Adaptive Futures

Adaptation technical expert

The Challenge

AdaptiveFutures staff Dr Robert Kay, Carmen Elrick-Barr and Dr Ailbhe Travers, in their capacities as Adjunct researchers to the Sustainability Research Centre at the University of the Sunshine Coast, worked with the United National Environment Program (UNEP) to complete a stocktake of approaches to ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA). The Project was initiated to support UNEPs ongoing work concerned with the effectiveness of the ecosystems approach as a means to adapt to the impacts of a changing climate.

Project components dealt with a review of constituents of ‘best practice’ for EBA with a focus on relevant approaches for monitoring and evaluation. The Project aimed to building a persuasive case for the value of EBA within a holistic approach to optimizing adaptive actions.

The output of the work has been the formulation EBA Decision Support Guidance, which aims to assist EBA practitioners in the selection, design, and implementation of EBA activities. The guidance has been constructed to explicitly recognise the decision context for effective EBA. Additionally, it is focused on the provision of monitoring and evaluation guidance to support EBA effectiveness.

The project culminated in an expert stakeholder workshop in Nairobi to gain feedback on the guidance and finalise its design.