Ecosystem-based Adaptation and the successful implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals

The EbA and SDGs Working Group of the Friends of EbA (FEBA), coordinated by  SwedBio and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), have been working on a technical paper, to publish at the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development. 

This joint technical paper, developed by the Friends of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (FEBA), gathers a narrative for each SDG, drawing parallels across SDGs to explain how EbA enables sustainable development within the context of climate change.

At the nexus of sustainable development, human rights, climate action, and nature conservation, EbA recognises the symbiotic connections between people and ecosystems. The approaches have an interconnected role across sustainable development goals – from health, water and nutrition to clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, and equality and can be applied across numerous contexts, geographical areas, and ecosystems, spanning across sectoral priorities, with far-reaching impact across SDGs improving the capacity of humans to withstand not only climate hazards, but also economic shocks and stressors. And with emphasis on inclusion and participatory process, the success of the SDGs inherently requires effective and meaningful participation of indigenous peoples and local communities, women and men, youth and elderly, and marginalized groups, to engage their knowledge to design and implement EbA, while addressing their human rights and driving progress across the SDGs to build more equitable and resilient societies.

This paper ”Ecosystem-based Adaptation and the successful implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals” demonstrates how EbA is relevant to all 17 SDGs, and – more broadly – to the successful implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The publication includes a narrative for each SDG and examples of successful projects, drawing parallels across SDGs – especially given how EbA is an inherently cross-cutting approach.

• Read the full report here
• Head over to the IUCN news story