UNITED NATIONS
UNIVERSITY
Institute for Environment
and Human Security (UNU-EHS)
Thematic working group on Ecosystem Services and Disaster Risk
Reduction
Aim: Integrate the concept of ecosystem services into disaster risk
reduction
• ecosystem-based solutions to adaptation
• eco-DRR
• natural/green infrastructure
Conserving, restoring and managing ecosystems in a sustainable way, while
at the same time reduce disaster risks and achieve sustainable and
resilient development.
• Guidelines and standards for vulnerability and risk
indicators, incorporating ecosystem services notions
• Foster collaborative activities between the scientific community, disaster
risk reduction practitioners
Today’s session: Ecosystem-based solutions for adaptation and
disaster risk reduction when considering multiple risks
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Sandra Lavorel (Université Grenoble Alpes) – Ecological mechanisms
underpinning climate adaptation services
David Vačkář (CzechGlobe) – Ecosystem services and disaster risk
management in the context of adaptation to climate change
Julia Kloos (UNU-EHS) – Ecosystem-based adaptation and disaster risk
reduction in a multi-hazard context. Some insights from rural North West
Benin
Sasha Alexander (IUCN-CEM) – Slow-Onset Disasters: Breaking the Cycle
with Sustainable Land Management Practices
Ana Paula Turetta (Griffith University) – Improving the management of
climate change impacts to support resilient regional landscapes
Jan Staes (University of Antwerp) – Mapping opportunities for
Ecosystem based Adaptation: an illustration for the Flemish Region
Questions
--------------------Break (15 min)-------------------------------
Discussions in break-out groups
Wrap and closure
Discussions 1
Which land and water management
practices can be considered as ecosystembased (e.g., EbA, Eco-DRR) in a multiple
hazard context?
According to which criteria can a measure
be identified as EbA/Eco-DRR?
Definitions
• Use of biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an
overall adaptation strategy to help people adapt to the
adverse effects of CC (CBD 2009)
• Sustainable management as well as conservation and
restoration of ecosystems as part of an overall adaptation
strategy that takes into account the multiple social,
economic and cultural co-benefits for local communities (CBD
2010 as in Andrade et al. 2011)
• Harness the capacity of nature to buffer human communities
against the adverse effects of CC through the sustainable
delivery of Ecosystem Services (Jones et al. 2012)
• Using ecosystems and Ecosystem Services to reduce and
manage environmental risks (EA, 2010)
• Sustainable management, conservation, and restoration of
ecosystems to reduce disaster risk, with the aim to achieve
sustainable and resilient development. (Estrella and Saalismaa 2013:30).
Adresses links between CC, Biodiversity, Ecosystem
services, DRR, sustainable resource management…
• „Nature-based“
solutions
• Working with
natural
processes
• EbA
• Eco-DRR
• EA
• Green
measures/infras
tructure
• Etc.
EbA
• Emerging concept of Eba
• Eba projects often not labeled as such
(Doswald and Osti,
2011)
• Not new – much coming from traditional
NRM, ecosystem restoration, DRR
• Confusion surrounding the meaning of Eba
(Munroe et al. 2011)
(Doswald et al. 2014)
• No list of agreed activities that constitue EbA
(Doswald et al. 2014)
Ecosystem-based measures
• River and Flood plain management
– Regulating rivers: River and floodplain re-naturation and/or restoration,
e.g. riverbed alterations, dyke relocation, habitat restoration, creation or
protection, and invasive, alien species removal
– Watershed management: Revegetation, afforestation, land management
practices
• Wetland management
• Woodland/Forest and natural vegetation conservation and
restoration
– Woodlands/riparian forest along water courses
– Native trees and shrubs regeneration (e.g. along coast)
• Soil, agriculture and grazing management
– Sustainable land and water management
– Diverse food production systems
• Habitat management
• Protected area management
From: Doswald and Osti, 2011, Doswald et al. 2014, Munang et al. 2014, Colls et al.
2009
Characteristics of EbA
• „Good EbA“: multiple streams of knowledge, systemic
perspective, manage multiple activities (UNEP)
• „Effective EbA“:
– Promotes resilient ecosystems, maintain ES, support sectoral
adaptation, reduce risks and disasters, complement
infrastructure, avoids maladaptation (UNEP 2012)
– Reduces vulnerability of people at an environmental, social
and economic level as well as providing benefits (Doswald et
al. 2014)
– Addresses also non-climatic threats, involves local
communities, aligns conservation, development and poverty
reduction, builds on existing good practices in NRM, adaptive
management, integrates EBA in wider adaptation, knowledge
transfer, capacity building etc. (Colls et al. 2009)
Characteristics of EbA
• „Principles of EbA“
–
–
–
–
Multisectoral approaches,
multiple geographical scales,
flexible and adaptive management,
minimize trade-offs while maximize benefits with
development and conservation goals,
– based on and share best available science and local
knowledge,
– promote resilient ecosystems and used nature based
solutions to benefit (vulnerable) people,
– participatory, transparent, accountable, and culturally
appropriate, embrace equity and gender issues
Literature
• UNEP: Ecosystem-Based Adaptation Guidance: Moving
from Principles to Practice
• A. Colls, N. Ash, and N. Ikkala (2009). Ecosystem-based
Adaptation: a natural response to climate change. Gland,
Switzerland: IUCN. 16pp.
• N. Doswald, R. Munroe, D. Roe, A. Giuliani, I. Castelli, J.
Stephens, I. Möller, T. Spencer, B. Vira, H. Reid
(2014). Effectiveness of ecosystem-based approaches for
adaptation: review of the evidence-base.
Climate and Development Vol. 6, Iss. 2, 2014
• Richard Munang, Jesica Andrews, Keith Alverson & Desta
Mebratu. Harnessing Ecosystem-based Adaptation To
Address the Social Dimensions of Climate Change
UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY
Institute for Environment
and Human Security (UNU-EHS)
Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10
53113 Bonn, Germany
Tel.: + 49-228-815-0200
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