Knowledge exchange for ecosystem-based climate change adaptation

可以说，适应快速变化的气候影响是本世纪人类面临的最大挑战。据估计，应对这一挑战的费用每年超过3,000亿美元，有越来越多的资金来源可以为此提供资金，其中包括英国承诺的38.7亿GB。一个关键问题是应如何投资资金以及应优先开展哪些适应活动。主要的方法是工程干预，如海堤和灌溉基础设施。然而，越来越多的人认识到，基于生态系统的适应方法(EBA)可能提供更有效和更广泛受益的解决方案。这些措施可能包括恢复沿海生态系统，以保护社区免受侵蚀和海浪破坏，或采用农林技术，以在更干燥、更多变的气候下保持作物产量。然而，尽管来自全球各地的积极轶事层出不穷，但这一方法并未得到广泛实施，只获得了一小部分适应资金。问题的一个主要部分是缺乏强有力的证据基础。为了决定采用哪种适应战略，各国政府需要以尖端科学为基础、由实践者学习提供信息的建议。然而，尽管英国支持蓬勃发展的与EBA(生态系统动力学、自然资本和气候变化对生物多样性的影响)相关的研究计划，但关键发现很少被转化为可用的形式。此外，在全球范围内实施EBA的许多机构所吸取的经验教训没有得到巩固和纳入政策。为了解决这些问题，我将与在孟加拉国实施EBA的保护和发展部门的非政府组织合作。我将阐明目前在设计EBA时使用科学的情况，这些项目分布在全球各地，并在孟加拉国的地点进行更有重点的工作。当科学没有被使用时，我将确定这是否反映了实际的知识差距(缺少科学)或有限的获取知识的机会(现有的科学没有达到实践者)。实际的知识差距将被传达给科学界。如果差距反映了科学、实践者和政策界之间的沟通不足，我将把关键发现提炼成更容易理解的形式。这个项目的主要产出将是：(1)一套以科学为基础的建议，说明如何改进现有(或设计新的)适应计划，以便它们恢复/保持自然资本，并最大限度地提高社会的共同利益(得到来自全球的大量最佳实践案例研究的支持)；(2)明确需要进行哪些研究，以填补支撑环境影响评估的科学领域的知识差距；以及(3)建立一个大型知识经济网络，将科学家与参与环境影响评估的多个部门的实践人员和政策制定者联系起来。它还将创建KE遗产，通过建立机制确保KE在项目生命周期后继续在学术界和决策者之间流动。将通过对主要官员的个人情况介绍、公开综合报告、社交媒体外联(电子邮件、网站、博客和推特更新)、一对一会议以及在会议、讲习班和会议上的发言等一系列途径传达产出。主要受益者将是英国和孟加拉国制定气候变化适应和自然资本政策的政府机构和委员会；实施EBA的组织；研究生态系统动力学和自然资本的科学家；其他KE研究员(Addison、Lucey、Stratford)；制定适应战略的企业；以及公民社会。成功的主要衡量标准将是将以科学为基础的建议纳入孟加拉国及其他地区现有的或新出现的环境保护局项目，制定考虑到利益攸关方需求的新研究计划，以及提高环境保护局在国家和国际政策领域的知名度。

Adapting to the effects of a rapidly changing climate is arguably humanity's biggest challenge this century. The cost of meeting this challenge has been estimated at over US$300 billion per year and there are a growing number of funding sources available to finance this, including £3.87 billion pledged by the UK. A key question is how should funds be invested and what adaptation activities should be prioritized. The dominant approach is engineered interventions such as sea walls and irrigation infrastructure. However, there is growing recognition that ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation (EbA) may provide more co-effective and broadly beneficial solutions. These might include restoration of coastal ecosystems to protect communities against erosion and wave damage, or agroforestry techniques to maintain crop yield under drier, more variable climates. However, despite the proliferation of positive anecdotes from across the globe, the approach is not being widely implemented and receives a small proportion of adaptation finance. A major part of the problem is the lack of a robust evidence-base. To make decisions about which adaptation strategy to adopt, governments need advice that is based on cutting edge science and informed by practitioner learning. However, while the UK supports flourishing programmes of research relevant to EbA (ecosystem dynamics, natural capital and the impacts of climate change on biodiversity), key findings are rarely translated into useable forms. Moreover, lessons learned by the many agencies implementing EbA globally are not being consolidated and fed into policy. To address these issues, I will work with NGOs in the conservation and development sectors implementing EbA in Bangladesh. I will clarify the current use of science in the design of EbA across a diverse globally distributed sample of projects, with more focused work at sites in Bangladesh. When science is not being used, I will identify whether this reflects actual knowledge gaps (missing science) or limited access to knowledge (existing science not reaching practitioners). Actual knowledge gaps will be communicated to the science community. Where gaps reflect poor communication between science, practitioner and policy communities, I will distil key findings into more intelligible forms.Major outputs of this project will be: (1) a set of science-based recommendations on how to improve existing (or design new) adaptation programmes so that they restore/maintain natural capital and maximize co-benefits across society (supported by large portfolio of best-practice case studies from across the globe); (2) clarity on what research is needed to fill knowledge gaps in the science underpinning EbA; and (3) a major KE network linking scientists to practitioners and policy makers across multiple sectors involved in EbA. It will also create a KE legacy, by putting in place mechanisms to ensure that KE continues to flow between academia and decision-makers beyond the lifetime of the project. Outputs will be communicated via a range of avenues such as personal briefings to key officials, public synthesis reports, social media outreach (emails, website, blogs, and twitter updates), one-to-one meetings and presentations at meetings, workshops and conferences. The key beneficiaries will be government agencies and committees developing policy on climate change adaptation and natural capital in the UK and Bangladesh; organizations implementing EbA; scientists studying ecosystem dynamics and natural capital; other KE fellows (Addison, Lucey, Stratford); businesses developing adaptation strategies; and civil society. Main measures of success will be uptake of science-based advise into existing or emerging EbA projects in Bangladesh and beyond, development of new research programmes that take into account stakeholder needs, and an elevated profile of EbA in national and international policy spheres.