The Ecosystem-based Adaptation through South-South Cooperation Project (EbA South, 2013-2020) has been selected by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to present its story, successes and lessons learned as a Good Practice Brief of GEF-funded project.

The GEF secretariat selected it from several nominations by various GEF agencies, taking into consideration approaches used to generate multiple global environmental benefits and co-benefits, and to achieve clear results and/or sustainability.

The presentation will also be the first GEF ever written on Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA).

The project was funded by the GEF Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) as a flagship initiative for South-South Cooperation. It enables an exchange of technology transfer, capacity building, policy support and fundraising between countries in the Global South.

The project was implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and executed by the National Development and Reform Commission of China (NDRC) through the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The project catalyzed global and regional collaboration on EbA, sharing China’s experience and research know-how in ecological restoration and climate change adaptation. Nature-based solutions for climate adaptation were piloted in key vulnerable ecosystems, i.e. deserts in Mauritania, mountains in Nepal, and coasts in the Seychelles.

Moreover, the project has brought about positive legacies in the pilot countries and beyond, including Mekong EbA South.

The Good Practice Brief will share EbA South’s invaluable experiences in two key aspects, namely EbA interventions for technology transfer and long-term research, and South-South Cooperation for knowledge exchange and capacity building.

It will also capture EbA South’s lessons on science-based interventions, adaptive management, documentation of EbA interventions, and professional interpreters for cross-culture learning.

As a next step, the GEF secretariat is planning a webinar to introduce the features and lessons learned from EbA South to other countries and GEF agencies for their future and ongoing projects.

The success of EbA South can be attributed to the continued efforts of the UNEP-International Ecosystem Management Partnership, a joint global undertaking between UNEP and CAS hosted by CAS’s IGSNRR.

Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences