Implementation of a strategic framework for scaling up ecosystem-based adaptation: Success factors and lessons learned from the EbA-LAC Program

The purpose of this publication is to share lessons learned about the success factors that enabled the scaling up of EbA in the three countries, using a strategic framework that integrates the dimensions of i) governance, ii) capacity building, and iii) enabling conditions, throughout the EbA mainstreaming cycle. The methodology included interviews and focus groups with key actors involved in the program, along with expert input and review. EbA is an approach that uses biodiversity and ecosystem services to help people adapt to the adverse effects of climate change.

The paper concludes that through analyzing the 18 experiences of the EbA LAC program shows that scaling up Ecosystembased Adaptation is a complex, multidimensional, and deeply contextual process that depends on the dynamic interaction between adaptive governance, capacity-building, and enabling conditions. Although the three countries (Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala) present institutional, environmental, and sociocultural differences, the experiences converge around common pathways: scaling up occurs when EbA is integrated into existing structures, strengthens the capacities of key actors, and has sustainable financing sources that enable its adoption beyond the project cycle.