Loss and damage to ecosystems - consequences for adaptation and disaster risk reduction

When: October 5, 2021 at 15:00-16:30 (IST) / 11:30am-1:00pm (CET) / 12:30pm-2:00pm (EAT) 

Where: Register here

The session aims at reviewing the state of the art in monitoring and reporting losses and damages to ecosystems and ecosystem services which are managed to provide adaptation or DRR benefits by considering i) the scientific literature, ii) opportunities under the work stream of non-economic losses (NELs) under the UNFCCC Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM), and iii) opportunities under the Sendai Framework Monitor (SFM) of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR).

Ecosystem-based solutions are increasingly recognized as an integral part of the overall adaptation and disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies. However, these ecosystems are exposed to climate change impacts and their loss and damage (l&d) can consequently affect adaptation and DRR strategies. It is thus important and urgent to recognise ecosystem losses due to climate change impacts and disasters as well as to monitor them. For example, in case a community planted mangroves to adapt to climate change and to reduce disaster risk, the status of the mangrove forest and its ability to provide the respective adaptation or risk reduction benefits needs to be monitored. Logging can cause damage to mangroves, as can extreme events that are exacerbated by climate change impacts.

Although upscaling and mainstreaming is underway, little attention has been paid to loss and damage (l&d) related to ecosystems and ecosystem services so far. An analysis of available Post Disaster Needs Assessments (PDNAs) shows that only one in six assessments report a disaggregated value for ecosystem service (ES) l&d, each valuing one single ES only (Janzen 2019). Difficulties in assessing ES l&d on one side, and the political sensitivity of the topic on the other, explain the limited uptake of ES l&d. Similarly, in the Sendai Framework Monitor (SFM) of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) countries can report damages and losses caused to critical green infrastructure or other strategically important ecosystems, but reporting is not yet happening.

Find more information here: http://adaptationfutures2020.in/