www.fao.org/climatechange The presentation was made by Lea Herberg, Project Manager Climate Change for the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), at the Integrating Agriculture in National Adaptation Plans Workshop, 5-7 April 2016, Rome, Italy.

1. Seite 115/04/2016
Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in the
International Climate Initiative
Lea Herberg, International Climate Initiative (IKI)

2. Seite 2
Outline
15/04/2016
1. Definition of EbA
2. EbA options according to UNFCCC
3. Why EbA?
4. Importance of EbA
5. Project examples
6. Lessons learned
7. Entry points for EbA

3. Seite 3
1. Definition of EbA (CBD 2009)
15.04.2016
“Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is the use of
biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an
overall adaptation strategy to help people to
adapt to the adverse effects of climate change.”

4. Seite 4
1. Definition of EbA (CBD 2009)
“Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is the use of
biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an
overall adaptation strategy to help people to adapt
to the adverse effects of climate change.”

5. Seite 5
1. Definition of EbA (CBD 2009)
“Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is the use of
biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an
overall adaptation strategy to help people to adapt
to the adverse effects of climate change.”

6. Seite 6
1. Definition of EbA (CBD 2009)
“Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is the use of
biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an
overall adaptation strategy to help people to adapt
to the adverse effects of climate change.”

7. Seite 7
2. EbA options according to UNFCCC
(a) Coastal defence through the maintenance and/or restoration of
mangroves and other coastal wetlands to reduce coastal flooding and
coastal erosion
(b) Sustainable management of upland wetlands, forests and floodplains
for the maintenance of water flow and water quality;
(c) Conservation and restoration of forests to stabilize land slopes
and regulate water flows;
(d) Establishment of diverse agroforestry systems to cope with increased
risk from changes in climatic conditions;
Source: SBSTA-Report on the technical workshop on ecosystem-based approaches for adaptation to climate
change, 2013, page 7f: http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2013/sbsta/eng/02.pdf

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2. EbA options according to UNFCCC (continued)
(e) Managing the spread of invasive alien species that are linked to land
degradation and that threaten food security and water supplies;
(f) Managing ecosystems to complement, protect and extend the longevity
of investments in hard infrastructure;
(g) Conservation of agrobiodiversity to provide specific gene pools
for crop and livestock adaptation to climate change;
(h) Establishing and effectively managing systems to ensure the continued
delivery of the services ecosystems provide that increase resilience to
climate change, for example through protected areas.
Source: SBSTA-Report on the technical workshop on ecosystem-based approaches for adaptation to climate
change, 2013, page 7f: http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2013/sbsta/eng/02.pdf

9. Seite 9
3. Why EbA (I)?
Potential (co-)benefits of EbA
15/04/2016
Disaster
risk
reduction
Sustainable
water mgmt
Livelihood
sustenance
Carbon
sequestrationAdaptation
Biodiversity
conservation
Sustainable
development

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3. Why EbA (II)?
Cost efficiency
Soft measures /
green infrastructure
Hard measures / grey
infrastructure

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4. Importance of EbA: Development and highlights
Concept
introduced
in UNFCCC
COP 14,
Originally
from CBD
EbA as funding
priority at IKI
EbA
„Compilation of
Information“ -
Nairobi Work
Programme
Database
Roundtable for
the technical
Workshop on
EbA in Nairobi
EbA part of NAP
Technical
Guidelines
First funds from
new IKI funding
area
“biodiversity”
disbursed
NWP - Technical
WS on EbA, Dar
es Salaam
First Informal
Climate Finance
Dialogue on EbA
by BMUB / EC
EbA mentioned
in INDCs (e.g.
Mexico,
Vietnam,
Bangladesh etc.)
IKI‘s EbA
portfolio likely
to reach 100m €2008/
2009:
2010/
2011:
2012:
2013:
2014/ 2015:

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4. Importance of EbA:
Climate and biodiversity financing by IKI
IKI total: 2008 to August 2015: funding of 469 projects in over 100 partner
countries with a total BMUB funding of € 1.4 billion
Adaptation (incl. payments into multilateral funds): Total funding volume
of € 300 million
Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in funding area “adaptation”
(excl. payments into multilateral funds): 26 projects with a committed
funding volume of almost € 100 million
1/3

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5. Project Example (I): EbA-Flagship-Programmme
15.04.2016
Targets/Activities:
The programme aims
• To promote EbA as an effective approach to adaptation
• To move from anecdotal evidence to systematic, ecosystem specific results
• To foster South-South exchange
• Structure: Multi-Donor Trust Fund, open for other donors and ecosystems
Title Ecosystem-based
Adaptation in
Mountain Ecosystems
Target regions Nepal, Peru, Uganda
Implemented by UNEP, UNDP, IUCN

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5. Broom Grass Cultivation, Nepal
CC Threats and Impacts:
• Rising temperature, unstable rainfall
patterns -> landslides
Implementation:
• Cultivating Amriso plant, “broom grass”,
for commercial purposes in areas with
high male outmigration
• Stems used as fuelwood, panicles as
brooms, leaves as livestock fodder
Benefits:
• Strong web-like roots reduce soil erosion
and landslides
• Rehabilitation of degraded land
• Providing alternative source of income for
sustainable livelihoods
• Increasing social women networks
Source: UNDP (2015): Making the Case for Ecosystem-Based
Adaptation: The Global Mountain EbA Programme in Nepal, Peru and
Uganda. New York.

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5. Vicuña, animal husbandry
and sustainable grassland
management in Tanta, Peru
Fotos: Wild vicuñas (top); Before and after
grassland management in Tanta (bottom)
CC Threats and Impacts:
• Changes in rainfall patterns -> grassland
degradation
Implementation:
• Free land from domestic animals for return of
vicuñas (wildlife species)
• Pasture and livestock management through
rotational grazing
Benefits:
• Vicuñas graze more, trample less reducing
degradation of grasslands and soil erosion,
increasing water absorption
• Animal fibre as new source of income
• Strenghtening local organisation
Source: UNDP (2015): Making the Case for Ecosystem-Based Adaptation: The
Global Mountain EbA Programme in Nepal, Peru and Uganda. New York.

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Source: UNDP (2015): Making the Case for Ecosystem-Based Adaptation: The Global Mountain EbA Programme
in Nepal, Peru and Uganda. New York.

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5. Project Example (II): Microfinance for
Ecosystem-based-Adaptation to Climate Change
15.04.2016
Title Microfinance for
Ecosystem-based-
Adaptation to Climate
Change
Target regions Peru, Colombia
Implemented by UNEP-ROLAC,
Frankfurt School
Targets/Activities:
The programme aims
• To improve resilience of communities to climate change
• To ensure the sustainability of ecosystem services on which these
communities depend
• To promote and support the introduction of specific (micro) financial products
and services
http://fs-unep-
centre.org/publications/microfinance-ecosystem-
based-adaptation-options-costs-and-benefits

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5. Microfinance for Ecosystem-based-Adaptation
to Climate Change: Crop diversification
CC Threats and Impacts:
• Sudden temperature changes,
change in rainfall patterns -> crop
failure, spread of pests
Implementation:
• Grow various agricultural products
on single plot in alternating rows
Benefits:
• Making most of limited land
• Enhancing agrobiodiveristy
• Increasing resilience to pests,
drought and climate changes
• Polyculture led to up to 60% in total
output

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6. Lessons learned
15.04.2016
• Many low-cost EbA techniques/approaches exist
• Low-cost and no-regret character of EbA measures is a success factor
• Co-benefits of EbA are a convincing aspect (immediate benefits)
• EbA measures can work well – but not prioritized by politicians
Disaster risk
reduction
Sustainable
water mgmt
Livelihood
sustenance
Carbon
sequestrationAdaptation
Biodiversity
conservation
Sustainable
development

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7. Entry points for EbA
• Adaptation is strong pillar in the Paris agreement
• Role of ecosystems acknowledged in different work programmes (e.g.
Work Programme of the Warsaw Mechanism for Loss and Damage,
Nairobi Work Programme)
• EbA is part of the NAP technical guidelines
 NAPs and other climate strategies
 Development and sectoral strategies

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Thank you for your attention!
www.international-climate-initiative.com
E-Mail: lea.herberg@programmbuero-klima.de
@iki_bmub