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BirdLife International Africa Partnership
www.birdlife.org
Ecosystem Conservation for Climate Change
Adaptation in East Africa
The project brings together four BirdLife Partners in East Africa to raise awareness of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) and to develop capacity within government and civil society to implement EbA.
EbA is the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services to help people adapt to climate change. Sustainable management, conservation and restoration of ecosystems can reduce people’s vulnerability to climate change and ensure that ecosystems continue to provide important economic, social and cultural benefits.
For example:
Establishing and maintaining diverse agroforestry systems provides diverse livelihood options, enabling local communities to better cope with climate variability.
Conserving and restoring wetlands can help regulate water flow, reducing vulnerability to drought and flood. Healthy wetlands also support local agriculture and fishing.
Conserving and restoring forests combats erosion, reducing the risk of land-slides. Furthermore, forests regulate water flow and provide timber and non-timber products, such as medicinal plants, upon which many of the world’s poor depend for their livelihood.
Restoring mangroves provides a defence against coastal storms and rising
sea levels, while securing the livelihoods of
local fishermen.
Project sites:
Yala Swamp, Kenya
Echuya Forest, Uganda
Akanyaru Wetland, Rwanda
Mpungwe Mountain Chain, Burundi
Helping local communities adapt to climate change
BirdLife International Africa Partnership
Association Burundaise pour la Protection des Oiseaux (ABO)Charles RugerinyangeNational Coordinator Bujumbura, Burundi
Association pour la Conservation de la Nature au RwandaEgide Tumwesigye NtakirutimanaGIS and Climate Change OfficerE: [email protected]
Nature KenyaPaul MuoriaSpecies and Sites Programme ManagerE: [email protected]
Nature UgandaMichael OpigeNational Coordinator E: [email protected]
BirdLife International (Cambridge, UK) Edward Perry (Project Manager)Climate Change Policy OfficerE: [email protected]
BirdLife Africa Partnership Secretariat (Nairobi, Kenya) Olivia Adhiambo Policy OfficerE: [email protected]
Contacts
Partnership for nature and people
Core components of the project:
building on-the-ground experience with EbA to inform national policy
establishing national stakeholder working groups to build partnerships for biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation
reviewing national adaptation policies and plans
conducting participatory vulnerability assessments at 4 case study sites
demonstrating the value of ecosystems for adaptation
developing national indicators for relevant Aichi Biodiversity Targets
documenting and disseminating experience and guidance in local, national and international meetings, conferences and policy processes
Policy relevance:
The project provides guidance for the development and implementation of effective adaptation policies and plans that integrate EbA approaches. It seeks to harness the synergies between adaptation and ecosystem conservation, and to ensure that sectoral policies do not undermine the adaptation benefits of healthy ecosystems.
The project will contribute towards national implementation of both the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It will inform:
i. the review process of CBD National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), with a particular focus on Aichi Biodiversity Targets 11 (areas of importance for ecosystem services protected), 14 (ecosystems that provide essential services are restored), and 15 (ecosystem resilience enhanced to contribute to adaptation)
ii. the development of National Adaptation Plans in Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, building on their National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs), and the implementation of Kenya’s National Climate Change Response Strategy.
Project duration: April 2012-March 2015
Implementing Partners:
Association Burundaise pour la Protection des Oiseaux (ABO)
Association pour la Conservation de la Nature au Rwanda (ACNR)
Nature Kenya
Nature Uganda
Supporting Partners:
BirdLife International Secretariat (UK), BirdLife International Africa Partnership Secretariat
Funding support:
UK Government’s Darwin Initiative
Photo credits: Burundi Site: Charles Rugerinyage. Uganda (Echuya) Site: Chris Magin. Kenya site: Joan Gichuki. Rwanda site and main picture: Evariste Rutebuka. Picture above: ACNR