12 December 2014: The Royal Society and BirdLife International organized an event on ‘Building Human Resilience: Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in Policy and Practice’ on the sidelines of the Lima Climate Change Conference. The event presented an assessment of interventions that can increase resilience to weather-related hazards and discussed fundamental elements to enhancing resilience, with a particular focus on the role of EbA.

Virgilio Viana, Fundação Amazonas Sustentável (FAS), stated the problem of climate change lies in a combination of factors, including the lack of resilience to extreme weather and its uneven and escalating impacts. He noted there are three categories of solutions considered by decision makers, including ecosystem restoration, engineered solutions and a hybrid of the two. He reported on research indicating that ecosystem-based solutions prove to be more affordable and have more positive consequences, particularly over the long term.

Xianfu Lu, UNFCCC Secretariat, reported on various provisions under the Convention that offer opportunities to address key gaps and challenges, including the Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative announced at the Lima Climate Change Conference.

Saleemul Huq, International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), warned that ignoring communities at the decision-making stage would result in decisions with unforeseen consequences for planners.

Stephen King’uyu, Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, Kenya, reported that 80% of his country is vulnerable to climate events, such as flooding, drought and frost, and lamented that adaptation suffers from a lack of funding, monitoring and evaluation and legal frameworks.

Edward Perry, Birdlife International, said building resilience to extreme weather requires holistic integration of all factors into policy and practice. Perry also warned against maladaptation, which he said causes a reduction in community resilience and working in silos.

Panelists responded to questions on: ways of engaging with different institutions; the importance of the media in advocating the role of ecosystems; finding solutions from and empowering communities, particularly through integrating ethno-ecological knowledge systems; the role of education; and the potential of reaching a climate agreement that includes EbA in Paris, France, in 2015. [IISD RS ENBOTS Coverage] [IISD RS Coverage of Lima Climate Change Conference] [Royal Society Event Announcement] [Royal Society Website] [Birdlife International Website]