Boletín trimestral de FEBA, abril de 2025

Dear Friends of EbA Community,

As climate urgency grows, Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is increasingly recognized for integrating resilience, biodiversity, and sustainable development. Recent global processes—like UNFCCC COP29el Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), and the 2025 Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue—highlight EbA’s role in national strategies, ocean resilience, and synergies across climate, biodiversity, and governance frameworks (e.g., BBNJ Agreement, CBD).

Key EbA trends

Ecosystems as Climate Solutions: Forests, wetlands, and mangroves are prioritized for dual mitigation and adaptation benefits.
Climate-Biodiversity Synergies: Policy coherence is advancing, with Nature-based Solutions (NbS) bridging global frameworks.
Indigenous Leadership: Indigenous peoples and local communities are critical to effective EbA implementation.
Resilience & Bioeconomy: Ecosystems are leveraged for sustainable development and innovation.

Under CBD Decision 16/22, submissions on enhancing Rio Convention coherence are due by 1 May 2025, followed by a technical exchange in June. The CBD will also release a supplement to its EbA Guidelines, building on FEBA’s prior contributions, to support KMGBF Targets 8 and 11.

FEBA’s Role in Driving EbA Forward

Knowledge Creation: Synthesizing best practices through its expert Working Groups (e.g., Biodiversidad, clima, Una Salud y Soluciones Basadas en la Naturaleza, NbS en Contextos Humanitariosy Metas 8 y 11 del Marco Mundial para la Diversidad Biológica de Kunming-Montreal).
Strengthening the EbA Global Community: Generating spaces to exchange learnings and best practices, and identify best solutions for ongoing challenges, such as during the EbA Knowledge Day taking place on 21 June 2025 alongside the SB62 meetings – register for online or in-person participation.
Advocacy and Collaboration: Amplifying EbA’s visibility through targeted key messages and policy papers, equipping FEBA members to participate in multilateral forums and fostering partnerships across sectors.

FEBA is gearing up for a pivotal year in 2025, with major contributions planned for COP30 and CBD intersessional to advance its role in knowledge creation, policy influence, and scaling up EbA. Building on recent outputs—like its policy brief on mangrove ecosystems, developed with the Global Mangrove Alliance and Mangrove Breakthrough—FEBA will equip decision-makers with cutting-edge tools, foster cross-sectoral collaboration, and drive actionable commitments to mainstream EbA in global climate and biodiversity agendas.

By bridging science, policy, and practice, FEBA ensures ecosystems remain central to climate adaptation. Join us in shaping a resilient future!

—The FEBA Secretariat

FEBA Secretariat News

Psychological Resilience & EbA/NbS Working Group launched
FEBA has launched the new Working Group on Psychological Resilience and NbS/EbA (PR&EbA) with the World Resources Institute and the Billion Minds Institute. Recognizing the powerful interplay between NbS and human wellbeing, this group will explore how NbS/EbA can strengthen community resilience and foster deeper connections with nature. It aims to identify best practices and opportunities to mainstream psychological resilience within sustainability efforts.

Loss & Damage Working Group launched

FEBA, in collaboration with PEDRR, has launched a new working group on Loss and Damage (L&D). This group will address the critical gap in understanding and responding to climate and disaster-related losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services by defining the role of EbA and NbS. It will produce knowledge to guide countries in assessing losses and utilizing NbS for resilience.

Read the group’s Terms of References

Join the group

Humanitarian Working Group at Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Week 2025

The FEBA Working Group on NbS in Humanitarian Settings successfully hosted the “Humanitarians as Climate and Environment Champions” event during the Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks. This webinar underscored the vital integration of NbS and environmental safeguarding in humanitarian action. If you missed this insightful discussion, watch the recording below.

Watch recording here

Targets 8 & 11 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Working Group

Members are currently in the initial phases of developing an output to support Section C (Considerations for Implementation) of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, with a particular focus on EbA, in relation to Targets 8 and 11. This work will be grounded in a compendium of relevant case studies, drawing on existing initiatives and ongoing Member efforts in the field.

See working group here

New Policy Guidance Document to contribute to the indicators under the Global Goal on Adaptation

Developed with the Global Mangrove Alliance and the Mangrove Breakthrough NDC Task Force, this guidance document outlines the case for adopting mangrove-related indicators for target 9d (ecosystems and biodiversity), as they respond to the criteria sought for indicators to track progress towards GGA targets, noting that these indicators could also be used to measure aspects under other GGA targets.

See document here

EbA Knowledge Day 2025

This year’s EbA Knowledge Day will be held on Saturday, 21 June, from 9:30 to 19:00 (CET) in Bonn, at the margins of the United Nations Climate Conference. EbA Knowledge Day, preceding UNFCCC COP 30, unites key leaders to drive tangible progress in EbA policy and practice.

FEBA Member News

Publications, Current Projects and Upcoming Events

Puna Resiliente: Restoring Andean Ecosystems: The recently launched Puna Resiliente project aims to restore high Andean ecosystems, securing water for 2 million people through NbS and ancestral knowledge, while empowering women and youth. Additionally, their Nature-Based Solutions Initiative released a policy brief highlighting the economic recovery benefits of NbS. A new study also analyzes their successful Andean Forest restoration project in Aquia.

Natur’ELLES: Empowering Women in Senegal: SOCODEVI, in collaboration with IUCN, is implementing the Natur’ELLES project in Senegal’s vital mangrove ecosystems. This initiative empowers women and their communities to adopt NbS, drawing on local knowledge for mangrove restoration and biodiversity conservation. By establishing inclusive governance within Marine Protected Areas and Indigenous Community Heritage Areas, Natur’ELLES, through SOCODEVI’s PLEAC program, trains women as environmental leaders, fostering climate resilience and equitable resource management.

Rare: Rare and CFI recently published a report, “The Business Case for Financial Inclusion to Scale EbA Solutions in Philippine Coastal Communities”, highlighting the crucial link between financial inclusion and EbA in small-scale fisheries based on a Siargao case study. Additionally, Rare’s Wilipihera project in Mozambique, supported by the Blue Action Fund, is strengthening climate resilience for fisher-farmer communities through EbA and local governance engagement. They have also provided an update on their people-centered solutions presented at the UN CBD COP16, emphasizing community involvement for successful biodiversity conservation.

CBF: The Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) highlights the transformative potential of permaculture, like lasagna beds, for creating productive and biodiverse gardens, even in small spaces. A recent visit in Saint Lucia, supported by the CBF-EbA Facility-financed CLEAR Caribbean project, showcased these effective methods and a mobile app for data collection in home gardens and farms.

FAO: The FAO announces a new phase of its SCALA programme, building on biodiversity gains by addressing the crucial climate-biodiversity-agrifood nexus. This initiative aims to tackle multiple environmental and agricultural challenges through integrated approaches.

La UICN: IUCN has launched two significant projects, ADAPT 2.0 y Greening the Western Balkans. Launched in Skopje, these initiatives will strengthen the nature and biodiversity pillar of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. Collaborating with authorities, experts, and civil society, IUCN will support the region’s commitment to biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. This vital work underscores FEBA members’ crucial role in advancing global environmental goals.

Join for Water: Join For Water recently convened stakeholders across four countries for a Water Symposium focused on EbA. Furthermore, on World Water Day, they amplified the voices of young people globally, advocating for freshwater protection and greater integration of water considerations in policy and ecosystem management.

GEbAF: El Fondo Mundial para la AbE Asia-Pacific learning exchange and networking workshop took place 4-7 March 2025. The event highlighted the importance of sharing lessons learnt to scale EbA across projects and countries. Participants discussed the challenges to EbA implementation, such as insufficient financing, lack of technical capacity, and governance issues. Solutions were explored to address these barriers, emphasising the need for collaboration and long-term engagement.

CBF: The Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) launched its 5th EbA Facility Call for Proposals, offering up to USD 15.5 million for EbA projects in eligible Caribbean islands, with twelve concept notes shortlisted. Additionally, the CBF introduced the Caribbean Coral Health Forum (CCHF) at CBD COP16. This vital platform will unite coral reef experts to address critical issues like bleaching and Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease.

SOCODEVI: SOCODEVI has recently launched a new webpage dedicated to the organization’s approach on NbS, highlighting the important role played by cooperatives in sustainable governance of natural resources and EbA, for local communities emphasizing women leadership.

SEI: SEI published the article “Engagement around risk, informality and nature-based solutions in Nakuru, Kenya”, investigating the interconnected risks faced by informal settlements and the potential of NbS for equitable urban development. Through participatory engagement, the research highlights the complex social, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities, emphasizing the need for inclusive planning processes in NbS implementation. The findings underscore the importance of integrating resident perspectives and addressing systemic barriers to achieve meaningful and equitable change in urban settings across sub-Saharan Africa.

G3CoP: On February 12, the Global Green-Gray Community of Practice (G3CoP) hosted a webinar on how federal policy in the U.S. is advancing NbS through green-gray infrastructure. Dr. Heather Tallis shared her experience advising President Biden on nature, offering insights on mainstreaming NbS across government. Dr. Todd Bridges reflected on lessons from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ “Engineering with Nature” initiative.

Upcoming Events

From July 21-25, 2025, SOCODEVI and its partners are bringing together stakeholders from Senegal and the wider region to stimulate the sharing of knowledge, experiences, and best practices in mangrove resources and ecosystem management. The event, to be held in Dakar, will explore potential opportunities for payments for ecosystem services (PES), discuss the goods and services provided by ecosystems and highlight the role played by cooperatives and local communities in sustainable management of natural resources.

Rare will be attending the following conferences: Blue Economy Finance Forum, Monaco, the 3rd UN Ocean Conference, France, and UNFCCC COP30, Brazil. Event schedules are still being confirmed, and Rare is looking forward to connecting with other FEBA partners. Más información

Collaboration Corner

Conservation International, through the Global Green-Gray Community of Practice (G3CoP), seeks reviewers for a draft NbS policy brief. Additionally, connect with Rod Braun at the UN Ocean Conference to explore partnerships advancing green-gray infrastructure for coastal and cross-sectoral adaptation.

Contacto acarvalho@conservation.org for both opportunities.

G3CoP, formerly a FEBA working group, is relaunching with renewed momentum. This growing community, focused on green-gray infrastructure, is planning a kick-off to shape future collaboration and learning.

Interested individuals, especially past participants, are invited to join the LinkedIn group or contact Alice Piva to get involved in the planning.

EbA in the News

The “Toward Gender-Responsive Ecosystem-based Adaptation” report,

authored by IISD experts and supported by GIZ, underscores the necessity of integrating a gender perspective into EbA. It outlines essential components for effective and equitable EbA, illustrated with real-world examples, and offers guidance for practitioners and policymakers across various sectors.

Más información

The “ALivE (Adaptation, Livelihoods and Ecosystems) user manual”

offers detailed guidance on using the computer-based ALivE tool for planning effective EbA. ALivE helps organize and analyze information, providing step-by-step instructions and frameworks for data collection. It supports the broader EbA planning process, enabling the integration of feasible adaptation options into policies.

Más información

“Advancing sustainable food systems and enhancing water security through supporting ecosystem-based approaches: Insights from the Step Change initiative”

The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) recently held a learning review for its Step Change initiative, which supports locally-led adaptation in the Global South. The review highlighted project synergies in strengthening food systems and water security through ecosystem-based approaches, emphasizing the importance of local knowledge co-production and gender equity. Several projects are empowering smallholder farmers with agroecological innovations, improving sustainable livestock practices, and exploring equitable finance mechanisms for ecosystem-based solutions.

Más información

The “Scaling Up Ecosystem-based Adaptation Measures in rural Latin America” project

aims to enhance climate resilience in vulnerable communities and ecosystems in Ecuador, Guatemala, and Costa Rica over five years. Funded by the German BMUV through IKI and implemented by GIZ, IUCN, and CATIE, the project will develop and scale proven EbA approaches at the landscape level, linking them with governance platforms and focusing on governance, implementation, capacity building, and climate finance. The initiative works with diverse stakeholders to strengthen their capacity for effective and sustainable EbA implementation.

Más información

Financing Solid Climate Action: Locally Led Nature-Based Solutions

A new study in Kenya’s Makueni County examined the alignment of sand dam projects, a NbS for water scarcity, with Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) principles. While the projects showed some alignment, the research highlighted gaps in governance that could enhance financing and long-term sustainability. The study emphasizes that the success of NbS relies on predictable funding, robust governance, and genuine local ownership, suggesting that better integration of LLA principles can unlock sustainable financing for climate action benefiting local communities.

Más información

“Applying the water-energy-food nexus to promote ecosystem-based adaptation in the Ewaso Ng’iro North Catchment, Kenya”

SEI Africa’s project (2023-2026) promotes resilient livelihoods through a water-energy-food nexus and EbA. Collaborating with government, communities, and businesses, it aims to create integrated plans for water, energy, agriculture, and land use to improve food security, create jobs, and protect ecosystems. Key outcomes include WEF models, innovative solutions, and increased awareness for wider adoption.

Más información

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