Uncertainty Era Progress: Propelling Ecosystem-centered Resilience: Addressing Ecosystem-based Adaptation Developments
The 11th Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Knowledge Day, held in Bonn, Germany, brought together global leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss the critical role of psychological resilience in achieving transformative adaptation on the ground due to climate change.
The event focused on building momentum for scaling EbA through collaboration, shared learning, and practical action. The need to shift from short-term, project-based work to programmatic, adaptive strategies that integrate EbA into finance, development, and planning systems was emphasized.
Ali Raza Rizvi, director of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Climate Change and Energy Transition Team, spoke about EbA's evolution from a conservation-focused approach to a more people-centered one. He highlighted the importance of understanding and addressing the psychological aspects of climate change adaptation, particularly in vulnerable communities.
Germany reaffirmed its support for EbA through continued funding, and networks like ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability are helping close the gap for local governments, particularly in the Global South, in accessing public climate finance due to limited technical resources.
Private sector engagement strategies include building tailored mechanisms to attract diverse investors, using blended finance to de-risk early action, and positioning EbA as a smart, future-proof investment. The International Climate Initiative and the UN Environment Programme emphasized the need for faster, more inclusive implementation of EbA, especially amid climate and biodiversity crises.
Breakout groups identified actionable recommendations to take on by the EbA community in their work and through COP30, including inclusive governance, private sector engagement, bridging policy and practice, and monitoring and evaluation. Bridging policy and practice requires overcoming fragmented planning and inaccessible technical language, greater inclusivity-even with resistant stakeholders-, and the use of tangible co-benefits to gain buy-in.
Community-driven, locally adapted nature-based responses that integrate traditional and Indigenous knowledge were highlighted as valuable. Increasing integration of EbA in national adaptation plans (NAPs) requires decision-makers' buy-in through messaging that connects EbA with top country priorities.
The FEBA network is a key driver of knowledge exchange and coordinated action across sectors. FEBA's working groups address themes including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, loss and damage, and the linkages between health, climate, and nature.
Monitoring and evaluation core elements include a shared vision, flexible indicators, and long-term funding. Institutional learning platforms were recommended to capture lessons and ensure continuity. Robust monitoring and evaluation are vital for measuring success, building trust with funders, and guiding adaptive implementation over time.
Long-term success will depend on breaking silos, building trust, and crafting solutions that are not only evidence-based, but also inclusive and scalable. Inclusive governance recommendations include the integration of rights-based approaches, Indigenous knowledge, gender equity, intergenerational justice into national policy, along with long-term funding that respects free, prior, and informed consent.
Participants were invited to engage with existing FEBA groups or propose new ones to support the advancement of ecosystem-based solutions for resilient development. The organizations currently leading the work on the working group about Psychological Resilience and EbA within the 'Friends of Ecosystem-based Adaptation' group were not explicitly named in the provided search results. However, the spirit of collaboration and knowledge-sharing was palpable throughout the event, suggesting a collective commitment to driving meaningful change in the field of EbA.
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