Enhancing Resilience through Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-based Adaptation

The policy brief advocates for the adoption of marine and coastal ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) to protect vulnerable coastlines and livelihoods from climate change. It highlights the potential for 'soft' and 'hybrid' adaptation strategies in Southern and East Africa, while identifying barriers such as lack of political prioritisation, insufficient quantitative data for the private sector, and fragmented institutional governance. The author recommends mainstreaming EbA into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and national budgets, promoting innovative financing like blue bonds and blue carbon credits, and ensuring the active participation of coastal communities and women in project design.

• Marine and coastal EbA involves using biodiversity and ecosystem services to help people adapt to climate change, but these ecosystems remain largely absent from official response measures, particularly in developing countries and small island states.
• There are three main types of adaptation options: 'hard' (engineered solutions like sea walls), 'soft' (nature-based solutions like mangrove preservation), and 'hybrid' (combining structural engineering with natural features). While hard infrastructure can be expensive and counterproductive by furthering erosion, soft EbA is often more cost-effective; for instance, a square kilometre of reef can protect 2,000m² of coastal area.
• Integration of marine and coastal EbA into national climate policies is currently low; few Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted to the UNFCCC explicitly refer to it, though some countries have specific targets, such as Madagascar's goal to restore 35,000ha of primary mangrove forests by 2020.
• Effective EbA implementation in countries like Mozambique and Tanzania is hindered by institutional challenges, including competing mandates and jurisdictional overlaps between departments responsible for climate change and ecosystem management.
• Innovative financing is necessary to bridge the gap in adaptation funding. Examples include 'blue carbon' voluntary carbon markets for mangroves and seagrasses, and the Seychelles' 'debt-for-nature' scheme, which is the first Paris Club debt agreement designed to benefit climate adaptation.
• The private sector's engagement in EbA is limited by a lack of quantitative cost-benefit analyses. There is a need for data showing that coastal wetlands can be more cost-effective than sea walls and that the absence of coral reefs could double annual flooding damages and triple costs from frequent storms.
• Community-led models and partnerships are essential for success. Examples include Kenya's Mikoko Pamoja mangrove project and the use of South Africa's 'Working for Wetlands' and 'Working for the Coast' programmes to employ local unskilled labour for rehabilitation.

APA

CHEVALLIER, R. (2019). Enhancing Resilience through Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-based Adaptation. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Policy-Briefing-188-chevallier.pdf

Chicago

CHEVALLIER, ROMY. Enhancing Resilience through Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-based Adaptation. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2019. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Policy-Briefing-188-chevallier.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=CHEVALLIER |first1=ROMY |title=Enhancing Resilience through Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-based Adaptation |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=August 2019 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Policy-Briefing-188-chevallier.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chevallier2019enhancing, author = {CHEVALLIER, ROMY}, title = {{Enhancing Resilience through Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-based Adaptation}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2019}, month = aug, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Policy-Briefing-188-chevallier.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }