UNEP-WCMC (2015) Guidance on Integrating Ecosystem Considerations into Climate Change Vulnerability and Impact Assessment (VIA) to Inform Ecosystem-based Adaptation - EN

This VIA Guidance Document was prepared by UNEP-WCMC under the global Mountain EbA Programme. It provides a Vulnerability and Impact Assessment (VIA) to inform Ecosystem-based Adaptation. 

VIAs are conducted to inform the objectives, focus and content of adaptation interventions and strategies, and many approaches, tools and methods now exist to guide this process. However, despite this plethora of guidance, there are significant challenges to fully capturing the complexity of social-ecological systems.

This Guidance provides information and advice on how to integrate consideration of ecosystems and their services into a climate change VIA. It is informed by the experience of the Ecosystem-based Adaptation in Mountain Ecosystems Project focused on Nepal, Peru and Uganda where UNEP (UNEP-WCMC), in collaboration with partners IUCN and UNDP, undertook extensive work on VIAs to build a case for better understanding of climate resilience as it relates to mountain ecosystems. The work is supported by the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Executive Summary for the Guidance Document is available: CH, FR, SP, PT, RU