Artículo | 24 Mar, 2021

Launch of the Global Fund for Ecosystem-based Adaptation

Ecosystem-based Adaptation harnesses the power of nature to increase the resilience of communities against the escalating impacts of climate change. By providing rapid and targeted financial support to innovative and catalytic projects, the Global EbA Fund will address specific gaps in policy and technical knowledge to maximise the impact of this vital nature-based solution on a global scale. This brand-new funding opportunity, led by IUCN and UNEP, is now open to support scaling up EbA across the world.

content hero image

Photo: IUCN

The Global EbA Fund is now open to support scaling up EbA around the world.

Led by IUCN and UNEP, the Global EbA Fund is a quickly deployable mechanism for supporting innovative approaches to EbA. The Fund aims to encourage catalytic initiatives to help overcome barriers for upscaling EbA, address the gaps in knowledge and planning for EbA, as well as to increase access to public and private funding for catalytic adaptation interventions. Through its International Climate Initiative (IKI), the Federal Environment Ministry of Germany has committed 20 million Euros to the Fund.

The Global EbA Fund prioritizes the closing of resource and knowledge gaps with a broad thematic focus on innovation and urgency, encouraging creative solutions and partnerships among funding applicants and the wider EbA community. By supporting catalytic interventions, the Fund will engage in strategic EbA policy mainstreaming, and incentivise innovative finance mechanisms and private sector investment.

The Global EbA Fund will draw on and support the growing momentum behind nature-based solutions and EbA, creating synergies with other upscaling initiatives, including the Friends of EbA (FEBA), the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the Global Adaptation Network (GAN), the Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA; specifically, Action Track on Nature-Based Solutions), the Sustainable Development Goals and more. 

“Ecosystem-based Adaptation increases the resilience of ecosystems and communities alike against the escalating impacts of climate change. The Global Ecosystem-based Adaptation Fund will address specific gaps in policy and technical knowledge to maximise the impact of this vital nature-based solution on a global scale. The Fund capitalises on IUCN’s convening power, its network of Members, Commissions and partners, and on existing expertise and knowledge to accelerate global momentum behind climate resilience.” - IUCN Director General Dr. Bruno Oberle

 

Who can apply?

Global EbA Fund grants should be complementary and add value to existing work by filling a gap in an existing project, enhancing the impact of an EbA investment, contributing to policy upscaling of EbA, and/or serving to develop a larger proposal to another funding mechanism. Projects may have a global, thematic, regional and/or country-specific focus.

The Fund prioritizes applicants that are well-grounded in the proposed region or area of work; have experience of the size and type of project proposed; and are inclusive of local communities, indigenous knowledge and gender perspectives.

The Fund is now open for contributions of USD 50,000 to USD 250,000, with no specified or prioritized regional or country focus. The maximum project duration is 36 months. Please note that UNEP and IUCN offices are not currently eligible to apply for funding from the Global EbA Fund.

In line with current IKI policies, the Fund will not provide grants directly to government partners but to organisations working directly with national, sub-national and local governments to create an enabling environment for EbA and the implementation of strategic partnerships. 

Learn more and and submit a proposal on our website at www.GlobalEbAFund.org. Stay up to date on announcements by following the Global EbA Fund on Twitter and LinkedIn

Read more on IUCN's portfolio of Ecosystem-based Adaptation projects here.

Nature-based Solutions encompass approaches of working with nature to address societal challenges. Ecosystem-based Adaptation is one such approach to address climate change. IUCN has been at the forefront of Ecosystem-based Adaptation for over a decade now, harnessing the power of nature to increase the resilience of global communities who face the brunt of climate change. By supporting a range of high-quality and diverse EbA projects, the Global EbA Fund will encourage innovation and scaling up of NbS for adaptation worldwide."  - Stewart Maginnis, Global Director, Nature-based Solutions Group

 

logosPhoto: IUCN