ABSTRACT
The ecosystem approach (EA) is defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) as “a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way”. The ecosystem approach has twelve principles and is the primary framework for action under the CBD and is based on the application of appropriate methodologies focused on levels of biological organization. To date, there are very few examples of the application of the ecosystem approach known in Malawi. The Lake Chilwa Basin Climate Change Adaptation Programme (LCBCCAP) is the first programme in Malawi to fully and explicitly implement EA on a large, basin-wide scale and as an approach to climate change adaptation. This chapter explores why and how the theoretical framework of EA has been applied practically in and around Lake Chilwa, as well as the lessons learned from using the ecosystem approach in LCBCCAP. Taking each of the twelve principles of the EA in turn, this chapter looks at how a programme can apply EA to adapt and build resilience to climate change in addition to using examples from LCBCCAP that cover both broad applications and more specific examples. The ecosystem approach is increasingly being integrated and applied to other initiatives such as Ecosystem Based Adaptation (EBA) which is rising to prominence as a response to climate change. The LCBCCAP has already been cited as a leading example of EBA. This chapter concludes by sharing the challenges and lessons learned from the experience of applying EA in LCBCCAP and how these lessons can be used in designing future climate resilience interventions.
