Ecosystem-Based Adaptation Strategies for Climate Resilience
Summary
Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) harnesses the capacity of natural systems to buffer the impacts of climate change, delivering benefits for both people and biodiversity. By conserving, restoring and sustainably managing ecosystems such as mangroves, wetlands, forests and urban green spaces, EbA interventions enhance water regulation, reduce flood risk, stabilise shorelines and sequester carbon. They also foster livelihood diversification, strengthen food and water security, and support cultural values. Successful implementation depends on participatory governance, multi-scale planning and the integration of EbA into sectoral policies, from agriculture and forestry to urban development. Monitoring frameworks and indicators are vital for assessing outcomes and guiding adaptive management. As climate hazards intensify, EbA offers cost-effective, locally tailored pathways to build resilience, while reinforcing broader goals such as biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
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Ecosystem-Based Adaptation Strategies for Climate Resilience publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in ecosystem-based adaptation strategies for climate resilience across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA): The strategic use of biodiversity and ecosystem services to help communities adjust to climate change impacts.
Ecosystem services: The provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting benefits that people derive from functioning ecosystems.
Nature-based solutions (NbS): Actions to protect, manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems for societal challenges, including climate resilience.
Adaptive capacity: The ability of a social or ecological system to adjust to climate stresses, moderate potential damages and seize opportunities.
Resilience: The capacity of a system to absorb disturbances while retaining essential structure, processes and identity.
References
- Why ecosystem-based adaptation and gender justice go hand in hand. PLOS Climate (2024).
- Natural/Small Water Retention Measures: Their Contribution to Ecosystem-Based Concepts. Sustainability (2024).
- Contributions of nature-based solutions to reducing people’s vulnerabilities to climate change across the rural Global South. Climate and Development (2022).
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