Adaptation planning and policy

Suburbanbloke; flickr Governments need to base policy on sound science, recognise ecosystems as cross-cutting and underpinning for adaptation Zoom In

BirdLife is calling for the importance of healthy ecosystems to be effectively written into national, regional and international climate change and development policy.

BirdLife believes that to create a climate-resilient society, adaptation priorities need to be agreed in-country, through nationally-led, inclusive and participatory processes, and therefore urges governments to base policy on sound science, recognise ecosystems as cross-cutting and underpinning for adaptation, and to address them within national adaptation frameworks, strategies and plans. They should significantly step up efforts to protect nature and biodiversity, as a prime strategy to ensure ecosystem resilience, recognising this as vital to addressing climate change. What governments can do.

Local communities and resource users should be fully involved in adaptation planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation – and support and information should be readily available to enable this. What communities can do.

Sectors such as agriculture, energy and transport should apply an ecosystem approach to business planning and delivery, and ensure that ecosystem resilience is strengthened rather than weakened by their activities. They should work with other sectors in assessing risks posed by climate change and finding adaptation solutions. What sector leaders can do.

BirdLife believes that the international community (including governments, international and regional institutions, and multinational corporations) has a vital role to play. They should ensure adequate funding for developing countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change, recognising the urgent and immediate needs of the most vulnerable countries. This will mean both meeting their current commitments, and providing new funding. What the international community can do.