Ecosystem Based Adaptation course

Ecosystem-based Adaptation: Working with nature to adapt to a changing climate

MOOC
9 weeks
Free

About this course

The Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) E-Learning course, developed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), builds on more than a decade of research, field experience, and global partnerships in advancing nature-based solutions to climate change.

Designed as a massive open online course (MOOC) for a global audience, the programme equips participants with practical, transferable skills to design and implement EbA initiatives. It offers targeted training on core principles, risk assessment, monitoring, and governance, while also aiming to broaden understanding of EbA beyond the conservation community. By encouraging integration across sectors such as water management, agriculture, and urban development, the course supports more holistic and resilient approaches to climate adaptation.

  • Understand how EbA fits within broader climate change adaptation strategies.
  • Learn how to sequence and plan EbA activities effectively and apply best practices.
  • Gain insight into integrating rights-based approaches, including gender, livelihoods, and Traditional Knowledge, into EbA projects.
  • Explore how to mainstream EbA across sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, and water resource management.

This self-paced e-learning course includes nine units featuring video lectures, case studies, quizzes, and handouts. It takes approximately 10 hours to complete and can be followed at the learner’s convenience. Units 2–7 include quizzes to assess learning outcomes, and each unit provides a summary handout with additional resources. The course is available in English, French, and Spanish.

Module 1 introduces the course and explains its purpose and rationale.
Module 2 defines ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), outlining its core concepts and key terminology.
Module 3 presents the EbA mainstreaming framework and highlights five cross-cutting themes.
Module 4 provides guidance on conducting climate risk assessments to identify suitable EbA actions.
Module 5 explores EbA valuation, including costs, benefits, and how valuation supports prioritisation.
Module 6 focuses on implementation, covering stakeholder analysis, relevant policies, and practical examples across ecosystems and sectors.
Module 7 explains monitoring, evaluation, and learning through a structured four-step approach.
Module 8 offers mandatory insight units on governance, gender, traditional and Indigenous knowledge, and biodiversity.
Module 9 includes optional insight units on sector-specific applications, such as agriculture, water, and urban environments.

The course is designed for decision-makers in public and private organisations, as well as professionals working in related fields such as development, infrastructure, agriculture, and integrated water resources management who may be new to EbA. It also targets civil society actors, stakeholders at community, national, and global levels, early-career EbA professionals, students, university faculty, and practitioners from both the Global North and Global South.

As the course includes a degree of technical detail, participants are expected to have a strong interest in in-depth learning on the planning and implementation of EbA measures.

Certificate
Thematic Area
  • Climate Change
  • |
  • Professional Development
Access course
Learning mode
  • Online
Time investment
1-2 hours per week

Course Providers

The EbA E-Learning course—developed by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)—builds on more than a decade of research, experience, and partnerships in implementing EbA.

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