#ecosystem-based adaptation

EbA and Biodiversity In response, ecosystem-based adaptation, or EbA has emerged as a cost-effective, all-encompassing approach that harnesses biodiversity and ecosystem services to enable climate adaptation. EbA caters to the urgency caused due to the knock-on effects of climate change that gravely threaten the interactions and overall stability of nature and its diversity. In line with this, the Global Risks Report 2022 identifies “climate action failure”, “extreme weather events”, and “biodiversity loss” as the top three most severe risks over the next decade. At the same time, the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has on multiple occasions propounded biodiversity management as a course of action for both climate mitigation and adaptation. The two-way links that run between climate change and Biodiversity offer a good leverage point for EbA approaches to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss while accruing multiple pronounced benefits that support the natural flow of ecosystems. EbA shifts the focus from the “importance” and “need” to protect Biodiversity to its occupying the central “role” in a changing climate. In other words, the approach taps into the biological variability in an attempt to capture a “coherent conservation adaptation” agenda.

It focuses on restoring, maintaining and improving ecosystems so they are resilient to climate change. EbA looks beyond the role of ecosystems as being providers of fixed natural resources and instead sees them as a network of interconnected beings that not only generate products such as food but also provide regulating services that affect climate and water cycles, cultural services that provide educational and community benefits and supporting services such as nutrient cycling. For example, in our watershed development projects we not only look at conserving soil and water but also pay attention to the needs of humans, flora and fauna while promoting local biodiversity and maintaining a People’s Biodiversity register.

We understand the gravity of the climate crisis in India. We also know with our proven research that if practised more widely, the Ecosystem-based Adaptation response to climate will help India manage land degradation, conserve and improve ecosystems and progress towards reducing its carbon footprint in the world.

Irrespective of the terminologies used to promote adaptation to climate change, it is important we adopt ecosystem-based, holistic approaches and work together with nature while charting our future. The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the urgency of restoring this balance with nature while also highlighting the need for ensuring equity – issues that are ingrained in the principles of the EbA approach.

While governments across the world realize the urgent need to submit and implement stronger 2030 emission reduction targets, it is crucial that equal attention be paid to promoting greater equity and inclusiveness in order to achieve a just transition. Ecosystem-based Adaptation can play a crucial role in this journey.

This puts India in a catch-22 situation where we need to work on reducing the development deficit by strengthening infrastructure and industries while keeping the emissions strictly under check. It is crucial that these changes are not seen in isolation, but in a more holistic manner. For instance, declining agriculture productivity is a result of poor soil health, depleting groundwater tables, loss of biodiversity, and resource-intensive farming practices. Addressing these challenges would require that we adopt an ecosystems perspective and nature-based approach that ensures sustainability and complements the ongoing efforts to achieve net-zero targets. COP26 also recognized the importance of nature for both reducing emissions and building resilience to mitigate climate change impacts. Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is a promising approach that strives to regain this balance by restoring the natural resources and also building adaptive capacities of people to combat the adverse impacts of climate change.