Natural Solutions: Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change in the Pacific Islands

P. Leavai, S. Chape PACC Project Manager - Climate Change Division, Director - Biodiversity & Ecosystems

Management Division Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme

Science & Knowledge

Donor Funding &

Coordination

National Government

Provincial/ Sub-national Government

Local Government/ Communities

Climate Change Adaptation

Disaster Risk

Reduction

Resilience

Island Ecosystem Diversity

High Biodiversity Values

Cultural Diversity

Population: ~ 10 million

Languages: ~ 2,000

Tenure: ~ 90%

customary

Pacific island people reliant on natural resources

Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region

Climate Change in Pacific Islands Region

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Non-Climate Change Environment Issues

Mining and Logging

Emerging

Uses

Invasive

Species

Unsustainable

Fishing

Coastal Development

Pollution and Waste

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Non-CC Impacts

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Climate Change Impacts

Lower Capacity for Resilience

Lower Capacity for Resilience

Ecosystem-based Adaptation: Application of ‘Natural Solutions’ to Climate

Change Adaptation

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By taking into account the ecosystem services on which people depend for their livelihoods and social and economic security, EbA integrates sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services in a comprehensive adaptation strategy (CBD 2009) Need to fully integrate non-climate change issues

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Benefits of Ecosystem-based Adaptation

1. Aligns with and enhances poverty alleviation and sustainable

development strategies – temporal

2. More accessible to rural and poor communities – cost

effective - spatial

3. Increases local engagement and action, drives resource

management to rural communities - spatial

4. Enables vulnerable communities to participate directly in

resource management decisions

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Benefits of Ecosystem-based Adaptation

5. Precautionary and addresses risk management – ensures

that long-term natural resources that provide resilience are

not destroyed by short-term or emergency responses to crisis

6. Provides both protective and provisioning services

7. Can contribute to climate change mitigation

8. Builds on existing investments in biodiversity conservation

9. Aligns to medium to long-term adaptation planning at the

local level sustaining livelihoods of communities as well as

supporting social and economic security in times of crisis

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Understand the Options

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A long term plan?

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Weapons of Mass Destruction

High Cost Maldives

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Sea wall around Malé cost $54 million, or $12.4 million per km

Kiribati

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What Needs to Change

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Integration of climate change adaptation options with the ecosystem approach

Holistic – all adaptation options reviewed in the context of sustainability: livelihoods, ecosystem services protected

Non-climate change issues receive equal weight in government policy and its implementation

Donors to fund holistic national level approaches, not only community level

Governments need to undertake national scale long-term development planning and infrastructure relocation

Ecosystem and socio-economic resilience analysis and mapping (ESRAM) completed to integrate CC and non-CC threats into vulnerability assessments as a basis for adaptation planning at national, provincial and community levels

An example of an

EbA project.

An example of a

medium-to-long

term adaptation

planning &

implementation @

the community

level.

Supported by

government,

regional partners 28

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San Francisco Bay, USA

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Landscape Scale: Community and Ecosystem Focus

National policy

implementation Sub-national policy

implementation

Community

engagement

Country-wide integrated

planning Whole-of-island integrated planning, ridge to

reef approach, watershed management, etc

Kosrae State, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)

Mainstream: incorporating CCA & CC Risks into

existing legislations & regulations

Socio-Environmental Safeguards:

Fit CC into EIA Guidelines

State Regulations

Amendments to incorporate CC

State Legislation Act

Developed CC legislation into State Law 10-2

National Policy

Addressed Climate Change (Baseline)

Kosrae State CC Act (2011)

SL 10-2

Regulations for Development Projects

(January 2014)

New EIA Guidelines

NATIONAL LEVEL

FSM Climate Change Act

Public Law No. 18-34

SUB-NATIONAL:

KOSRAE STATE

SUB-NATIONAL:

KOSRAE STATE

SUB-NATIONAL:

KOSRAE STATE

Results:

• A. Revised EIA guidelines incorporating CCA/DRR to be used against all

infrastructure projects in Kosrae.

• B. Existing environmental regulations modified to include CC

• C. Climate proofed Shoreline Management Plan (2000) developed and approved.

• D. The revised Kosrae SDP 2013-2023 incorporated CCA/DRR

• E. FSM Climate Change Act Public Law No. 18-34( replaced FSM CC policy 2009)

• All IDP now comply with the new EIA guideline

• Building code now in the process

• Other FSM states start adopting CC framework

Indicator(s): Guidelines, regulations, policies/plans incorporate CC

Lessons: . Focus on CCA/DRR as a cost saving in the long term and means to minimise

vulnerability to livelihoods

Kosrae State, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)

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Louisiana, USA

Choiseul Province, Solomon Islands: Partnership Approach

EbA in the Solomon Islands: Ridge to Reef

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Inappropriate coastal structures adding to shoreline erosion

Logging damaging catchments and water supplies

Loss of mangroves impacting on shoreline stability and fisheries

Threats identified by Choiseul communities

Partner interventions

Sustainable agriculture

and land use

Crop production & food

security

Water storage

infrastructure

Fisheries and

coastal management

Mangrove and coastal

rehabilitation

Ecosystem-based adaptation

Climate change

materials for schools

Farmer field school

Climate and risk

sensitive infrastructure

Taro tree planting

programme

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€5 million – 5 years

Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands

National, whole-of-island, urban

components

Science & Knowledge

Donor Funding &

Coordination

National Government

Provincial/ Sub-national Government

Local Government/ Communities

Climate Change Adaptation

Disaster Risk

Reduction

Ecosystem Approach and

Environmental Sustainability Resilience

Science & Knowledge

Donor Funding &

Coordination

National Government

Provincial/ Sub-national Government

Local Government/ Communities

Climate Change Adaptation

Disaster Risk

Reduction

Ecosystem Approach and

Environmental Sustainability Resilience

Thank You!