Strengthening Climate Resilience in Africa’s Marine and Coastal Zones Through Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA)

The document advocates for the use of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) to help African coastal and island communities adapt to climate change impacts such as sea level rise and tropical storms. It provides a set of nine key recommendations for SADC stakeholders to integrate EbA into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), align biodiversity and ocean policies, and ensure the inclusion of local communities and gender equity in project design. The statement emphasizes the need for a regional SADC EbA strategy and a resource mobilisation plan to support sustainable investments across the region.

• Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) utilizes biodiversity and ecosystem services to assist people in adapting to climate change by managing ecosystems to increase their resilience to shocks and stresses, which in turn supports community adaptation to climate risks.
• African coastal and island nations are especially vulnerable to climate change because their economies and livelihoods depend heavily on marine and coastal ecosystems, which are currently degrading rapidly.
• The document recommends that SADC stakeholders integrate specific marine and coastal EbA interventions into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and align these with biodiversity and ocean-related policies.
• Effective EbA implementation requires the inclusive involvement of local communities from the start, the recognition of tenure rights, and a focus on gender equity and traditional cultural values.
• To scale EbA across the region, the document calls for the creation of a SADC-level resource mobilisation plan and a regional EbA strategy that considers the specific needs of coastal communities and the differences between coastal and island states.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). Strengthening Climate Resilience in Africa’s Marine and Coastal Zones Through Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA). https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GCCA-Poster-May23-2-pager-copy-compressed.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Strengthening Climate Resilience in Africa’s Marine and Coastal Zones Through Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA). n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GCCA-Poster-May23-2-pager-copy-compressed.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Strengthening Climate Resilience in Africa’s Marine and Coastal Zones Through Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA) |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GCCA-Poster-May23-2-pager-copy-compressed.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndstrengthening, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Strengthening Climate Resilience in Africa’s Marine and Coastal Zones Through Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA)}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GCCA-Poster-May23-2-pager-copy-compressed.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }