Temperate East Asia is strongly affected by climate-related disasters such as droughts and floods, and the effects vary by country and ecosystem type. Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) has been implemented in a wide range of approaches to adapt to climate change, but its effectiveness needs to be more clearly tested in a social-ecological context. Ecosystem restoration (ER), the process of helping to restore degraded ecosystems, has been a human intervention to maintain ecosystem services. Many local ER projects have been implemented, particularly in East Asia, but their socioeconomic effects have not been fully quantified due to the lack of scientific evaluation based on locally validated indicator systems. This project will examine the impact of ER on rural livelihoods and ways to reduce vulnerability to climate change risks and climate-induced disasters, by increasing rural resilience in temperate East Asia. It will synthesize indicator systems from case studies of region-specific ecosystems, characterize ER in relation to exogenous and endogenous factors, and derive best practices. This comprehensive examination of ER characteristics will link local policies to international best practices. Furthermore, the evaluation framework developed in this project will contribute to better implementation of the ER process as an EbA strategy.
Project Leader
Collaborators
Prof Md. Giashuddin Miah, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Bangladesh
“A clear understanding of the process from ecosystem degradation to restoration is essential for the effective evaluation of ecosystem restoration initiatives.”
Dr Lin Zhen, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
“Evaluation indicators for ecosystem restoration projects should be carefully selected to capture ecological, economic, and social impacts, while accounting for the unique challenges and characteristics of each site.”
Dr Mandakh Nyamtseren, Institute of Geography and Geoecology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Mongolia
“The hydrology of Lake Ugii is notably sensitive to climate change, underscoring the need to prioritize water resource conservation in future climate adaptation strategies.”
Dr. Yunfeng Hu, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
“The project activities in Mongolia have been deeply impactful and truly memorable. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to APN for their generous support and to the research team for their meticulous preparations.”
Project publications
Mongolian freshwater ecosystems under climate change and anthropogenic pressure: a case study of Ugii Lake
Project final report: CRRP2022-02MY-Shoyama
Mapping vegetation changes in Mongolian grasslands (1990–2024) using Landsat data and advanced machine learning algorithm