Building Resilience With Nature: Ecosystem-based Adaptation in National Adaptation Plan Processes
Healthy and resilient ecosystems are recognized in various international bodies and agendas, including the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Specifically, ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) as a nature-based solution is gaining importance since it recognizes that ecosystem services help reduce communities’ vulnerability to climate change. EbA can generate social and economic returns and provide multiple benefits—including improved health, biodiversity protection, food security, and alternative livelihood opportunities, all of which can build resilience to climate change.
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 an 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 NAPs, trends in how EbA was incorporated, and opportunities to strengthen the profile and quality of EbA.
You might also be interested in
Equity, diversity, and inclusion in Canada's National Adaptation Strategy: Why it matters and what it means
How can the diversity of identities and experiences of Canadians be reflected in a national strategy on climate adaptation?
Nature-Based Infrastructure: A powerful tool for women's empowerment in climate adaptation
Women are hit hardest by climate change, yet they are key to effective and inclusive climate adaptation.
Addressing Biodiversity Loss and Climate Change: Three ways adaptation planning can help
Biodiversity loss and climate change must be addressed urgently and ambitiously – until now, these agendas have remained separate, but neither will be resolved unless both are tackled together.
Toward Gender-Responsive Ecosystem-based Adaptation
A key factor for the success of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) initiatives is the active integration of gender considerations. By working to address gender and social inequalities, EbA initiatives can be more effective and more sustainable.