Abstract
The extent to which ecosystem services have been considered in the National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) and the proposed adaptation projects is assessed. By August 2010, 44 least developed countries had prepared their NAPAs in response to climate change. The NAPAs constitute a starting point for planning adaptation nationally and sub-nationally, but need to be evaluated and improved as new knowledge emerges. Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is an emerging approach that recognizes that ecosystem services play an important role in reducing people's vulnerability to climate change. The importance of ecosystem services is acknowledged in more than 50% of the NAPAs. Approximately 22% of the proposed projects include ecosystem activities for social well-being or adaptation, with most of them in support of other adaptation measures (e.g. infrastructure). These projects deal mainly with regulating services (soil rehabilitation, erosion control and water regulation) and provisioning services (food, fibre and fuel wood). They also have the potential to promote integrative and cross-sectoral adaptation, as many of them consider multiple ecosystem services and beneficiary sectors. However, more technical, political and financial support is needed to foster the role of ecosystem services in adaptation.
Highlights
Human and natural systems are influenced by climate variability and climate change, and the adverse effects will be most severely felt by societies in developing countries (IPCC, 2007)
The National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) documents were retrieved from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) website on 1 August 2010 and the content of the 44 NAPAs submitted to the UNFCCC by this date was examined (UNFCCC, 2010)
Background sections Ecosystem services were mentioned at least once in 30 of the 44 NAPAs evaluated, and 10 of these mentioned the importance of such services six2 or more times (Table 1)
Summary
Human and natural systems are influenced by climate variability and climate change, and the adverse effects will be most severely felt by societies in developing countries (IPCC, 2007). As the impacts of climate change threaten development gains, there is an urgent need for efficient and sustainable adaptation to climate change, an issue that is appearing with increasing frequency on the agendas of researchers, practitioners and decision makers (Adger et al, 2003). After it was internationally recognized that the least developed countries (LDCs) are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, the National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) were established during the Seventh Session of the Conference of Parties (COP 7) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Marrakesh (UNFCCC, 2002). With the NAPAs, the LDCs identify and communicate their most urgent adaptation needs Ecosystem services in the NAPAs 395 immediate adaptation needs, proceed with national adaptation planning, and define priority projects for implementation and funding. Institutional and community stakeholder consultation is central to identifying existing coping strategies, current and potential vulnerabilities, possible adaptation responses, and criteria for prioritizing these responses (LEG, 2002)
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