Report

Recognizing that the value and role of nature was missing from mainstream planning and decision-making processes, Earth Economics and Resilient Melbourne took up the challenge of creating a practitioner resource for all those who are determined to take concrete steps to bridging the gap between the need to value nature, and political and financial will in policy and capital investments.

There is growing recognition that naturebased (or ‘green’) solutions - i.e. the restoration or rehabilitation and protection of natural habitats - when applied strategically and equitably can not only safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem services but also help people adapt to climate change [1,2]. The type of NbS targeted at helping people adapt to the impacts and hazards of climate change is widely referred to as “Ecosystem-based Adaptation” (EbA).

Changes in global climate are increasingly having adverse impacts on human populations and natural systems. This has resulted in increased efforts to come up with options that can mitigate the impacts, as well as help to adapt to already occurring changes. Ecosystem based adaptation is used by a number of organisations and in many developed and developing countries as a means for climate adaptation, especially at the community level. It is also applied for disaster risk reduction.

This booklet sets out guidance for assessing the effectiveness of an ecosystem-based approach to climate change adaptation.

The idea of ‘nature-based solutions’ (NBS) is now being used to reframe policy debates on biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, and the sustainable use of natural resources, among other issues. While interesting and potentially useful for those debates, it is a concept that still needs to be clearly defined; its use is not confined to discussions about ecosystem services and natural capital.

Many national and international environmental agreements acknowledge that the impoverishment of ecosystems is limiting the world’s capacity to adapt to climate change and that ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) approaches should be harnessed as a priority. EbA has the potential to increase adaptive capacity and social and ecological resilience to climate change in both developed and developing countries.

Many of the world’s vital natural ecosystems, and the communities reliant on them, are vulnerable to climate change. But there is increasing recognition that ecosystems — if sustainably restored and protected — can also form a strong line of defence against the direct impacts of climate change and support human adaptation over the long term. As the evidence base grows, ecosystems are increasingly prominent in climate change policy, especially in developing nations. Yet intentions rarely translate into robust and informed measurable targets, undermining action.

This Report provides a description of the procedure and the outcomes of the work performed within the domain of NBS Impact Evaluation Framework.

This Report provides a description of the procedure and the outcomes of the work performed within the domain of NBS Impact Evaluation Framework.

The state of our health services is rarely out of the news. Understandably, there is a huge concern about acute provision and the treatment of ill health. Much has been written about the increased incidence of obesity, the persistence of health inequalities and the best ways to care for an ageing population. We believe that much greater priority needs to be given to prevention of ill health in public health and social care. In April 2013, responsibility for public health moved from the NHS in England to local authorities.