Ecosystem basedAdaptation

Implementing Partners Supported by

Natural ecosystems– Efforts should be focused on research and impact

assessment, strengthening monitoring capabilities andcommunity based conservation programmes

– Draw up adaptation plans and practices specificallyfocused on desertification, alpine environments, andprotected areas

– Promote awareness in society and involve people in theassessments of the vulnerability of ecosystems anddependent industries or communities, and in theformulation and implementation of specific adaptationstrategies

– Train local people on fire control, connecting habitat,forest governance etc.

Agriculture– Improve research and knowledge on the impacts (for

example, food security) and costs of adaptation options,giving special attention to indigenous and local crops,seeds and technologies

– Raise awareness and improve capacity building in thesector, including training farmers on compost and shedimprovement, organic fertilizers, integrated pest

management, microirrigation technologies, insecticidehazard reduction, breed improvement, choice of species,conservation agriculture, green house horticulture etc.

– Develop more efficient agricultural techniques, newcultivars, home garden, community seed and grain storagecentre

– Given the special relation of agriculture to flood anddrought risk management, biodiversity and market changes,a crosssectoral approach is particularly important foragriculture

Water management– Improve water resources management, including flood

risk and drought control

– Integrate climate change considerations into spatial andwater resources planning

– Improve understanding on impacts and raise awareness,by engaging with water utilities and water users

– Integrate water resources management with other nationalpolicies and sectors, especially landuse, urban planning,energy and tourism

– Capacitate local people on rain water harvesting andghaito, pond and gabion wall construction

Sector-wise application

For Further Information, Please ContactProject Management UnitForestry Complex. P.O.Box.24417Babarmahal, Kathmandu, NepalTel: 104218458, Fax. 014225553Email: info@eba.org.np, Web: www.dof.gov.np/eba

Field OfficePame, Pokhara, Kaski, NepalTel: 061621553

Biodiversity loss Food insecurity Increase in incidence of natural disaster

Impact on livelihood Natural resource degradation Loss of human lives and property

Cost of Non-implementation

Maintaining connectivityof ecosystem

Supporting indigenouspeoples and local

communities

Enhancing availability ofnatural resources as a

source of food and otherproducts

Ecosystembased

Adaptation

Protectingand restoring natural areas

of significance includingcultural and

religious

Maintaining and restoring'natural infrastructure

Potential contribution of EbA (Source: MoSTE, 2012)

The impacts of climate change on human and natural systemsare already being felt on a global scale and are predicted tointensify in the future. Increased climate variability such asoccurrence of more frequent droughts, storms and more erraticor intense rainfall patterns are associated with such changesthat can significantly affect the natural ecosystems and theircapacities thus disrupting the ecosystem services and thecommunities that depend on it.

A healthy ecosystem and its services provide opportunitiesfor sustainable economic prosperity and protection againstthe negative effects of climate change. On the other hand,degradation of such ecosystem results in increased climatechange vulnerability of communities as well as the ecosystemitself. Therefore, the concept of Ecosystem based Adaptation(EbA) has emerged to aid vulnerable communities to adaptwith climate change along with continuation of ecosystemservices through restoration and sustenance of ecosystems.

EbA ensures restoration, maintenance and enhancement ofecosystem values in face of climate change impacts. It is anemerging approach to assist communities to adapt to theadverse impacts of climate change by using biodiversity andecosystem services as a part of overall adaptation strategy. Ituses sustainable management, conservation and restorationof ecosystem taking into account anticipated climate changeimpact trends to reduce vulnerability and improve the resilienceof ecosystems and community. Basically, EbA addressescrucial links between climate change, biodiversity, ecosystemservices and sustainable resource management.

EbA invites collective action from the government,communities, conservation and development organizationsand other stakeholders to plan and empower local action, toincrease environment and community resilience to climatechange. It provides cost effective strategies and is especiallyeffective at the local level with active community involvement.Plantation of tree species with high water retention capacityin drought areas, identification and plantation of species toreduce erosion and landslides, sustainable management ofnatural resources to ensure maximize benefit to the communitiesare some examples of this approach. Management of agricultureland, applying local knowledge of specific crop and livestockvarieties, and selection of species based on problem solvingapproach are some of the examples of EbA. As EbA exploitsthe full potentiality of ecosystems, it is more effective, hasmultipleuse value and provides cheaper options to buildingand maintaining physical engineering structures as dykes orconcrete walls.

PrinciplesSome of the fundamental guiding principles for effective EbAare as follows:

Building upon existing good practicesThe most effective EbA strategies apply best practices in land,water, and natural resource management to confront challengesposed by climate change. The application of the ecosystemapproach for the integrated management of resources isparticularly appropriate to the implementation ofEcosystembased Adaptation.

Involving local communitiesCommunity participation is an important element in applicationof EbA options. Ecosystem based Adaptation measures aremore successful when the local population participates in bothplanning and implementation.

Multipartnership strategy developmentEbA presents a tangible opportunity to solve climate change problemsby aligning conservation, d evelopment, and poverty alleviationinterests. Such combined efforts benefit from collaboration betweenindigenous and local communities, conservationists, natural resourcemanagers, private sector stakeholders, development specialists, andhumanitarian aid specialists.

Integrating with wider adaptation strategiesSuccessful adaptation depends upon integratingEcosystembased Adaptation initiatives with other riskmanagement components, such as early warning systems andawarenessraising, and in some cases with physicalinfrastructural interventions. It is important to encourage andenable technology transfer and dialogue between plannersand practitioners with expertise in hard engineering, and inecosystem management. Following these principles, EbAadopts wide range of ecosystem management activities toreduce the vulnerability in the face of climate change. Thoseactivities are:

– The river basins, flood plains, and their associatedvegetation are managed for sustainable water sourcemanagement

– The grasslands and rangelands are sustainably managedto enhance pastoral livelihood and to increase resilienceto drought and flooding

– The diverse agricultural systems are established usingindigenous knowledge of specific crop and livestockvarieties, maintaining genetic diversity of crops andlivestock, and conserving diverse agricultural landscapesensuring food security in changing local climatic conditions

– The forest is strategically managed by addressing thedifferent drivers of forest degradation

– The protected area systems are established and managedto ensure the continued supply of ecosystem services

Ecosystem based Adaptation

EbA Concept ApplicationsAlthough the importance of Ecosystem based Adaptation(EbA) is being increasingly recognized, robust informationon specific benefits of EbA and the conditions under whichthose benefits are likely to be received is generally lacking(World Bank, 2010). The guiding framework asks decisionmakers to consider EbA on a level playing field with the suiteof available adaptation technologies and provide supportinginformation on context specific EbA options and theiropportunities and limitation where available.

The framework consists of four components that are carriedout step by step in a cyclic manner.

Component A: Setting the adaptive contextThis component supports the selection of the most appropriate optionsfor adaptation in a given context with a view to establish whereinformation gaps exist. Here, ecosystems and the associated servicesare taken into consideration to inform a problem statement and goaldefinition. After defining the problems, an adaptation intervention willaddress it with an ecosystem lens and EbA options are identified.

Component C: Design for changeThis component supports the transition from a list of selected interventionmeasures to develop a program that will guide implementation anddefine a plan to evaluate and reflect on performance. This step willguide in project design and evaluation to facilitate longterm adaptivemanagement and deliver ‘evidence for persuasion’. This sets thefoundation for continued support for EbA initiatives whilst ensuringtransparency and accountability in implementation.

Component D: Adaptive implementationAs EbA requires a long term view, this step advocates an adaptive,flexible and sustainable approach for implementation of EbA options.There are four steps within this component:• Monitoring progress• Data Interpretation• Reflect and Adapt• Develop an evidence base for EbA effectiveness

Component B: Selecting appropriate adaptation optionsThis component helps in identification of appropriate interventionmeasures and associated context specific adaptive actions. The adaptationtechnologies are grouped by ecosystem services with their associatedbenefits and limitations and provided to guide selection of interventionmeasures with a view to maintain and enhance ecosystem resilience.