1. Ecosystem-based adaptation helps to build the resilience of natural habitat and communities to climate change impacts and thereby reduce their vulnerability whilst providing multiple benefits (Colls et al, 2009); such as livelihoods, sustainable natural resources and ecosystem services. South Africa can expect average temperature increases between 1°C and 3°C by 2050, accompanied by an up to 30% reduction in rainfall, an increased incidence of droughts, floods and severe storms, coupled with sea level rises as much as 1 m in areas (IPCC, 2007). Ecosystem-based Activities In response, we need activities and management approaches that conserve species and habitat, connect landscapes and protect ecosystem services. Some examples of activities are provided by the IUCN report: Ecosystem-based adaptation: A Natural response (Colls et al, 2009) * as: Sustainable water management, where river catchment areas, flood plains, and their associated vegetation are restored and managed to provide water storage and flood regulation services. Disaster risk reduction, where restoration of coastal habitats such as coastal dunes and wetlands can be a particularly effective measure against storm-surges, saline intrusion and coastal erosion. Ecosystem based Adaptation & CAP “Ecosystem-based adaptation uses biodiversity and ecosystem services in an overall adaptation strategy. It includes the sustainable management, conservation and restoration of ecosystems to provide services that help people adapt to the adverse effects of climate change”(CBD, 2009). Sustainable management of grasslands and savannahs and other grazing lands, to improve the ability of pastoralists to adapt and enhance their livelihoods whilst building resilience against drought and flooding; as these ecosystems and the services upon which we depend are conserved and intact. Establishment of diverse agricultural systems, using indigenous knowledge of specific crop and livestock varieties, together with adaptation strategies such as reduced stocking rates, rotational grazing and sustainable agricultural practices, maintaining genetic diversity of crops and livestock, and conserving diverse agricultural landscapes. This secures food provision in changing local climatic conditions. Strategic management of thicket and forests to limit the frequency and intensity of uncontrolled forest fires; and to maintain the carbon stocks. Establishing and effectively managing protected area systems to ensure the continued delivery of ecosystem services that increase resilience to climate change as well as creating corridors to link these protected areas so services are connected across the landscape and species can shift as required to. (*These activities are based from Colls et al, 2009 but include South African examples). building resilience to climate change www.cap.org.za

2. CAP and Ecosystem-based adaptation CAP promotes the conservation and sustainable management of intact healthy ecosystems as part of the solution to climate change. Our efforts are not only for mitigation purposes (to store harmful green house gases such as carbon and methane) but also adaptation, which means “coping with the changes/impacts” that climate change brings and being more resilient to them. By protecting the services and biodiversity provided by healthy ecosystems we reduce our risk whilst also providing jobs for our communities. CAP is working with its partners on supporting the “enabling environment“ for ecosystem based adaptation through guiding national and international polices and strategies that should integrate ecosystems into adaptation approaches. Some of the approaches to supporting the enabling environment for ES based adaptation that Conservation International are using are: Conducting vulnerability assessments; identifying key adaptation responses and linking them with local, regional and national planning processes and supporting local communities to implement locally appropriate adaptation practices. An important aspect of this process is the monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the adaptive management techniques. CAP is also implementing ecosystem-based approaches through projects including reforestation in KwaZulu-Natal, thicket restoration in the Eastern Cape and restoration of soil and water services in a riverine habitat in the Karoo. We use ecosystem-based approaches with our corridor projects in KwaZulu-Natal and Karoo and Northern Cape where land is put under conservation though stewardship agreements to connect protected areas and create links across large landscapes. This is to allow species to shift under climate change threats and to maintain ecological services on which we depend. CAP is also conducting a research project to assess the monitoring criteria required in these corridors to track long term changes and to assess the viability of these corridors for adaptation purposes. See www.cap.org.za for more information.www.cap.org.za References: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (2009). Connecting Biodiversity and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: Report of the Second Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Biodiversity and Climate Change. Montreal, Technical Series No. 41, 126 pp Colls. A, Ash. N, and Ikkala. N (2009). Ecosystem-based Adaptation: a natural response to climate change. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. 16pp Intergovernmental Panel of Climate change, 2007 report For more information please contact: Sarshen Marais Climate Action Partnership coordinator s.marais@conservation.org Jessica Thorn Project Officer j.thorn@conservation.org tel: +27 21 799 8834 fax: +27 21 762 6838 Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens Private Bag X7 Claremont 7735 www.cap.org.za