make the term EbA more clear. It also relates EbA to the now often discussed term ‘Nature-based Solutions’ and thereby offers an easy to remember bridge to avoid confusion. 

Factsheet: The Global Project Mainstreaming Ecosystem-based Adaptation

The Global Project Mainstreaming EbA is a knowledge management project supports actors at international, national and local level to incorporate ecosystem-based adaptation into policy and planning processes of different sectors.  A focus of the project lies on knowledge management within an international EbA community of practice. With the help of additional networks, the global EbA project has developed a variety of concepts, strategies, methods and tools to promote EbA and to inform adaptation negotiations, policies, strategies and action plans. 

Building Resilience With Nature: Maximizing ecosystem-based adaptation through National Adaptation Plan processes

The following guidance note presents “why” and “how” the NAP process can be utilized as a key mechanism and driver to mainstream and upscale EbA. It is based on a recent analysis of 19 completed NAP documents that reviewed the inclusion of ecosystems and uptake of EbA measures. The document builds on the lessons learned from the review and identifies guiding principles and actions accordingly. It also presents an overview of ecosystems, ecosystem services and their role in adaptation, and how managing their transformation under a changing climate can contribute to reducing climate risks and impacts for both people and ecosystems. Furthermore, it focuses on guiding principles and recommended actions along the steps of the NAP process to integrate and enhance EbA.

Building Resilience With Nature: Ecosystem-based Adaptation in National Adaptation Plan Processes

National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes present a strategic opportunity to raise the profile of EbA approaches, providing a framework—and, potentially, financial resources—for implementation at scale. Based on this , the NAP Global Network undertook a review of 19 NAP documents to better understand the extent to which EbA, as a tool for adaptation, has been taken up in NAP processes. This analysis highlights the extent of integration and identification of ecosystems and EbA into National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), trends in how EbA was incorporated, and opportunities to strengthen the profile and quality of EbA.

The international EbA Community of Practice: Factsheet

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 harmonized 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.

Lead the Change: Guidance for implementing Change Leadership Programmes in international cooperation

The Lead the Change Programme is a product of the Regional Project on Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change in the high mountainous region of Central Asia, implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI). This document synthesizes the learnings from a Leadership Programme conducted in 2017. Its aim is to provide inspiration and practical guidance on how to develop and manage a cross-sectoral leadership development programme in the context of sustainability. It is written for commissioning organisations as well as programme managers and facilitators designing such programmes. Whilst it outlines the concept, methodological approach and design of the programme, it is however not a facilitation guide, but rather works in conjunction with related documents such as the AIZ’s Toolbox Leadership for Global Responsibility and assumes proficiency of the facilitators in the faculties and methodologies outlined.

Integrating EbA and IWRM for climate-resilient water management

This study explores how the two leading approaches in water resources management and ecosystem thinking for climate change adaptation – i.e. IWRM and EbA – can be merged to achieve greater climate resilience in watersheds. It entails a conceptual analysis of both approaches and showcases nine practical implementation examples of integrated EbA-IWRM projects around the world. The case studies reveal structural similarities, key lessons, and enabling and inhibiting factors for integrated EbA-IWRM approaches. From this, the study derives and promotes a set of guiding principles for integrated EbA-IWRM projects.