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

The report advocates for the integration of marine and coastal ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) into national climate policies and strategies in Southern Africa. It defines EbA as the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services to help people adapt to climate change, highlighting the value of mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrasses. The document identifies significant barriers to scaling EbA, including fragmented institutional governance, lack of quantitative cost-benefit data, and insufficient financing. It proposes innovative funding mechanisms like blue carbon projects and environmental impact bonds, and emphasizes the necessity of community-led partnerships and gender-inclusive approaches to ensure sustainable implementation.

• Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is a strategy that simultaneously targets climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation and restoration, and socio-economic and human well-being benefits.
• Marine and coastal ecosystems in Southern and East Africa face combined pressures from high population densities, unsustainable resource extraction, rapid economic development (such as port and hydropower construction), and climatic risks.
• There is a significant gap in the inclusion of marine and coastal EbA in official climate policies; a review of 162 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) found that only 23 explicitly mentioned EbA.
• Institutional governance of coastal ecosystems is often hindered by jurisdictional overlaps and competing mandates between different ministries, such as the split between land and sea authorities in Mozambique.
• A primary barrier to the adoption of EbA is the lack of quantitative, evidence-based cost-benefit analyses, as most available data on the benefits of nature-based solutions remains qualitative.
• Innovative financing mechanisms are necessary to overcome public budget constraints, including Environmental Impact Bonds (EIBs) which use a 'pay-for-success' structure to attract private impact investors.
• Blue carbon projects, such as the Mikoko Pamoja initiative in Kenya, provide a viable model for community-led mangrove restoration by selling carbon credits to international buyers.
• Successful EbA implementation requires the empowerment of marginalised groups, as demonstrated in Vietnam where women were identified as 'keystone agents of change' in mangrove management.
• Hybrid adaptation approaches, which combine 'hard' engineering (like sea walls) with 'soft' ecosystem solutions (like mangrove restoration), are often more effective than either approach alone.

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} }