Ecosystem-based adaptation from mountains to oceans: How people adapt to climate change by using nature

This publication intends to inspire policy and decision makers by showcasing a selection of solutions, that have been applied in very different settings. It shows that ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) has ‘many faces’: It is being implemented successfully in a broad range of countries and ecosystems and it is being driven forward by all kinds of people and organizations.EbA solutions are applied examples of successful processes or approaches to solve a specifi c challenge related to climate change. They address current and future climate change impacts (e.g. floods, droughts, storms, sea level rise, melting of glaciers) on human wellbeing through a sustainable management of ecosystems and the services they provide — with a proven impact. A solution usually consists of a combination of building blocks. Building blocks (BB) are key elements of a solution, such as instruments, tools, approaches, partnerships or processes. They determine the solution’s success and can potentially be adapted and/or recombined with others to address specifi c challenges in different socio-cultural, ecological, political or economic contexts, sectors, or geographies.