Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change: Experience from Smallholder Floodplain Forest Management

Abstract

Ecosystem‐based Adaptation (EbA) is a strategy to use ecosystem services to help farmers’/communities to adapt to negative effects of climate change. This strategy is appropriate for smallholders to strengthen their livelihood security, diversify earning streams by taking advantage of their traditional knowledge. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to analyze how ecologically‐based management system of floodplain Barringtonia forest helps the traditional communities to sustain their livelihood while managing the forest under changing climate. Barringtonia acutangula constitute floodplain forest ecosystem in Chatla wetland of Barak Valley, Assam. Fishery management for commercial fish production is the primary vocation of the floodplain communities. The species is managed for sprout production (sprout diameter >10cm and length >150cm, tree diameter > 20 cm), the latter is used extensively in fish farming to protect fishes from predator, poaching and theft, besides its commercial utility. Smallholder’s forested Barringtonia zone ranges in size from 0.03 to 0.26 ha with mean stand density of 1293 trees ha ‐1 . Study revealed a unique ecologically compatible branch cutting technique which has been developed by the farmers’ to facilitate high branch production from the limited number of trees that farmers’ own. Such traditional technique sustainably utilizes the forest ecosystem and provide both on and off site ecosystem services. Therefore, ecologically based management practices can also contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing emissions from ecosystem loss and degradation, and enhancing carbon sequestration.