Voluntary guidelines for the design and effective implementation of ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and supplementary information

Description

Ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation (EbA) and disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) use biodiversity and ecosystem services to help people to adapt to the impacts of climate change and reduce disaster risk through the sustainable management, conservation and restoration of ecosystems. It was adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its fourteenth meeting.

The voluntary guidelines are intended to be used by Parties, other Governments, relevant organizations, and indigenous peoples and local communities, the private sector and civil society as a flexible framework for planning and implementing EbA and Eco-DRR. The voluntary guidelines may also contribute to an objective of the national adaptation plan guidelines, under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change by building resilience and adaptive capacity.

The voluntary guidelines provide detailed information on considerations for EbA and Eco-DRR, the respective principles and safeguards as well as implementation issues (including mainstreaming, awareness raising and capacity building).

A stepwise approach to the design and implementation of effective EbA and Eco-DRR is presented considering the following step:

• Understanding the social-ecological system
• Assessing vulnerabilities and risks
• Identifying EbA and Eco-DRR options
• Prioritising, appraising and selecting EbA and Eco-DRR options
• Project design and implementation
• Monitoring and evaluation of EbA and Eco-DRR

In the opening chapter the voluntary guidelines provide information for policymakers amongst others on the concept of EbA, the role of biodiversity and ecosystems in the adaptation to climate change, the benefits of EbA and respective governance opportunities. This chapter describes amongst others how EbA are linked to the SDGs, the Aichi Targets and climate change hazards.

In addition information is provided on how to integrate EbA to climate change adaption and disaster risk reduction into various sectors, namely agriculture, humanitarian, infrastructure, forestry and water sector.

Reference information