Guidelines for Integrating Ecosystem-based approaches to Adaptation in Project Design

1. Guidelines for Integrating Ecosystem-based approaches to Adaptation in Project Design Angela Andrade , Rocío Córdoba, Radhika Dave, Pascal Girot, Bernal Herrera-F., Robert Munroe, Judy Oglethorpe, Emilia Pramova, James Watson, and Walter Vergara. IUCN World Conservation Congress Jeju, Korea September, 2012 http://iucn.org/cem

2. Key General Project Components Factors affecting targets (biophysical) Strategy 1 Objetives and targets Factors affecting targets (socioeconomic) Strategy 2 Objetives and targets Factors affecting targets (institutional) Strategy 3

3. Guidelines • Prepare project structure • Define core multidisciplinary teams. • Identify ecosystem boundaries. • Scope potential climatic and non climatic threats that contribute to vulnerability.

4. Guidelines • Gather relevant data and expertise • Synthesize available information knowledge from different disciplines on important socio-ecological system components • . • Obtain/ develop climatic projections, on ecologically and socially variables, and spatial and temporal scales. • Obtain science based information and traditional/ local knowledge on past and current climate variability, and impacts. • Identify key ecosystem services and stakeholders. • Map, model and evaluate the multiple flows of ecosystem services to diverse users. • Evaluate data on ecosystem services and climate change impacts to identify gaps forresearchand elements tomonitor.

5. Conduct integrated vulnerability assessments and impact projections with flexible criteria that address the linkages between human and environmental systems • Determine the exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacities of vulnerable groups and ecosystems. • Assess overall vulnerability of ecosystems and communities. • Analyze existing policy and institutional frameworks in the context of adaptation, and identify strengths, constraints and opportunities. • Conduct participatory scenario exercise to consider how vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems under different, management and climatic projections. • Documentlevels of confidence or uncertainty in assessments.

6. Projects should be located within robust national and subnational frameworks so as to enhance the long term chances of success. • - Understand national and subnational frameworks and share results. • - Ensure that planned activities are recognized in relevant strategies.

7. Proceed with integrated planning • Consider the maintenance of ecosystem services and biodiversity in plans based on people´s needs for livelihood improvement. • Share assessment results with stakeholders and decision makers. • Identify adaptation measures. • Ensure that short term adaptation measures do not compromise long term options, which should focus on building resilience. • Ensure that adaptation strategies and plans are coherent with other sector policies.

8. 6. Ensure the sustainability of monitoring and adaptive management • Ensure sufficient resources for monitoring (including dissemination mechanisms) and support adaptive ‘learning-by-doing’; • Design monitoring systems to cover an adequate time period and operate at the most appropriate scale to assess project effectiveness and any changes in vulnerability; • Involve local communities in monitoring. • Choose indicators that reflect resilience of all the components of the human-environment system and their inter-linkages. • Evaluate and adapt the effectiveness of adaptation actions by using monitoring results, and use a participatory process.

9. Additional information http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/2011-064.pdf

10. Gracias!