Assessing barriers to ecosystem-based adaptation: Application to tropical islands.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Climate Change Adaptation
• Ecosystem Management

Background:

• Barriers to ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), a subset of nature-based solutions (NbS), are not well understood.
• Assessing these barriers is crucial for effective climate change adaptation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a structured analytical framework for understanding EbA barriers.
• To apply this framework to 24 coastal EbA projects in French tropical island territories.

Main Methods:

• Developed a four-dimensional barrier analysis framework (categories, origins, impacts, temporalities).
• Applied the framework to case studies of coastal EbA projects.
• Identified and categorized prevalent barriers and implemented solutions.

Main Results:

• The primary barriers identified were institutional/governance (35%), knowledge/technical resources (20%), and finance (15%).
• Most barriers were objective, contextual, and not adaptation-specific, though policy and future-oriented approaches were key adaptation-specific issues.
• Barriers frequently impacted readiness and implementation stages and often persisted throughout project lifecycles.

Conclusions:

• A barrier-oriented analysis is beneficial for evaluating adaptation projects.
• The proposed framework is operational and transferable for assessing EbA initiatives.
• Information sharing, knowledge strengthening, and enhanced coordination were successful solutions.