Natural Solutions: Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change in the Pacific Islands by P. Leavai, SPREP

1. 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

2. Science &
Knowledge
Donor
Funding &
Coordination
National
Government
Provincial/
Sub-national
Government
Local
Government/
Communities
Climate Change
Adaptation
Disaster
Risk
Reduction
Resilience

4. Island Ecosystem Diversity

5. High Biodiversity Values

6. Cultural Diversity
Population: ~ 10 million
Languages: ~ 2,000
Tenure: ~ 90%
customary

7. Pacific island people reliant on natural resources

8. Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region

9. Climate Change in Pacific Islands Region
9

10. Non-Climate Change Environment Issues
Mining and Logging
Emerging
Uses
Invasive
Species
Unsustainable
Fishing
Coastal Development
Pollution and Waste

13. 13

14. 14

15. 15

16. Non-CC Impacts
16
Climate Change Impacts
Lower Capacity for Resilience
Lower Capacity for Resilience

17. Ecosystem-based Adaptation:
Application of ‘Natural Solutions’ to Climate
Change Adaptation
17
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

18. 18

19. 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
19

20. 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
20

21. Understand the Options
21

22. A long term plan?
22

23. 23

24. 24
Weapons of Mass Destruction

25. High Cost
Maldives
25 Sea wall around Malé cost $54 million, or $12.4 million per km

26. Kiribati
26

27. What Needs to Change
27
 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

28. 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

29. 29
San Francisco Bay, USA

30. 30
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

31. Kosrae State, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)

32. 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

33. 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)

34. 34
Louisiana, USA

35. Choiseul Province, Solomon Islands: Partnership Approach

36. EbA in the Solomon Islands: Ridge to Reef
36

37. 37
Inappropriate coastal structures
adding to shoreline erosion
Logging damaging catchments
and water supplies
Loss of mangroves impacting on
shoreline stability and fisheries

38. Threats identified by Choiseul communities

39. 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

40. 40
 €5 million – 5 years
 Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands
 National, whole-of-island, urban
components

41. Science &
Knowledge
Donor
Funding &
Coordination
National
Government
Provincial/
Sub-national
Government
Local Government/
Communities
Climate Change
Adaptation
Disaster
Risk
Reduction
Ecosystem Approach and
Environmental SustainabilityResilience
Science &
Knowledge
Donor
Funding &
Coordination
National
Government
Provincial/
Sub-national
Government
Local Government/
Communities
Climate Change
Adaptation
Disaster
Risk
Reduction
Ecosystem Approach and
Environmental SustainabilityResilience

42. Thank You!