Building Resilience with Nature: Ecosystems and National Adaptation Planning Processes

Working with IISD for the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Network, this analysis reviewed the 19 existing NAPs as of 2020 for the extent to which they address ecosystems and ecosystem-based adaptation in their national adaptation planning. The analysis found that all of the countries recognized the vulnerability of ecosystems to climate change and the contribution of ecosystems and ecosystem services to society. The majority of the NAPs included ecosystem-based adaptation actions, even if not all of those NAPs used that term. Forests, freshwater and marine/coastal ecosystems certainly received the most attention in the NAPs with urban ecosystem-based adaptation measures under-represented. While the vulnerability of people, especially marginalized groups, was usually acknowledged in the NAPs, this was not always linked to the specific ecosystem-based interventions. Monitoring of ecosystem-based adaptation and financing for ecosystems were not comprehensive and would be areas to improve to increase the efficacy and frequency of ecosystem-based adaptation. The analysis clearly shows that countries are cognizant of the importance of ecosystems when undertaking their NAP processes but there are always areas of improvement to increase the adaptation potential and impacts for ecosystems.

Please find the full analysis on the NAP Global Network’s new Nature-based Solutions Theme Page.