TREES FOR RESILIENCE
TREES FOR RESILIENCE
CIFOR-ICRAF at UNFCCC COP28
30 Nov – 12 Dec 2023, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesConnecting land and water: ecosystem based adaptation through agroecology in Sri Lanka
Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) to climate change in Sri Lanka involves interactions between land and water. Water from upstream catchments underpins food security. Climate change increases rainfall in the uplands, increasing sediment flow, that reduces storage capacity of reservoirs. This happens at the same as higher temperatures and more frequent and severe drought in the dry zone increases irrigation requirements for rice. The GCF Knuckles project employs EbA to address these problems by harnessing the value of ecosystem services derived from upstream catchments, to invest in their protection, while improving the water use efficiency of food production in the dry zone.
In this session we look at a recent initiative to better incorporate water management and aquatic foods in the principles of agroecology, placing this in the context of the role of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) at the Green Climate Fund and in addressing climate change effects in Sri Lanka. We outline the GCF Knuckles project that uses EbA to address land and water issues in an integrated way by protecting upland watersheds while promoting climate resilient agricultural practices. A key feature of the project is the development of payment for ecosystem service mechanisms to provide sustainable financing of agroecological intensification.