IORA Blue Carbon Hub Think Tank Meeting on Nature-based Solutions for Coastal Adaptation

The IORA Blue Carbon Hub in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime and Investment Affairs will be hosting the Hub’s annual think-tank workshop on 12-14 September, in Nusa Dua (Bali, Indonesia). The theme of the event is ‘Nature-based Solutions for Coastal Adaptation’.

 

 

Mangroves, seagrasses and tidal marshes play a significant role in Earth’s carbon cycle and are referred to as ‘blue carbon ecosystems’. These ecosystems support food security and livelihoods, including by supporting fisheries and tourism. They absorb and sequester carbon dioxide, so they also have an important role in climate change mitigation. They also offer potential solutions to help coastal communities adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change. For example, intact blue carbon ecosystems — especially mangroves — reduce the effects of waves from storms and tsunamis. Ecosystem-based adaptation, including integration of natural ecosystems with other adaptation actions like seawalls, can provide resilience against rising sea levels and natural disasters, while also providing additional benefits. Effective management of these ecosystems permits multiple development goals to be covered through a single policy framework that integrates blue economic growth, environmental sustainability and social inclusiveness.

The meeting will focus on the current challenges and impediments with harnessing coastal ecosystems (with particular focus on blue carbon ecosystems) as nature-based solutions for adaptation options, synthesise the knowledge that currently exists, explore options for financing actions, develop a roadmap outlining how we can combine existing knowledge with new information to improve policy advice, and generate the plan of research needed to fill critical gaps. The organisers have invited guest experts from around the world to share their knowledge with delegates from IORA Member States, in sessions that will include adaptations to physical risks to infrastructure, adaptations to enhance livelihood resilience, as well as policy and finance frameworks.