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Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA)

Environment & Ecology

  • PYQs8
  • Articles1
I

Background

EbA is a critical strategy for climate change adaptation, offering sustainable, cost-effective, and equitable solutions, especially for vulnerable coastal communities. UPSC examines India's climate resilience strategies, environmental policy, and sustainable development goals, making EbA a key concept for understanding India's approach to environmental challenges and disaster management.

Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is an approach that uses biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall adaptation strategy to help people adapt to the adverse effects of climate change. It involves the conservation, sustainable management, and restoration of ecosystems to provide services that reduce vulnerability to climate change.

II

Facts & tables

Mechanism
Utilizes natural ecosystems like mangroves, coral reefs, seagrasses, and wetlands as natural buffers against climate impacts such as storm surges and sea-level rise.
Co-benefits
Offers multiple benefits beyond climate resilience, including livelihood support (e.g., honey collection, crab farming), biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem strengthening.
Cost-effectiveness
Often more cost-effective and sustainable in the long run compared to 'grey' engineered infrastructure (e.g., seawalls, groynes), which can be expensive to maintain and may displace risks.
Challenges in India
Faces hurdles due to fragmented mandates, weak monitoring, a preference for visible engineered infrastructure, and ambiguity in classification and terminology, leading to under-recognition and underfunding.
Ecosystem-based vs. Engineered Adaptation
Feature Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Engineered/Grey Adaptation
Approach Uses natural ecosystems and their services Uses man-made structures (e.g., seawalls, embankments)
Cost Often more cost-effective in long run High initial and maintenance costs
Benefits Provides multiple co-benefits (livelihoods, biodiversity) Primarily focused on protection, can displace risks
Sustainability Self-sustaining, strengthens ecosystems Requires continuous maintenance, can degrade natural systems
Examples Mangrove restoration, coral reef protection Seawalls, groynes, tetrapods
Static syllabus anchors
Type Reference
Conceptual area Biodiversity Conservation & Protected Areas
Conceptual area Environmental Law & Policy
Conceptual area Welfare Schemes & Social Policies
Institutions & roles
Body Role
National Coastal Mission Implements
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) Regulates
III

Prelims angle

Prelims angle: Multi-statement analysis

Prelims angle: Conceptual understanding

  • EbA uses natural ecosystems for climate change adaptation.
  • Examples include mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrasses.
  • Provides co-benefits like livelihood support and biodiversity.
  • Often more cost-effective and sustainable than engineered solutions.
  • Challenges include lack of recognition, fragmented policy, and funding gaps in India.
Body vs treaty — Distinguish EbA from broader concepts like Nature-based Solutions (NbS) or specific programs like MISHTI, while understanding their overlap and how EbA is a specific application.

Treaty = agreement between states; body = institution.

High-confidence PYQ links
Year Framing tags
2025 Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding
2025 Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions
2023 Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
2022 Conceptual understanding, Terminology-based question
2020 Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
2016 Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
2016 Policy measures, Purpose or function of a policy tool
2014 Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding

Timeline

  1. Biodiversity Conservation & Protected Areas

    Conceptual area

  2. Environmental Law & Policy

    Conceptual area

  3. Welfare Schemes & Social Policies

    Conceptual area

  4. Prelims 2014

    Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding

  5. Prelims 2016

    Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding

  6. Prelims 2016

    Policy measures, Purpose or function of a policy tool

  7. Prelims 2020

    Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall

  8. Prelims 2022

    Conceptual understanding, Terminology-based question

  9. Prelims 2023

    Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding

  10. Prelims 2025

    Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding

  11. Prelims 2025

    Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions

  12. When mangroves do what seawalls cannot

    Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) leverages natural ecosystems for climate adaptation, providing co-benefits like livelihood support and biodiversity conservation, often outperforming costly engineered solutions. India needs to better recognize, classify, and integrate EbA into its coastal planning and adaptation policy.

See also

Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA)

No related topics linked yet.

Past papers

In the news

thehindu.com

When mangroves do what seawalls cannot

Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) leverages natural ecosystems for climate adaptation, providing co-benefits like livelihood support and biodiversity conservation, often outperforming costly engineered solutions. India needs to better recognize, classify, and integrate EbA into its coastal planning and adaptation policy.

Try these PYQs

UPSC Prelims 2014 medium Environment & Ecology Open full page

The scientific view is that the increase in global temperature should not exceed 2 °C above the pre-industrial level. If the global temperature increases beyond 3°C above the pre-industrial level, what can be its possible impact/impacts on the world?
1. Terrestrial biosphere tends toward a net carbon source
2. Widespread coral mortality will occur.
3. All the global wetlands will permanently disappear.
4. Cultivation of cereals will not be possible anywhere in the world.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

UPSC Prelims 2016 medium Environment & Ecology Open full page

Which of the following best describes the aim of ‘Green India Mission’ of the Government of India?
1. Incorporating environment benefits and costs into the Union and State Budgets thereby implementing the ‘green accounting’.
2. Launching the second green revolution to enhance agriculture output so as to ensure food security to one and all in the future.
3. Restoring and enhancing forest cover and responding to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures.

Select the correct answer using the code given below

UPSC Prelims 2022 medium Environment & Ecology Open full page

“Climate Action Tracker" which emission reduction pledges of different countries is a:

UPSC Prelims 2023 hard Environment & Ecology Open full page

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Carbon markets are likely to be one of the most widespread tools in the fight against climate change.
Statement-II: Carbon markets transfer resources from the private sector to the State.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

UPSC Prelims 2016 medium Environment & Ecology Open full page

Proper design and effective implementation of UN-REDD+ Programme can significantly contribute to -
1. Protection of biodiversity
2. Resilience of forest ecosystems
3. Poverty reduction

Select the correct answer using the code given below

Show 3 more PYQs
UPSC Prelims 2025 hard Environment & Ecology Open full page

Consider the following statements:

Statement I:
At the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), India refrained from signing the “Declaration on Climate and Health”.

Statement II:
The COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health is a binding declaration; and if signed, it becomes mandatory to decarbonize health sector.

Statement III:
If India’s health sector is decarbonized, the resilience of its health-care system may be compromised.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

UPSC Prelims 2025 easy Environment & Ecology Open full page

Which organization has enacted the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss?

UPSC Prelims 2020 easy International Relations Open full page

Consider the following pairs

| International Agreement | Set-up Subject |
|--------------------------|----------------------------|
| 1. Alma-Ata Declaration | Healthcare of the people |
| 2. Hague Convention | Biological and chemical weapons |
| 3. Talanoa Dialogue | Global climate change |
| 4. Under2 Coalition | Child rights |

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?