Ecosystem-based strategies and innovations in water governance networks for adaptation to climate change in Latin American Landscapes (ECOADAPT)

International debates on climate change highlight the need to foster adaptation planning in Latin America where significant impacts are expected. However, little progress has been made due to the difficulty of managing environmental dynamics characterized by deep uncertainties and potential tensions at various scales. EcoAdapt is built on the outcomes of two rounds on regional consultation with Latin American civil society organizations (CSO) and scientists. It aims at increasing the capacity of local communities, CSOs, policy-makers and scientists to engage in inter-disciplinary action-research to increase their collective capacity to adapt to climate change. The EcoAdapt CSOs stated that watershed services were the most critical with respect to possible tensions and social conflicts that may arise due to climate change. The EcoAdapt team considers that 1) adaptation to climate change is not something that can be done in isolation, and 2) ecosystem-based management is a robust basis for successful adaptation to climate change in Latin America. Therefore in the project concept, watershed ecosystem services (WES) are mainstreamed in an overall adaptation strategy by a variety of players involved in science-policy-civil society networks across-scales. EcoAdapt will be implemented in model forest landscapes in Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile. Knowledge sharing forms the backbone of the project and provides scientists and policy-makers with an in-depth insight into local knowledge and issues, which will frame the research to be done. Based on this common understanding EcoAdapt will assist communities in developing their WES-based adaptation strategy. This will be achieved by combining exploratory scenario analysis, participatory backcasting, and social validation via hybrid forums. EcoAdapt will implement part of the strategy in pilot communities and build on existing networks for dissemination to other communities of Latin America and Europe.