NRM and Ecosystem Resilience

GEF Natural Resources

Land Degradation

Biodiversity

International Waters

Sustainable Forest Management

Climate Change Adaptation

Resilience

• The ability of a social or ecological system to absorb disturbances while retaining the same basic structure and ways of functioning, the capacity for self-organization, and the capacity to adapt to stress and change.

Social-Ecological Systems• Social-ecological

systems - linked systems of people and nature

• Humans are part of nature

• Delineation between social and ecological systems is artificial and arbitrary

Sustainable Development Update 1(8), 2008

What Disturbances (i.e. Threats)?• Biological – Pollinator declines, biomass

depletion• Climatic – Drought or Flooding in drylands• Physical – Erosion on steep slopes or

sedimentation in lakes, streams, river • Chemical – Nutrient pollution in water bodies,

Ocean Acidification• Anthropogenic – Timber extraction and hunting

in forests, Overexploitation of fish stocks• Economic – Market failures….• Institutional – Governance breakdown….

Generic Principles for NR Projects(based on Walker and Salt, 2008)

• Promote diversity• Embrace variability• Acknowledge slow

variables• Harness social capital• Enable innovation• Value “unpriced”

ecosystem services• Enhance governance

overlaps

Biodiversity Focal AreaBiodiversity Focal Area

BD and ResilienceFocus on resilience of PAs and PA Systems

1. maintain coverage of representative ecosystems and species in light of anticipated climate change

2. adjust PA boundaries given anticipated effects of climate change on species and habitats - a kind of flex approach to PA demarcation;

3. management of PAs in landscapes that are governed by land-use regulations to accommodate 1 and 2

Land Degradation Focal AreaLand Degradation Focal Area

Hyper-arid People Sub-humid

SLM and Resilience• “Integrated” NRM for Livelihoods– sustain ecosystem service flows -> healthy

soils, vegetative cover–diversify land use - > create options at

multiple scales– safeguard high value species -> genetic

resources for food, fuel, fiber– protect ground and surface water

resources – efficiency in use, re-charge– traditional/indigenous practices

(nomadic/pastoralist) -> innovations

International Waters Focal Area

IW and Resilience• Science-based adaptive management institutions at

transboundary scale, many with cooperative, legal agreements

• ICM institutions at local scale consider storms / floods / risk

• Drought management planning; Floodplain management / restoration

• Aquifer protection/management; reuse of sewage; water use efficiency

• Marine projects use early warning instrumentation for forecasting

SFM/REDD+ Program

SFM/REDD+ Priorities

1. Reduce pressures on forest resources and generate sustainable flows of forest ecosystem services.

2. Strengthen the enabling environment to reduce

GHG emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhance carbon sinks from LULUCF activities.

Focus on multiple benefits from forest ecosystems, including options to mitigate climate change – implications for resilience of functions and sustainable flow of services

Moving Forward• Resilience taking center-stage in Conventions

and MEA fora• Resilience needs to be fully considered in

design and implementation of GEF project • STAP taking a lead role in establishing – the scientific bases for resilience in GEF

investments– Developing a framework for resilience monitoring

and assessment