Climate Risk Assessment for Ecosystem-based Adaptation

EbA addresses the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall adaptation strategy to help society to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change. The approach is recognised as cost-effective and generates social, economic, health and cultural co-benefits while contributing to the conservation of biodiversity. In recent years, EbA measures have been increasingly promoted to aid people to adapt to climate change and reduce climate-related disaster risk.

The guidebook, developed by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH) in collaboration with Eurac Research and United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), provides a standardised approach to assess risks within social-ecological systems by following the methodology of the GIZ vulnerability sourcebook (GIZ 2014) and its Risk Supplement (GIZ and EURAC 2017). Using river basin and coastal zone management as application examples, the guide suggests improvements to adaptation planning by considering both ecosystem-based and conventional options in the form of integrated ‘adaptation packages’.

Targeted to governmental and non-governmental organisations the guidebook can support the planning of adaptation, disaster risk reduction and development measures by providing a standardised methodology for assessing climate risks in the context of EbA and by demonstrating the potential co-benefits of EbA based on direct and indirect linkages to other sectors.