How we are supporting ecosystem-based adaptation around the world.

Climate change is rapidly transforming our planet. While its effects are being felt globally, some areas of the world face these impacts more acutely. Countries are largely underprepared for the serious consequences associated with longer periods of drought, higher levels of flooding, increased frequency and severity of wildfires and more intense heatwaves caused by climate change.  

While there has been global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, climate change continues to proceed at a rapid rate.  A concerted effort to implement robust and resilient adaptation measures is required to protect people, economies and nature from its consequences. Some communities are feeling the impacts of climate change more immediately and severely than others, and these communities urgently need additional resources and capacity to adapt to a changing reality.  

Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is one way to respond to the urgent need for climate change adaptation. When working alongside communities to support the health of ecosystems and people’s livelihoods, EbA is a holistic type of adaptation that is often both resilient and cost-effective. 

Ecosystem-based adaptation provides ecological, social and economic benefits

While nature is heavily affected by climate change, it can also help to buffer the impacts of these changes on people. EbA refers to efforts to work with nature to help people adapt to the adverse effects of a changing climate. It works to restore ecosystems and can provide a range of ecological, social and economic benefits, from protecting coasts during storms to increasing food security. 

UNEP-WCMC works with a diverse range of partners and stakeholders to strengthen the evidence base for EbA. We also help develop tools to support on-the-ground implementation, as well as monitoring, evaluation and learning. For example, we co-developed an EbA Tools Navigator to help practitioners find the most relevant tools to support their EbA projects. Another example is our Partnerships for Large-scale Adaptation through Nature (PLAN) project, in collaboration with WWF, which is scoping the creation of an online knowledge platform for nature-based solutions related to climate adaptation. These activities directly support governments, civil society organizations and others who want to embrace EbA to protect communities, economies and nature from climate risks. 

Addressing challenges across the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus 

Water, energy and food are closely interlinked and competition for these, in some areas limited, resources is expected to become more acute as a consequence of climate change. For example, if there is less rainfall in an area, the remaining water will still need to be divided between a range of priorities. These could include producing drinking water for urban areas, hydro-electricity generation and irrigating crops that are a vital source of food for communities. This competition will further strain the natural ecosystems providing these resources and could increase social conflict. Thinking about the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus helps us to better understand and manage these interdependencies. 

The REXUS project, funded by the European Union, was a collaboration between 17 partners. It worked in five pilot river basins to help local stakeholders co design real-world solutions to nexus challenges. 

UNEP-WCMC helped incorporate nature-based solutions (NbS), including EbA, into plans to sustainably manage water, energy and food production in the face of climate change. We helped decision makers and stakeholders across the five pilot river basins to identify practical options to manage their resources. Improving the knowledge base on NbS led to a huge shift in the options that were considered when developing action plans in the pilot basins, with all ultimately including NbS. 

This work resulted in a decision support framework to help other stakeholders in similar situations evaluate and select appropriate and holistic solutions to nexus challenges. The implementation of resulting action plans will improve resilience and performance across the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus in the Pinios, Lower Danube, Isonzo/Soča and Nima river basins, and throughout Peninsula Spain.

Supporting coastal communities with climate resilience 

Coastal communities in the Caribbean region experience multiple stressors caused by climate change, such as sea level rise, elevated water temperatures and an increasing frequency and severity of hurricanes. These events also impact natural ecosystems like coral reefs, which are already suffering from anthropogenic pressures, including unsustainable fishing practices. 

UNEP-WCMC is currently coordinating a project that aims to strengthen the climate resilience of coastal communities by working closely with local partners in the Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda and Jamaica. 

Funded by the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, the project will restore habitats that are vital both to adaptation and to local livelihoods, such as coral reefs and mangroves. Many of the Caribbean ecosystems that communities rely on for income are increasingly being impacted by climate change. The project is therefore also supporting work with local communities to develop alternative sustainable and resilient livelihoods, including beekeeping, ecotourism and the cultivation of sea moss. Local partners have already provided livelihood support and training to over 200 community members.  

We are also supporting partners with the assessment of climate risks and the development of methods for tracking the ecological and social impact of their activities. These monitoring, evaluation and learning protocols help partners to measure the impact of restoration activities over time, and identify where adaptive measures might be needed for them to reach their full potential.  

With climate impacts already being felt within ecosystems and communities across the globe, adaptation is vital to safeguard nature and people from the worst of these effects. Our work on EbA will continue to explore and strengthen the links between climate, nature and people’s well-being, including their social and economic security.

Please reach out to communications@unep-wcmc.org with any questions or opportunities regarding this blog.

Main image: Debbie Ann Powell, Adobe Stock #269882984