Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Enhanced Resilience in Southern Africa: Synthesis Report

This synthesis report by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines the role of Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in enhancing climate resilience in Southern Africa, specifically focusing on Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania. It advocates for the integration of biodiversity and ecosystem services into national climate policies and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to protect vulnerable coastal populations and ecosystems.

• Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is defined as the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services to help people adapt to the adverse effects of climate change, aiming to simultaneously achieve climate adaptation, socio-economic benefits, and biodiversity conservation.
• Marine and coastal ecosystems in Southern and East Africa face severe pressures from human population growth, unsustainable fishing, land use change, and climatic risks, with global losses of 50% of reef-building corals and over one-fifth of mangroves over the last 30 years.
• EbA options for coastal environments include the conservation and restoration of mangroves, coastal wetlands, seagrass/kelp, coral reefs, and sand dunes, as well as the implementation of marine protected areas (MPAs), sustainable fisheries management, and coastal retreats.
• Hybrid adaptation approaches combine 'hard' engineering (like sea walls) with 'soft' nature-based solutions (like mangrove restoration) to maximize coastal protection; for example, Dar es Salaam implemented a 2,400m concrete wall alongside the restoration of 1,000ha of mangroves and 2,000m² of coral reef.
• A significant barrier to the scaling of EbA is the lack of quantitative, cost-benefit analysis and data on the value of project impacts, as most available evidence on the benefits of EbA remains qualitative.
• Innovative financing mechanisms are necessary to address funding shortfalls for EbA, including Environmental Impact Bonds (EIBs) which use a 'pay-for-success' structure, and Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) such as blue carbon credits.
• Community-led models have proven effective in EbA implementation, such as the Mikoko Pamoja project in Kenya, which funds mangrove restoration through the sale of carbon credits, and the use of Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) in Madagascar and Tanzania.
• Gender-inclusive approaches are critical for resilience, as demonstrated in Vietnam where the Community-based Mangrove Management Board (CMMB) empowered women to lead mangrove nursing and ecosystem maintenance.
• EbA is currently underrepresented in national climate policies; a review of 162 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) found that only 23 explicitly mentioned EbA.

APA

Chevallier, R., Bijoux, J., Macamo, C., & Sauka, S. (2019). Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Enhanced Resilience in Southern Africa: Synthesis Report. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Special-Report-chevallier_Synthesis-Report-Southern-African.pdf

Chicago

Chevallier, Romy, Jude Bijoux, Célia Macamo, and Siyasanga Sauka. Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Enhanced Resilience in Southern Africa: Synthesis Report. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2019. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Special-Report-chevallier_Synthesis-Report-Southern-African.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chevallier |first1=Romy |last2=Bijoux |first2=Jude |last3=Macamo |first3=Célia |last4=Sauka |first4=Siyasanga |title=Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Enhanced Resilience in Southern Africa: Synthesis Report |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=August 2019 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Special-Report-chevallier_Synthesis-Report-Southern-African.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chevallier2019marine, author = {Chevallier, Romy and Bijoux, Jude and Macamo, Célia and Sauka, Siyasanga}, title = {{Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Enhanced Resilience in Southern Africa: Synthesis Report}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2019}, month = aug, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Special-Report-chevallier_Synthesis-Report-Southern-African.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }