{"id":2718,"date":"2017-09-18T21:08:04","date_gmt":"2017-09-18T21:08:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mountain.org\/?page_id=2718"},"modified":"2020-12-19T18:17:38","modified_gmt":"2020-12-19T18:17:38","slug":"mountain-eba","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mountain.org\/where-we-work\/mountain-eba\/","title":{"rendered":"Mountain EbA"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Click here for project brochure.<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\r\n \r\n\r\nHealthy mountain ecosystems help buffer the impacts of climate change for local communities, wildlife and\u00a0downstream populations worldwide. Locally, mountain people rely on their surrounding environment for water, food,\u00a0pasture and the raw materials that serve as the foundation of their livelihoods. Further downstream, towns and cities depend\u00a0on mountain water for drinking, agriculture and industry.\r\n

Efforts to manage, conserve or restore natural environments can help people adapt to climate change<\/strong>\r\n by taking\u00a0advantage of a healthy ecosystem\u2019s natural resilience.<\/strong><\/p>\r\nFor example, programs that enable mountain farmers to\u00a0sustainably cultivate, harvest and market valuable native crops provide a dependable source of income, promote\u00a0biodiversity conservation and help maintain healthy soil. Similarly, by carefully managing a mountain watershed,\u00a0erosion and pollution are reduced and native plant species and wildlife can rebound. This also helps ensure sufficient\u00a0water supply for local communities and for populations further downstream.\r\n

These nature-based solutions are\u00a0examples of Ecosystem-based Adaptation, or<\/strong> EbA<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\nThe Ecosystem-based Adaptation approach is widely recognized as an important strategy for adapting to the\u00a0impacts of climate change. It is cost-effective, yields multiple benefits, and can be implemented by communities\u00a0themselves. But in mountain areas, on-the-ground EbA measures have not been widely implemented.\r\n

To help build support for EbA approaches in mountains, both on the ground and in national and international policy,\u00a0The Mountain Institute (TMI) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature <\/a>(IUCN)<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0joined\u00a0forces, launching a three-year program to work on EbA in key mountain regions.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\nThe goal was to\u00a0expand EbA work started during the \u201cMountain EbA Flagship Programme\u201d in the Himalayas<\/strong> (Nepal), Mount Elgon<\/strong>\u00a0(Uganda) and the Andes<\/strong> (Peru) and to support the EbA approach being adopted in neighboring Bhutan, Kenya\u00a0and Colombia<\/strong>. The Mountain EbA Program sought to benefit local people directly, as well\u00a0as the millions downstream\u00a0who depend on the water and other benefits\u00a0that come from mountains. We identified and assisted conservation\u00a0and development projects already underway that could benefit from Mountain EbA practices. The EbA experience\u00a0and data developed through this program will be instrumental in building wider support and generating financing\u00a0for EbA within national governments and at international forums.\r\n

Learn more about the Scaling Up Mountain EbA projects in:<\/h4>\r\n