EbA activities are often carried out in natural ecosystems, for example, protecting native forests high in a mountain catchment to prevent landslides further down, or restoring natural vegetation along riverbanks to prevent soil erosion. EBA can also include examples of activities that take place in relatively transformed agricultural ecosystems, such as disseminating seed of drought-resistant varieties of indigenous grains to protect livelihoods. Much EBA work takes place in natural or semi-natural ecosystems, where there are also benefits for biodiversity conservation.

Practical strategies used for EBA include the following:
    a) Crop diversification that embraces varieties that take into account climate change
    b) Agroforestry with species better suited to increased climate risk
    c) Seasonal movement of people and livestock between winter and summer pastures
    d) Ecosystem restoration with species that are better adapted to warmer conditions
    e) Catchment management that takes into account increased climate risk.

Examples of Ecosystem-based Adaptation interventions and their benefits:

Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EBA) work is being undertaken all over the world by many governments and civil society role-players. EBA is applicable across a wide range of geographical areas, sectors and stakeholders in both developed and developing countries. It can be incorporated into many areas including coastal defence, flood and drought management, agriculture, resource provision, urban planning, disaster risk reduction, conservation and tourism.

The involvement of policymakers and multiple stakeholders with distinct roles and responsibilities is critical to successful EbA because ecosystems typically support diverse sectors and different social groups in multiple ways. For instance a forest may provide local communities with forest goods for their livelihoods (e.g. timber, game, nuts and fruits, fibre), while at the same time supporting commercial tourism and timber harvesting. The hydrological regulation provided by these forests also benefits geographically distant sectors such as agriculture and hydroelectric plants through provision of water flow and flood regulation as well as minimization of erosion and siltation.

To learn more about EBA work around the world, and to download case studies, visit these global learning networks:

UNEP’s Global Adaptation Network
http://ganadapt.org/

The Adaptation Learning Mechanism – a partnership of GEF, UNDP, World Bank, UNFCCC, UNEP and FAO
http://www.adaptationlearning.net/

The Ecosystems and Livelihoods Adaptation Network (ELAN) – a partnership of IUCN, CARE, IIED and WWF
http://www.elanadapt.net/

Healthy ecosystems deliver critical goods and services, such as providing food and fuel, or preventing floods and soil erosion. People depend on these goods and services for their wellbeing and livelihoods. However, because of climate change and other human impacts, many ecosystems have become degraded, with negative impacts on people’s lives.

Around the world, governments and communities are devising strategies for adapting to the negative impacts of climate change that are now seen as unavoidable. Adaptation strategies help society to plan better and minimise negative impacts, even turn new conditions to their advantage. Adaptation can take many forms: gathering information, drawing together role-players to plan for new climatic conditions, receiving early warning of disasters, or putting in place hard infrastructure. Another very important part of adaptation involves using nature to help adapt to climate change – often referred to as ecosystem-based adaptation or EBA.

EBA involves the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall adaptation strategy to help people adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. This means tackling problems with solutions based on nature – for example, keeping a wetland system in place as a natural “sponge” to absorb flash floods coming down from the mountains, in order to protect farmers’ fields. This could be an alternative to a solution based on engineering, such as directing the river through a concrete channel, which could be more costly and which would mean the precious water is lost out to sea.